As one who keeps lots of useless information in spreadsheets and databases, I have been keeping track of the $ value of tickets that the reward equals (given the same booking situation, time, flights etc.), number of miles redeemed. Anyone else do the same?

My stats are:

32 round trip flights worth a little over $40,000 US ($61000 CAD); for 1,539,500 miles on AC/Star Alliance.

4 round trip flights worth a little over $4,500 US ($7000 CAD); for 210,000 miles on Canadian Airlines.

This covers the period from 1992 to 1999.

[This message has been edited by BlondeBomber (edited 08-24-1999).]

At two cents a mile, you got 2 million miles worth for your 1.5 million miles. You also came out ahead on Canadian with 225,000 miles worth for 210,000 miles. Congratulations. I can just hope for that good a rate when I start cashing in my miles.

I'm thrilled to see I'm not the only one who keeps track of such useless information. I don't have a breakdown of the different airlines (althought that's a good idea and you may have just given me a new little project to work on). My total with lots of business and 1st class tickets is about 585,000 miles for a savings of about $40,000 US. I travel mostly internationally so I get an enormous financial savings with what I think is a small amount of miles.

For myself (for the past year, all on UA):

1 US-Australia F (120,000 miles for $12,000)
2 US Domestic Y (50,000 for $2000, since these were last minute "emergencies" I compare it to the full Y fare I would have had to pay)
1 US-Asia one way C upgrade (25,000 for the difference of I'd say about $2000)
1 US-Hawaii F two-person (100,000 for $7000)

For friends:
1 US-Asia Y (60,000 for $1800)
1 US-Europe Y (50,000 for $600)
1 US domestic Y (25,000 for $400)

Total: 430,000 miles for $25,800
That's exactly 6 cents per mile.

It's so nice to know I'm not alone

That's quite a haul for one year, jet!

[This message has been edited by BlondeBomber (edited 08-24-1999).]

Ahhhhhh!
I hope the IRS isn't reading this forum!!!

They're everywhere. You guys in the US have problems with the IRS?

I thought all those hearings showing all the abuse of power would have solved all that by now.

Well the IRS will be glad to know that I donate all mine to my favorite charities.

Punki, can I be your favorite charity next? (and in case you were serious - or if anyone knows - can you deduct such gifts? I thought you couldn't? while at the same time the IRS wants to tax our receipt of them...)

I'm going to have to start keeping track of this, it is a good idea. While they say a mile is worth about 2 cents, some people are getting more than that. If one can achieve a higher rate than that, it helps justify those crazy things we do for miles. Right now my father is receiving $10.?? (never over $11.00) worth of misc. drugstore type stuff everyday from www.more.com as they give 500 mypoints per order of $10 (free shipping right now). At 2cents that makes the order free, at 6 cents they paid me to take it with a free ticket... Jet you have given me a goal... I will pick these things up in Nov when I visit for thanksgiving on:

2 -(F) ASIA-USA (80,000 NW old schedule - value?? $6,000 each - my first chart entry I guess). $12,000 for 160,000, 7.5 cents... but i wouldnt pay first, so they are worth about 5-6,000 (bus class fare i would have paid)

How is everyone else doing?



[This message has been edited by tummyg (edited 08-25-1999).]

Hahaha. Yeah, you're not the only one, BlondeBomber. Actually, I thought I was the only one...

I did redeem an exorbitant number of miles this year (okay, actually, these totals were since May 1998 so a little more than a year) but I keep telling myself that it's time to save up. But do I listen?

Wow! You guys are amazing, keeping this info on spreadhsheets. I never even thought of that. I just do my "Is it worth it?" on a case by case basis. For instance, last month we flew to Australia on Qantas in business class for 105,000 AA miles each. I wouldn't have flown to Australia in coach and I would not have paid business class full fare, so to me the 105,000 was way worth it.

I love spreadsheets. I do keep track of my FF programs in them. Since I don't have a lot of FF miles, I rather claim them for coach class tickets rather than first class tickets. So, usually my miles worth $.015 to $.03. Here is a question for all of you. Restricting yourself to plan ahead, coach ticket, which award give you the best value? For example, I like the AA/UA Hawaii interisland RT for 5000 miles.

I'm just a piker. I started collecting miles in February. Got 106,000 on CO, but only about 8,000 are flight miles. I'll make Silver Elite by segments by the end of the year though.

I did redeem my first award - sending a buddy home to visit with his brother over Christmas (to Anchorage, AK).


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"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

Financially, my two best recent ones were about 8 cents/mile: BOS-SFO midweek round trip and trans-Atlantic upgrade from discount coach to business class, each worth about $2,000 for 25,000 miles.

Most of my miles go to fly kids and stepkids around the country and across the ocean, though. The financial payoff isn't nearly as high but the emotional rewards are much higher. They appreciate the award tickets, using up so many of my hard-earned miles, more than they would appreciate my simply paying for the flights.

Also noted in my first post, the best ratio I got was on the F US-Australia award that I will fly this December. Pricing it out right now, I got $12510.74 for my 120,000 miles. More than 10 cents to the mile. Even better than the old RTW awards. The only unfortunate thing is that I give up almost 20,000 flight miles by doing the award ticket instead of upgrading a purchased ticket. But I ain't rich enough to buy a C class ticket either, so this was the only way I was going to guarantee myself F for this Millenium-bustin' trip.