What's your plan? Hoard miles or burn em if you got em?
Mar 1, 2014, 9:03 pm
#61
Join Date: Mar 2000
Programs: Hy-Vee Fuel Saver
Posts: 404
Our miles and points have unexpectedly increased in value so many times that I can't remember them all. Just a few: On the heels of the 1988 triple miles (and 1000 miles minimum per segment) craziness, Continental had a limited-time domestic award where three people could travel together for a total of 40000 miles. Last fall I stayed four nights in a perfectly-located hotel that had dropped from 15000 pts/night to 8000 pts/night earlier in the year. Several years ago, 80000 Starpoints could be converted to 200000 BA miles. When Carlson's credit card came out with last night free, the value of our points increased.
If I had burned miles and points beforehand, it wouldn't have been possible to take advantage of those generous redemptions. We always use miles and points whenever it makes sense to use them rather than pay cash, and we probably have fewer points and miles at this moment than we have had in many years because our best or most convenient travel options often don't earn miles or points. But we don't burn for the sake of burning.
If I had burned miles and points beforehand, it wouldn't have been possible to take advantage of those generous redemptions. We always use miles and points whenever it makes sense to use them rather than pay cash, and we probably have fewer points and miles at this moment than we have had in many years because our best or most convenient travel options often don't earn miles or points. But we don't burn for the sake of burning.
Mar 2, 2014, 9:55 am
#65
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 129
Binge and Burn
With the wave of devaluations going on across pretty much every program, what are you doing with your miles now? Trying to sit on a pile and hoard more for an aspirational trip, or burning them as fast as you can on future trips you may or may not take just to get them on the books? I have been trying to burn, burn, burn (which I successfully did with just about all my UA miles), but as a result, I have no time left to plug more trips in this year, and I'm worried other miles will be devalued before I can burn them.
The concept of saving has long since flown the nest, replaced by the cuckoo of instant gratification.
Mar 2, 2014, 8:43 pm
#66
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
I'm not going to lie, I was a bit vindictive in burning some of my UA miles. I felt cheated by the massive devaluation, so I took every opportunity to stick it to UA, for example N.America to Europe in F was (I think the same price as N.America to Japan) or very close, so when I had to go to Europe, I'd tack on a stop in Japan for a few days just to make UA pay to fly me there and back.
Mar 2, 2014, 8:44 pm
#67
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: WAS/NYC/LON
Programs: AA EXP, HH DIA, Hyatt DIA
Posts: 286
I personally feel that "burning" is too strong of a term, but I tend to use my miles whenever I get a decent real valuation (i.e.: I'll place a 1.5/2x premium on business/first, rather than the actual rates). Doing so this way, my combined balance doesn't go much higher than the 2-300k range.
I ended up using 400k United miles last year prior to devaluation, but that was due to some very good redemptions.
I ended up using 400k United miles last year prior to devaluation, but that was due to some very good redemptions.
Mar 2, 2014, 9:42 pm
#68
Used to be 'Travelergcp'
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: New Orleans
Programs: AA Plat, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,826
Burning them fast is ideal, but IMO if you're acquiring miles correctly, you'll have way more miles than you have time to make high-value redemptions.
Mar 3, 2014, 2:07 pm
#69
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 10,909
I'm not going to lie, I was a bit vindictive in burning some of my UA miles. I felt cheated by the massive devaluation, so I took every opportunity to stick it to UA, for example N.America to Europe in F was (I think the same price as N.America to Japan) or very close, so when I had to go to Europe, I'd tack on a stop in Japan for a few days just to make UA pay to fly me there and back.
Mar 3, 2014, 6:39 pm
#70
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 74
Quote:
Originally Posted by jandmmom
This...except the 1990s, not the 80s
Tsk, tsk, tsk, Grasshopper. Best to check Wikipedia before expressing such confidence. For example, as regards IHG: "IHG Rewards Club is IHG's worldwide loyalty program, which replaced Priority Club Rewards in July 2013. The loyalty scheme was first introduced in 1983, and now has 74 million members around the world." Or, as regards DL SM: "When the frequent flyer program was first established in 1981, new members were awarded an enrollment bonus of 10,000 miles." I'll leave the others for you to research, but I assure you, that, yes, I am that old, and my memory goes back even farther than the '80's.
Originally Posted by jandmmom
This...except the 1990s, not the 80s
Tsk, tsk, tsk, Grasshopper. Best to check Wikipedia before expressing such confidence. For example, as regards IHG: "IHG Rewards Club is IHG's worldwide loyalty program, which replaced Priority Club Rewards in July 2013. The loyalty scheme was first introduced in 1983, and now has 74 million members around the world." Or, as regards DL SM: "When the frequent flyer program was first established in 1981, new members were awarded an enrollment bonus of 10,000 miles." I'll leave the others for you to research, but I assure you, that, yes, I am that old, and my memory goes back even farther than the '80's.
just saying I use the same strategy as you do....plan, earn, burn, plan, earn, burn...rinse and repeat
Mar 7, 2014, 9:36 pm
#72
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
I've already burned off pretty much everything I had. I don't plan to travel much this year but I'll earn a few miles via CCs and the like. I'll probably burn those as soon as I earn them too. It's not like they accrue interest.
Mar 7, 2014, 11:51 pm
#73
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,422
Miles have never been a stable currency so I always try to burn at roughly the same rate as I earn (with enough saved for emergencies).
However the past couple of years I have been pushing for lifetime status on a couple of programs and so have not redeemed as many awards as I normally would and my current balances are higher than I'd like.
However the past couple of years I have been pushing for lifetime status on a couple of programs and so have not redeemed as many awards as I normally would and my current balances are higher than I'd like.
Mar 8, 2014, 3:22 am
#74
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Miles have never been a stable currency so I always try to burn at roughly the same rate as I earn (with enough saved for emergencies).
However the past couple of years I have been pushing for lifetime status on a couple of programs and so have not redeemed as many awards as I normally would and my current balances are higher than I'd like.
However the past couple of years I have been pushing for lifetime status on a couple of programs and so have not redeemed as many awards as I normally would and my current balances are higher than I'd like.
Mar 8, 2014, 3:48 am
#75
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: 10 months VLC, 2 months everywhere else
Programs: *A
Posts: 3,770
Miles have never been a stable currency so I always try to burn at roughly the same rate as I earn (with enough saved for emergencies).
However the past couple of years I have been pushing for lifetime status on a couple of programs and so have not redeemed as many awards as I normally would and my current balances are higher than I'd like.
However the past couple of years I have been pushing for lifetime status on a couple of programs and so have not redeemed as many awards as I normally would and my current balances are higher than I'd like.
Last edited by GuyverII; Mar 9, 2014 at 12:03 am