Help me with a strategy for emptying a FF account...

OK, I've got about 35k miles in an Aeroplan/AC account. I also have star alliance accounts active with UA (good for TATL upgrades) and BMI (good for the cash and miles redemption option, plus I have a bmi credit card).

I can't see me putting much more business onto the AC account and i'm now trying to figure out what I should do.

I have a trip coming up that awards look good on.

With Air Canada it's 30k miles but in the BMI scheme it's only 18k miles.

Should I just go with AC (as there's no long term accrual likely there) and be done with the account, or should I take the more miles efficient BMI option? If I do the latter, what do I do to get the AC account up to something usable?

Any comments appreciated!

FF miles are worthless until spent. If you're not planning on using AC again may as well clean out the account before the miles evaporate unspent. The 18k in BMI can be used later for something else..

i'm still stuffin the box where i can, and if i gets close again, i'll find another way to add some more votes.

that being said, i really really hope it ends soon

another 1k or so would give you 2 18k awards....

Even with AC's draconian expiry policies, you still have several years to use the AC points as long as you have some activity every year (such as donating 100 points to charity). So why not use the cheaper 18k trip on BMI, and use the AC points for the next trip after that?

In order to empty an FFP, you need to get to level first and then just use it so it is out of mind and out of site. An example is if they have upgrades, special awards for lesser thousands of miles needed, or promos like mag4miles, etc online. Find these and go nuts. If you are short a few thou to get to some flight somewhere, you need to still 'do business' with these guys until you get there and then you can be done! In the end, an account with like 50 miles left in it is just that. Feels good too! I have done it with several airlines I dont use or do not like for my own reasons and I now only have miles on a few that matter. Less headaches, less to worry about. So bring up or build up your account now, and be outta there later! On YOUR terms!

To do this, I try to employ the first two lines of the lyrics from this olde tune...

Artist: Busted Lyrics
Song: Build Me Up Buttercup Lyrics

Why do you build me up (build me up) Buttercup, baby
Just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around
And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby
When you say you will (say you will) but I love you still
I need you (I need you) more than anyone, darlin'
You know that I have from the start
So build me up (build me up) Buttercup, don't break my heart
"I'll be over at ten", you told me time and again
But you're late, I wait around and then
I went to the door, I can't take any more
It's not you, you let me down again
(Hey, hey, hey!) Baby, baby, try to find
(Hey, hey, hey!) A little time and I'll make you mine
(Hey, hey, hey!) I'll be home
I'll be beside the phone waiting for you
Ooo-oo-ooo, ooo-oo-ooo


Now, C'mon... I just know you now have that song in your head!

I'm economical so I redeem awards for free coach tickets, not upgrades. Just earn miles until the award level and forget about adding more miles, even if there are bonuses associated with further travel.

I am disgusted with ff programs. I am burning miles. I've tried for about 4 years but have not been completely successful. The last domestic coach award is the hardest...never can find seats (UA, CO)

yes, it's a love hate relationship. I need miles to save money on flying overseas to see family, but I hate how screwed up some programs and all airlines tend to be!

Nevertheless, since I am also addicted, I still play.

Anyway, what you could do with your 25k UA award (assuming that's about what you are stuck with now) is to find someone who can use it where THEY live and in turn, that person just owes you or books you an award on some carrier you like to fly but you have no miles on.

I have had much success with that and I recommend lots of communication to make it work for you both.

You might want to look at the AC short-haul awards chart at 15,000 miles each, for example YYZ-ATL, if you're planning on being on this side of the pond in the near future. Use your UA or BMI miles for the TATL, then take side trips if you can, using the short-haul awards for you and the Mrs. to the U.S. from here or further in Canada. You can keep the account alive, as stated above, by using some AE miles for donations once a year, thereby giving you seven years to use up the balance while giving you some extra time for using the miles for a couple of short-hauls or a Classic award at 25,000 if you can find one available.

bj-21.

IIRC a long-haul domestic (Canada/US) AC award costs 25K in Y & 40K in J or more for enhanced availability. Someone may be looking for your AC on tCC!

Get the BMI flight and donate the remaining 17k to charity (or do AC and donate 5k).

http://www.aeroplan.com/use_your_miles/donate_miles.do

If you're not feeling charitable, do what someone else said and earn an extra 1k for 2 BMI flights. You can buy 1k for $40 or buy $100 of flowers from FTD.

http://www.aeroplan.com/earn_miles/buy_miles.do

http://www.aeroplan.com/earn_miles/o...Partner=FTDCom