How many miles saved are too many? when do you use?
Jan 21, 2011 | 8:53 am
#16
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Northern Nevada
Programs: DL,EK
Posts: 1,653
I have about 100K with AA and 500K with DL. I plan to use a lot of DL miles in the coming year so will likely not have status in 2012. The AA miles will probably used to get to Erbil, Iraq on GF as that is otherwise a pretty expensive ticket.
Jan 21, 2011 | 9:15 am
#17
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
I burn. Often. I earn, too. But I burn.
If I have a target trip in mind that I can get to I'll horde to make it happen but I really don't like having many hundreds of thousands of miles in my account; I'm almost certainly losing out on their value if I do.
As far as I know this has happened only once in the past ~5 years. And something similar is unlikely to happen again.
Jan 21, 2011 | 11:12 am
#19
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NJ/NYC
Programs: AA EXP/LT Plat, SPG Plat/LT Plat, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Plat, IHG Plat, MR Silver
Posts: 2,789
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9630/5.0.0.975 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)
About 2,400,000 across all my programs, concentrated in 4 main programs. I know its stupid but am constantly chasing status and already take a lot of trips.
About 2,400,000 across all my programs, concentrated in 4 main programs. I know its stupid but am constantly chasing status and already take a lot of trips.
Jan 21, 2011 | 3:04 pm
#22
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SJC and ONT
Programs: WN A-List/CP, HHonors Diamond, CX J with AA miles, US Gold/*G
Posts: 2,082
+infinity and beyond.
It's just a little depressing to see my account down to 5 or less digits each time I redeem...so I start scheming on ways to bring my balances back up again....then I burn.
It's a vicious circle.
Jan 21, 2011 | 6:01 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sacramento
Programs: UA 3MM, former GS; Bonvoy Lifetime Plat; MHC Lifetime; Tar Heel forever
Posts: 12,175
Jan 21, 2011 | 6:09 pm
#24
Senior Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: UA Plat/2MM [23-yr. 1K, now emeritus] clawing way back to WN-A List; MR LT Titanium; HY Whateverist.
Posts: 12,458
As this is about the use/saving of airline miles, please follow the thread in the MilesBuzz forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.
Jan 21, 2011 | 6:51 pm
#25
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 688
I do use my saved miles once in a while but have now acculated over 350,000 miles.
I think there is a catch22 situation. I spend money to buy ticekts and accumulate miles to maintain my status but end up with too many miles unused. Fortunately, so far I have never let them expire.
When do you use your miles? At what point it is prudent to use them rather than paying for tickets?
I think there is a catch22 situation. I spend money to buy ticekts and accumulate miles to maintain my status but end up with too many miles unused. Fortunately, so far I have never let them expire.
When do you use your miles? At what point it is prudent to use them rather than paying for tickets?
Overall, I try to use them up as soon as I get them.
Jan 21, 2011 | 7:29 pm
#27
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: ORD
Posts: 172
I think everyone is worried about devaluations. If you are holding miles in hopes they appreciate, I have some swamp, err, resort land in Florida that is a great investment opportunity that I'd like to sell.
In my short experience with these programs, there is always several months of notice before devaluations actually go into effect giving you time to liquidate your miles unless you have a ridiculous amount. Right?
Bankruptcy would be the only thing that would worry me if I was sitting on millions of miles...which I'm not. And even then you probably won't use them as long as the airline reorgs and does not liquidate.
So, long story short, I don't "cap" my miles at a certain level, because if the airline changes the rules I will be able to spend them before the devaluations go into effect.
In my short experience with these programs, there is always several months of notice before devaluations actually go into effect giving you time to liquidate your miles unless you have a ridiculous amount. Right?
Bankruptcy would be the only thing that would worry me if I was sitting on millions of miles...which I'm not. And even then you probably won't use them as long as the airline reorgs and does not liquidate.
So, long story short, I don't "cap" my miles at a certain level, because if the airline changes the rules I will be able to spend them before the devaluations go into effect.
Jan 21, 2011 | 7:36 pm
#28
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: D.R.E.A.D. Gold card holder
Posts: 53,195
As long as we're on the hunt for status (and always on the edge), we don't burn miles for ourselves, so the mileage balances just keep going up.
Jan 21, 2011 | 8:22 pm
#30
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,998
No such thing as too many. With all the easy methods to accumulate miles, I'm earning far faster than I can use at this point. Sure, they may loose value over time but having them is still better than not. I may as well build a balance as the easy methods of today may vanish tomorrow.