best/worst FF awards?
Feb 26, 2002 | 12:44 pm
#16
In Memoriam
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Southern California
Programs: Hertz 5 star, Priceline Hotel bidder. AA PLT, 1MM.
Posts: 2,910
I liked the 95K business class award on QF using my US Dividend miles. With all the bonuses, my effective cost of my US European trips was very low. Doing open jaw into PER & out of BRE with a 5 day stop in Auckland. Only 15K more miles than the economy award. 
Feb 26, 2002 | 2:10 pm
#17
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: CT, USA
Posts: 180
My vote goes to the boots for 7500 points. Let's see one of the majors match that! 
http://www.airinuit.com/rewards.htm
http://www.airinuit.com/rewards.htm
Feb 26, 2002 | 2:46 pm
#18
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN A-list preferred, United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 22,848
For value, it's hard to beat Southwest's Rapid Rewards. With double credit, you can fly 4 short and cheap round-trips (totalling $300 to $400) and get the virtual equivalent of a full-fare coast-to-coast US domestic ticket. The percentage value returned on your travel purchase is incredible.
If you don't normally fly Southwest, you can buy $16k of US Savings Bonds online using the Southwest Visa card and pick up a free ticket.
The Southwest tickets won't take you Europe or Hawaii, but they are very useful indeed for domestic travel in peak periods or on short notice.
If you don't normally fly Southwest, you can buy $16k of US Savings Bonds online using the Southwest Visa card and pick up a free ticket.
The Southwest tickets won't take you Europe or Hawaii, but they are very useful indeed for domestic travel in peak periods or on short notice.
Feb 26, 2002 | 3:30 pm
#20
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: MCI. AA Plat, UA PrmEx., Mrrtt Gold, Hz Pres.Circle, HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,070
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by nsx:
For value, it's hard to beat Southwest's Rapid Rewards. With double credit, you can fly 4 short and cheap round-trips (totalling $300 to $400) and get the virtual equivalent of a full-fare coast-to-coast US domestic ticket. The percentage value returned on your travel purchase is incredible.
If you don't normally fly Southwest, you can buy $16k of US Savings Bonds online using the Southwest Visa card and pick up a free ticket.
The Southwest tickets won't take you Europe or Hawaii, but they are very useful indeed for domestic travel in peak periods or on short notice.</font>
For value, it's hard to beat Southwest's Rapid Rewards. With double credit, you can fly 4 short and cheap round-trips (totalling $300 to $400) and get the virtual equivalent of a full-fare coast-to-coast US domestic ticket. The percentage value returned on your travel purchase is incredible.
If you don't normally fly Southwest, you can buy $16k of US Savings Bonds online using the Southwest Visa card and pick up a free ticket.
The Southwest tickets won't take you Europe or Hawaii, but they are very useful indeed for domestic travel in peak periods or on short notice.</font>
He gets a completely absurd number of free tickets to use for Vegas, Florida, the west coast, etc.
He and his family enjoy flying that particular airline, so the free tickets have great value to him. Certainly, for a very specific type of flyer, Rapid Rewards is an unbeatable FF program.
Feb 26, 2002 | 5:47 pm
#21
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Dallas, TX, USA AA Plat
Posts: 1,342
From a cost standpoint -- an AA upgrade to Biz is the best value.
DFW-LHR $440 coach tkt w/ 50,000 to upgrade to BIZ. Bets using 90k miles for a "free" tkt.
I admit though I am getting some good ideas reading some of these other postings.
Thanks.
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TANSTAAFL - but if you work it right, FF miles comes pretty close.
DFW-LHR $440 coach tkt w/ 50,000 to upgrade to BIZ. Bets using 90k miles for a "free" tkt.
I admit though I am getting some good ideas reading some of these other postings.
Thanks.
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TANSTAAFL - but if you work it right, FF miles comes pretty close.
Feb 26, 2002 | 6:34 pm
#22
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: 3A - most likey <> BKK <--> EZE; TACA 3A nobody, but GP million miler; Hilton Gold sometimes. Successfully divorced from CO PLAT.
Posts: 3,079
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Viajero Joven:
I like Continental's 20K round trip coach award within Latin America. You cannot trnasit the US, but with COPA, you can travel just about among any major cities in the Caribbean, Central and South America via Panama. </font>
I like Continental's 20K round trip coach award within Latin America. You cannot trnasit the US, but with COPA, you can travel just about among any major cities in the Caribbean, Central and South America via Panama. </font>
I used that one last month... as an open jaw with a SJO stopover (GUA-SJO//-PTY-SJO) and have always considered it to be a great value since intra Central America fares are so high.
Feb 27, 2002 | 8:42 am
#23
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: ATL - DL GM (Moving on Down)
Posts: 422
How about the Best Coach Reward Offered of All-Time!!!! (Not Present Though)
Continental's FFM4 - 75,000 Miles
2 Free Roundtrip Coach Tickets to the South Pacific with 1 Stop Over... Hawaii, New Zealand, Sydney, Guam, Denpasar, Cairns, Brisbane, etc.) + 1 week free car rental from Hertz, + 3 free nights stay at a Marriott Hotel.
By the way, back in the late 80s, you could split the tickets and use them at different times, you did not have to travel together.
Continental's FFM4 - 75,000 Miles
2 Free Roundtrip Coach Tickets to the South Pacific with 1 Stop Over... Hawaii, New Zealand, Sydney, Guam, Denpasar, Cairns, Brisbane, etc.) + 1 week free car rental from Hertz, + 3 free nights stay at a Marriott Hotel.
By the way, back in the late 80s, you could split the tickets and use them at different times, you did not have to travel together.
Feb 27, 2002 | 8:43 am
#24
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: MCI. AA Plat, UA PrmEx., Mrrtt Gold, Hz Pres.Circle, HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,070
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by CFM3RD:
From a cost standpoint -- an AA upgrade to Biz is the best value.
DFW-LHR $440 coach tkt w/ 50,000 to upgrade to BIZ. Bets using 90k miles for a "free" tkt.
I admit though I am getting some good ideas reading some of these other postings.
Thanks.
</font>
From a cost standpoint -- an AA upgrade to Biz is the best value.
DFW-LHR $440 coach tkt w/ 50,000 to upgrade to BIZ. Bets using 90k miles for a "free" tkt.
I admit though I am getting some good ideas reading some of these other postings.
Thanks.
</font>
Another thing I like about AA: one-way upgrades for 25K. Many airlines don't have this type of award.
Feb 27, 2002 | 8:57 am
#25
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: New York, NY
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 130
My favorite has to be this:
Never flown on Delta, never flown on Singapore - convert 130K membership awards points to DL, redeem F award on SQ from SFO-SIN. 36 hours of flying in what has been described the best international first class in the world for $42 in taxes!
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Never flown on Delta, never flown on Singapore - convert 130K membership awards points to DL, redeem F award on SQ from SFO-SIN. 36 hours of flying in what has been described the best international first class in the world for $42 in taxes!
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Feb 27, 2002 | 9:47 am
#27
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: No one cares
Posts: 7,616
I really liked the AS 110K or 120K award for two RT J tickets on QF. We redeemed our award in 1999, booked in 2000 and flew in 2001.
Sea-lax-akl-mel-syd-lax-sea all in J
The rest we did with little hopper awards and domestic NZ and Australian tickets.
outstanding value and sorry to see it gone.
Sea-lax-akl-mel-syd-lax-sea all in J
The rest we did with little hopper awards and domestic NZ and Australian tickets.
outstanding value and sorry to see it gone.
Feb 27, 2002 | 2:00 pm
#28
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Arizona
Programs: MSP raised, Elite since age 17
Posts: 4,723
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by tvl4free:
What about the15K CO award on CM for travel withing Central America, Viajero?
I used that one last month... as an open jaw with a SJO stopover (GUA-SJO//-PTY-SJO) and have always considered it to be a great value since intra Central America fares are so high.</font>
What about the15K CO award on CM for travel withing Central America, Viajero?
I used that one last month... as an open jaw with a SJO stopover (GUA-SJO//-PTY-SJO) and have always considered it to be a great value since intra Central America fares are so high.</font>
Think Central America fares are high?? South America fares are higher!
Try this on for size: lowest excursion fares between San Juan and Santiago is $1076 round trip on any airline!! Any open jaw/stopover would be icing on the cake.
How is this useful?? My mom
:She'll soon have a free ATA ticket she can use MSP-SJU. I can easily find a cheap ~$200 East Coast-SJU ticket and we meet there. Then we can take COPA together down to SCL.
So comparing the 15K wth the 20K awards, the 20K potentially saves you quite a bit more, for a relatively small increase in number of miles required.
Feb 27, 2002 | 7:27 pm
#29
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: SFO
Programs: TK E+, AF Plat & QR Plat (all the hard way), AA 3MM (worthless), smattering of others
Posts: 437
Yes, the 20k (or soon-to-be-universal 25k) domestic coach rewards are usually a poor value, unless you need to travel at the last minute, then they are invaluable. I just now made reservations to get my sister out here to the Bay Area from the East coast tomorrow for 20k. Walk-up price for coach: $2,185.50!!
Feb 27, 2002 | 11:51 pm
#30
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Santa Monica, CA, USA
Posts: 1,013
United's 5000 miles for a roundtrip interisland flight on Aloha is a great deal. If you fly to HNL on United, you more than earn the miles for the free neighbor island trip.
For a bad deal, how about any use of Hhonors points for something other than hotel stays. Try 5000 points for a car rental upgrade - or 15000 points for a dozen Mrs. Fields cookies.
For a bad deal, how about any use of Hhonors points for something other than hotel stays. Try 5000 points for a car rental upgrade - or 15000 points for a dozen Mrs. Fields cookies.