Right now, Continental is having a half-off "mileage sale" to 10 cities. I remember them doing the same thing in 1996. Does any one remember other airlines having such sales?

How often do they occur? Are they really rare, or am I just sleeping through all of them?

Mac

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Via con Dios!

I can just about bet UA will have one in the quiet early 2001 months. Giving most Elites triple miles May to end Dec AND now another 100% of a further chunk of 2000, will see many of us getting 400% miles for many flights between now and year end. Not to mention other regional bonusues etc.

The seas of unburnt miles will be vast.

Be a smart time for UA to pack many of the half full It'l routes in Feb/March to capacity by having inventory yield management pump a pile of free seat redemption seats into the computer at recuded rates.
Remeber these are entirely UA's call.

If SFO-NAR is mostly full, they just do not release extra seats.

IF MIA-EZE is half full in Feb, or ORD-DUS or whatever, they can release 100 seats on a 777 and chew up a few million points a flight without losing one revenue seat sale.

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~ Glen ~

Unfortunately, they don't care about their sea of unburnt miles. They attach far less value to them than you do, so an award deferred is money in their pocket.

With UAL facing 3Q and 4Q bleeding red, the last thing that the analysts and institutions will allow them to do is have a big giveaway. They'll get gutted.

Your example assumes that those seats would not sell at any price. I guarantee you that UA would take $100 a seat over letting you have a freebie. If there is an increase in free seats, expect some inflation. Domestics upgrades that are packed full at 20,000 miles RT are obviously not expensive enough.

I agree.. But I manage to spend them... especially when the wife does not want to spend one dime on travel... Big meanie.. I miss more miles

I don't ever remember UA having one, save shuttle routes (which they should GIVE us miles to fly using our miles). Other than that, the "integrity" of the award structure has remained constant (ie, no sales ... there may have been changes to the program, and coupons to 1Ks etc that counted as miles, but the structure itself hasn't had "sales")

Going through my vast United Mileage Plus Archives (tours available Tue-Sat Noon to 5pm, Admission "Donation" 10,000 miles. Hardhat Required. ), the last Mileage Award Sale I could find was in 1987!

When they did away with the Premier Award Credits a few years ago, we were promised occasionaly award "sales" but I just guess the proper "occasion" has not come up yet.

FWIW, IMHO, as I recall, VERY rarely - and often in conjunction with either a new or even a discontinued route!

Ozstamps:

While UA would not lose revenue if they had 100 empty seats and gave them to FF awards, wouldn't they lose money on the cost of additional fuel for the additional passenger and baggage weight?

Its unfortunate that UA does not have "award sales", I have enjoyed the one's that Continental has had. It seems like a good idea to fill up some empty flights and for the airline to burn some miles.

DL and BA have had sales of sorts, allowing double bonuses on transferred Diners Club points. I rather domestic carriers though. BA isn't that useful to me really, although its a great airline.

Has anyone heard of any other airlines doing these sales?

Mac

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Via con Dios!