EXplaining to Kettle: "Why Don't You Use Miles?"
Mar 22, 2010 | 5:32 am
#32
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: AAdvantage Gold
Posts: 1,614
That's nice, but for some people, WN is perfectly acceptable for domestic travel, and they get more than enough miles to get travel outside the US as well.
FWIW, I find RR to be a very nice place to bank rental car/hotel airline awards. It's easy to get $50 of RR value back with a hotel room and car rental over a weekend. 50/100/150 miles at a click doesn't move the needle much compared to 1-2 RR credits.
FWIW, I find RR to be a very nice place to bank rental car/hotel airline awards. It's easy to get $50 of RR value back with a hotel room and car rental over a weekend. 50/100/150 miles at a click doesn't move the needle much compared to 1-2 RR credits.
Mar 22, 2010 | 6:51 am
#33
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Home
Programs: AA, Delta, UA & thanks to FTers for my PC Gold!
Posts: 7,674
I am looking for a nice way to explain to a Kettle why "I can't just use miles to go to LAS"
How can they understand that:
1) Spending $300 for AUS-DFW-LAS (3,000 EQM) is a bad use of $$$ I
would use on MR.
2) I won't use MR funds until AA offers fare sales and DBLEQM to bounce
back after an FA Strike.
3) I will not use 25,000 miles for a $300 tkt, because:
a) I won't sit in coach and its not worth 50k for FC
b) Chances are milesaver is not available and I won't pay double
c) I only use miles on a 3-1 cost if I have no other choice- . ie: AUS- PTY $500 tkt (ow) = 15k miles
d) I need 100,000 BIS EQM miles to requalify EXP.
e) If I burn miles I prefer 10:1 spend, such as 100k miles for $10,000
J or F ticket.
3) You (mr / ms Kettle) telling me how to use miles is like me telling Donald Trump how to renegotiate a real estate loan.
PS- and I want to say it NICELY!!!
How can they understand that:
1) Spending $300 for AUS-DFW-LAS (3,000 EQM) is a bad use of $$$ I
would use on MR.
2) I won't use MR funds until AA offers fare sales and DBLEQM to bounce
back after an FA Strike.
3) I will not use 25,000 miles for a $300 tkt, because:
a) I won't sit in coach and its not worth 50k for FC
b) Chances are milesaver is not available and I won't pay double
c) I only use miles on a 3-1 cost if I have no other choice- . ie: AUS- PTY $500 tkt (ow) = 15k miles
d) I need 100,000 BIS EQM miles to requalify EXP.
e) If I burn miles I prefer 10:1 spend, such as 100k miles for $10,000
J or F ticket.
3) You (mr / ms Kettle) telling me how to use miles is like me telling Donald Trump how to renegotiate a real estate loan.
PS- and I want to say it NICELY!!!
If I really wanted to go to LAS, I would buy tkt. When I said something along lines of; "Its NOT worth the $$$ to go" then the "why not use miles" statement was made.
We have all been there. We have a different monetary value on miles then the Kettles.
Just looking for nice, maybe even cute way of explaining.
We have all been there. We have a different monetary value on miles then the Kettles.
Just looking for nice, maybe even cute way of explaining.
If you would lower your expectation and just make one point (i.e. that's not the way to use miles), you probably could be cute by saying something alone the line such as:
"I like to use my earned miles to fly much longer distance, such as RTW trips, for free." Or,
"It costs too much to fly to LAS in 1st Class with my miles. I could have made it to Hawaii!"
I am sure even Kettle can tell the differences (or value) between AUS/LAS vs. RTW trips, & the attractiveness between LAS vs. Hawaii.
Mar 22, 2010 | 3:01 pm
#35
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Santa Cruz, CA USA
Programs: AA, UA, WN, HH, Marriott
Posts: 7,293
you got a point but my main beef with RR would be that the credits expire one year after issue (not sure if you can extend once) and I don't like the fact that there's nothing i can do to stave off expiration whereas airline miles I can essentially keep forever by having activity every few months. Also my travel patters are extremely sporadic, I can fly 50K miles one year, not fly at all the next two, then fly 80K miles another year and then nothing. I think AA's lifetime benefit will help me the most, then i don't have to worry about maintaining status, achieving it is no problem for me, it's maintaining it that i can't seem to do very well...
Mar 22, 2010 | 9:54 pm
#37
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 96
Well, I'm an even newer newbie than you, but I'll take a stab at it.
Ma & Pa Kettle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_and_Pa_Kettle
I'm guessing the term may be interchangable with "cattle", the folks who sit in the back of the plane.
Ma & Pa Kettle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_and_Pa_Kettle
I'm guessing the term may be interchangable with "cattle", the folks who sit in the back of the plane.
Mar 23, 2010 | 1:18 am
#38
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Purgatory
Programs: Too many to list. Status is a half dozen.
Posts: 9,236
Reference to Ma and Pa Kettle. In FlyerTalk parlance, it's a bit derogatory and refers to highly infrequent travelers, often not earning miles or points at all, and are generally considered a lower class than the obsessive mile and point earning fools that comprise the majority of people on FT. 
Mar 23, 2010 | 8:31 am
#39
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
I never fly coach....
Nevermine - coach rules with the campfires, wine and dancing gypsy girls!!! The poor fools in first class just get stuck with a movie and airline food - back in coach we get fresh eggs from the chickens and fresh milk from the cows.
Mar 23, 2010 | 12:17 pm
#40
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,460
If I may be so bold to build on what you wrote:
who tend to gum up the system for the rest of us.
They usually carry overweight suitcases, wander into elite security lines and will run up to board while First Class and/or elites are boarding.
Inevitably they will board the plane with a BP for 34A and stop at row 1, and look at their BP, just to confirm that 34A in not in the front. They repeat the process every 2-3 rows.
Reference to Ma and Pa Kettle. In FlyerTalk parlance, it's a bit derogatory and refers to highly infrequent travelers,
They usually carry overweight suitcases, wander into elite security lines and will run up to board while First Class and/or elites are boarding.
Inevitably they will board the plane with a BP for 34A and stop at row 1, and look at their BP, just to confirm that 34A in not in the front. They repeat the process every 2-3 rows.
Mar 23, 2010 | 1:02 pm
#41
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 33
you got a point but my main beef with RR would be that the credits expire one year after issue (not sure if you can extend once) and I don't like the fact that there's nothing i can do to stave off expiration whereas airline miles I can essentially keep forever by having activity every few months. Also my travel patters are extremely sporadic, I can fly 50K miles one year, not fly at all the next two, then fly 80K miles another year and then nothing. I think AA's lifetime benefit will help me the most, then i don't have to worry about maintaining status, achieving it is no problem for me, it's maintaining it that i can't seem to do very well...Last edited by amberdel; Aug 10, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Mar 23, 2010 | 5:46 pm
#42
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SFO/STT as often as possible
Programs: UA; Delta; US Air; BA Executive Club
Posts: 212
From what you have written, I believe I have gleaned what is happening here:
Just tell your in-laws (The Kettles) you don't want to go to Vegas with them.
You don't want to use money, miles, certificates, coupons or any other means of payment. You just don't want to go.
Just tell your in-laws (The Kettles) you don't want to go to Vegas with them.
You don't want to use money, miles, certificates, coupons or any other means of payment. You just don't want to go.
Mar 24, 2010 | 9:27 am
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,939
If I may be so bold to build on what you wrote:
who tend to gum up the system for the rest of us.
They usually carry overweight suitcases, wander into elite security lines and will run up to board while First Class and/or elites are boarding.
Inevitably they will board the plane with a BP for 34A and stop at row 1, and look at their BP, just to confirm that 34A in not in the front. They repeat the process every 2-3 rows.
who tend to gum up the system for the rest of us.
They usually carry overweight suitcases, wander into elite security lines and will run up to board while First Class and/or elites are boarding.
Inevitably they will board the plane with a BP for 34A and stop at row 1, and look at their BP, just to confirm that 34A in not in the front. They repeat the process every 2-3 rows.
Mar 24, 2010 | 10:16 am
#44
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: PDX|AKL|AMS|GVA|AGP|CPT - or somewhere in between
Programs: DL DM; 2MM
Posts: 2,461
From what you have written, I believe I have gleaned what is happening here:
Just tell your in-laws (The Kettles) you don't want to go to Vegas with them.
You don't want to use money, miles, certificates, coupons or any other means of payment. You just don't want to go.
Just tell your in-laws (The Kettles) you don't want to go to Vegas with them.
You don't want to use money, miles, certificates, coupons or any other means of payment. You just don't want to go.
LOL ... Great advise .. ^
Mar 24, 2010 | 11:24 am
#45
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AA PLAT SPG GOLD
Posts: 103
If I may be so bold to build on what you wrote:
who tend to gum up the system for the rest of us.
They usually carry overweight suitcases, wander into elite security lines and will run up to board while First Class and/or elites are boarding.
Inevitably they will board the plane with a BP for 34A and stop at row 1, and look at their BP, just to confirm that 34A in not in the front. They repeat the process every 2-3 rows.
who tend to gum up the system for the rest of us.
They usually carry overweight suitcases, wander into elite security lines and will run up to board while First Class and/or elites are boarding.
Inevitably they will board the plane with a BP for 34A and stop at row 1, and look at their BP, just to confirm that 34A in not in the front. They repeat the process every 2-3 rows.