Which miles option to use for trip?
Jun 22, 2013 | 8:59 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 1,728
Which miles option to use for trip?
Looking to book a roundtrip flight for my girlfriend and I to the Caribbean this winter around the holidays. I've pretty much come to the following two options:
1) Use 70K UA miles for IAD-SXM in economy (at standard rate due to being before Xmas. Use 20K Avios for SXM-MIA and pay $210 total for MIA-DCA on AA.
OR
2) Use 105K UA miles for IAD-SXM-IAD/SFO. The SXM-IAD leg is via EWR so not a nonstop flight. I'd have a stopover in DC which is where I live and go to SFO for a trip in the spring with the girlfriend.
Seems to me it should be a no brainer to do #2 as it'd be nice to go somewhere else for a four night trip in the spring. I thought about using the stopover and one way flight to Europe but that'd require an extra 20K, and I'm not exactly sure when we'd get to use a week off next summer.
Avios balance is ~175K and UA balance is ~110K. I have tons of UA/UR earning capacity. Thanks.
1) Use 70K UA miles for IAD-SXM in economy (at standard rate due to being before Xmas. Use 20K Avios for SXM-MIA and pay $210 total for MIA-DCA on AA.
OR
2) Use 105K UA miles for IAD-SXM-IAD/SFO. The SXM-IAD leg is via EWR so not a nonstop flight. I'd have a stopover in DC which is where I live and go to SFO for a trip in the spring with the girlfriend.
Seems to me it should be a no brainer to do #2 as it'd be nice to go somewhere else for a four night trip in the spring. I thought about using the stopover and one way flight to Europe but that'd require an extra 20K, and I'm not exactly sure when we'd get to use a week off next summer.
Avios balance is ~175K and UA balance is ~110K. I have tons of UA/UR earning capacity. Thanks.
Jun 23, 2013 | 9:42 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: AMEX Plat, AAdvantage Gold, UA, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 963
Looking to book a roundtrip flight for my girlfriend and I to the Caribbean this winter around the holidays. I've pretty much come to the following two options:
1) Use 70K UA miles for IAD-SXM in economy (at standard rate due to being before Xmas. Use 20K Avios for SXM-MIA and pay $210 total for MIA-DCA on AA.
OR
2) Use 105K UA miles for IAD-SXM-IAD/SFO. The SXM-IAD leg is via EWR so not a nonstop flight. I'd have a stopover in DC which is where I live and go to SFO for a trip in the spring with the girlfriend.
Seems to me it should be a no brainer to do #2 as it'd be nice to go somewhere else for a four night trip in the spring. I thought about using the stopover and one way flight to Europe but that'd require an extra 20K, and I'm not exactly sure when we'd get to use a week off next summer.
Avios balance is ~175K and UA balance is ~110K. I have tons of UA/UR earning capacity. Thanks.
1) Use 70K UA miles for IAD-SXM in economy (at standard rate due to being before Xmas. Use 20K Avios for SXM-MIA and pay $210 total for MIA-DCA on AA.
OR
2) Use 105K UA miles for IAD-SXM-IAD/SFO. The SXM-IAD leg is via EWR so not a nonstop flight. I'd have a stopover in DC which is where I live and go to SFO for a trip in the spring with the girlfriend.
Seems to me it should be a no brainer to do #2 as it'd be nice to go somewhere else for a four night trip in the spring. I thought about using the stopover and one way flight to Europe but that'd require an extra 20K, and I'm not exactly sure when we'd get to use a week off next summer.
Avios balance is ~175K and UA balance is ~110K. I have tons of UA/UR earning capacity. Thanks.
If you had AA miles they have a great little loophole where Caribbean - Europe, stopping off in the US is only 20K one way - so if you returned from SXM, stopped off in the US then carried on later you could get that free half leg too.
I am using that for SJU-NYC (stop 3 months) NYC-Zurich for 20K AA.
Jun 23, 2013 | 1:59 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 1,728
I like 2 too, and you can use the Avios to get you somewhere else from SFO- EG you could make that Hawaii very easily.
If you had AA miles they have a great little loophole where Caribbean - Europe, stopping off in the US is only 20K one way - so if you returned from SXM, stopped off in the US then carried on later you could get that free half leg too.
I am using that for SJU-NYC (stop 3 months) NYC-Zurich for 20K AA.
If you had AA miles they have a great little loophole where Caribbean - Europe, stopping off in the US is only 20K one way - so if you returned from SXM, stopped off in the US then carried on later you could get that free half leg too.
I am using that for SJU-NYC (stop 3 months) NYC-Zurich for 20K AA.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20975910-post3822.html
Jun 23, 2013 | 3:33 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: AMEX Plat, AAdvantage Gold, UA, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 963
I totally didn't think about using the one way on AA. However it'd require me to stopover in JFK (or MIA) and continue on from there. I think only JFK makes sense being in DC since I'd need to get back home and return there to go to Europe. I have a couple questions that maybe you can answer I posted here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20975910-post3822.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20975910-post3822.html
But you did hit the nail on the head regarding timing, as you wouldn't be able to use the 20K ticket for travel in those summer months. I'm using mine for December for Christmas Market shopping in Switzerland.
As for the other change fee questions - not totally sure to be honest, I've avoided them all in the past due to status so not sure what would trigger them, but certainly something to consider.