help: Using Miles vs. Unused Ticket Credit
Apr 29, 2002, 2:08 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Programs: AA (Exec Plat), UAL (Premier Exec), SPG (Platinum), Hyatt (Diamond), Marriott (Plat), Hertz (Prez)
Posts: 151
help: Using Miles vs. Unused Ticket Credit
wanted y'alls expert opinions. i'm trying to decide between:
1)buying a $350 ticket using a previously purchased, unused ticket and earning 10,000 miles
vs
2)using 25,000 frequent flier miles and saving the unused ticket
basically, it comes down to giving up 35,000 miles vs giving up $350 of an unused ticket credit.
which is better to have in the long run/future? money towards a ticket or miles? i feel like miles have the potential to be worth a lot more. or should i try and use my miles since i have a lot accrued.
thanks.
1)buying a $350 ticket using a previously purchased, unused ticket and earning 10,000 miles
vs
2)using 25,000 frequent flier miles and saving the unused ticket
basically, it comes down to giving up 35,000 miles vs giving up $350 of an unused ticket credit.
which is better to have in the long run/future? money towards a ticket or miles? i feel like miles have the potential to be worth a lot more. or should i try and use my miles since i have a lot accrued.
thanks.
Apr 29, 2002, 4:55 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Berkeley, CA
Programs: UA Gold, peon everywhere else
Posts: 989
Well, one issue is when the unused ticket will expire, vs. the miles, which don't expire as long as you have some account activity... other than that, it's the same mental calculation you would normally do to figure out whether to use the miles (the ubiquitous "how much is a mile worth" issue...)
Dan
Dan
Apr 29, 2002, 5:00 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Programs: AA (Exec Plat), UAL (Premier Exec), SPG (Platinum), Hyatt (Diamond), Marriott (Plat), Hertz (Prez)
Posts: 151
yes....how much *is* a mile worth? (on united.)
i've heard $.01/mile is a good rule of thumb. but i think w/int'l or upgrades, it goes a lot higher ??
i'd like to hear your opinion.
i've heard $.01/mile is a good rule of thumb. but i think w/int'l or upgrades, it goes a lot higher ??
i'd like to hear your opinion.
Apr 29, 2002, 9:48 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,073
Please, please be careful with this value per mile thing. There have been so many threads on this, with the final result being the value is much more of what they are worth to YOU vs some public value. For example, if you were to hold on to miles and use them for last minute flights that normal cost you $1,000 for a ticket, they have much more value than one that uses them for a free ticket on a flight that could be purchased smartly at $280.
And of course, if you have 22,000 miles in your account, and a free ticket is 25,000 and you can not buy any miles or enough miles, then they are worth NOTHING.
Apr 29, 2002, 10:18 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA,
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond, Hertz President Circle, Copaair Presidential, and Southwest A-List
Posts: 587
My humble opinion is to use the unused ticket. First of all, you will earn an addditional 10,000 miles. Secondly, the unused ticket will have an expiration versus no expiration for your miles, granted that you have at least one activity in your mileage account. Buying the ticket with the unused ticket will suffice this condition.
Apr 29, 2002, 11:41 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Programs: DL
Posts: 863
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by NoStressHere:
Please, please be careful with this value per mile thing...
</font>
Please, please be careful with this value per mile thing...
</font>
I totally agree with NoStressHere. I just used 40,000 miles to upgrade a SEA-ARN trip to BE. These were miles well spent, and right now are worth more than 1.5-2 cents, the figure that most of us toss around. On the other hand, I recently made a SEA-TPA run for about $230 and got over 6000 miles out of the deal (or about $120 in miles at 2cents/mile). It would have been really foolish to use miles on a this ticket. It pays to weigh your options.