Bali Trip with Rewards Advice Request with 344K United Mileage and 663K Amex Mileage
Sep 14, 2019, 11:34 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 3
Bali Trip with Rewards Advice Request with 344K United Mileage and 663K Amex Mileage
Dear All, I am wondering whether anyone would be so kind to lend your expertise and share your advise on how to best utilize 344K United Mileage and 663K Amex Mileage for flights from San Diego to Bali from 12/23/2019 to 1/3/2020? We are family of four (2 adults and 2 kids above 2 years old and less than 10 years). We are okay with either economy or business or first flights to best utilize the mileages and whether we used all mileages we have or not. I would be grateful for your kind help if you can share general step by step (who to call to get best flight, which airline tto transfer mileage, etc ). No mileage for hotel required. This trip is for our family reunion for after long years. So this trip do means lot as I have been saving mileages for very special occasion like this. Thank you for your time and help in advance.
Last edited by organicfoods; Sep 14, 2019 at 11:42 pm
Sep 15, 2019, 9:41 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Gold. UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt (Lifetime Diamond downgraded to Explorist)
Posts: 6,776
You're asking for 4 seats during peak travel time just a few months beforehand which generally means you're going to pay higher award prices and often long layovers. You're looking at 180k UA miles return per person vs 80k if you had low level availability.
That said, do 1-way searches from hub to hub such as SFO/LAX-SIN/HKG. If you can find low level availability to somewhere nearby you can always purchase revenue tickets from there to Bali but be sure to leave enough time on separate tickets. I'd suggest an overnight. UA and many other programs allow 1-way awards so you can use one program to get there and another coming back which helps you be a bit more flexible.
That said, do 1-way searches from hub to hub such as SFO/LAX-SIN/HKG. If you can find low level availability to somewhere nearby you can always purchase revenue tickets from there to Bali but be sure to leave enough time on separate tickets. I'd suggest an overnight. UA and many other programs allow 1-way awards so you can use one program to get there and another coming back which helps you be a bit more flexible.
Sep 15, 2019, 5:50 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,994
Dear All, I am wondering whether anyone would be so kind to lend your expertise and share your advise on how to best utilize 344K United Mileage and 663K Amex Mileage for flights from San Diego to Bali from 12/23/2019 to 1/3/2020? We are family of four (2 adults and 2 kids above 2 years old and less than 10 years).
We are okay with either economy or business or first flights to best utilize the mileages and whether we used all mileages we have or not.
I would be grateful for your kind help if you can share general step by step (who to call to get best flight, which airline to transfer mileage, etc ). No mileage for hotel required.
This trip is for our family reunion for after long years. So this trip do means lot as I have been saving mileages for very special occasion like this.
Thank you for your time and help in advance.
We are okay with either economy or business or first flights to best utilize the mileages and whether we used all mileages we have or not.
I would be grateful for your kind help if you can share general step by step (who to call to get best flight, which airline to transfer mileage, etc ). No mileage for hotel required.
This trip is for our family reunion for after long years. So this trip do means lot as I have been saving mileages for very special occasion like this.
Thank you for your time and help in advance.
What frequent flyer programmes are you a member of now? FF balance? FF status?
Only UA?
Some ffp's do not like people signing up, transferring cc points and then getting awards. With some it is not a problem
Have you redeemed awards before?
What have you found with your UA ff miles?
Possible route Great Circle Mapper
Consider these Award booking services - a list and some reviews
Sep 16, 2019, 10:33 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 3
Yoshi212
Mwenenzi
Thank you both for your kind replies. I accumulated my mileage accumulation UA (344K) thinking I can go to Japan since some of family are there. The other points card I have is Amex (663K).
Thank you for the links to Great circle mapper and award booking services (didnt know this service exist), I learnt something new and checking them out now. Thank you. Hopefully I can find optimized way to get the award booking.
Mwenenzi
Thank you both for your kind replies. I accumulated my mileage accumulation UA (344K) thinking I can go to Japan since some of family are there. The other points card I have is Amex (663K).
Thank you for the links to Great circle mapper and award booking services (didnt know this service exist), I learnt something new and checking them out now. Thank you. Hopefully I can find optimized way to get the award booking.
Sep 16, 2019, 10:39 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,994
Another guide ---> https://www.awardhacker.com/#f=SAN&t...=0&c=y&s=2&p=1
Is a starting point to what may be possible. May not be accurate. But will be other possibilities.
UA economy return 4 x 80,0000 =320,0000. So about all your UA ff miles. Click on "80K"
Getting award availability is the hard part
Is a starting point to what may be possible. May not be accurate. But will be other possibilities.
UA economy return 4 x 80,0000 =320,0000. So about all your UA ff miles. Click on "80K"
Getting award availability is the hard part