How do you use your airline miles?
Jul 10, 2002 | 6:35 pm
#31
Senior Moderator; Moderator, Flyertalk Cares
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Fulltime travel/mostly Europe
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yorock: I suspect there are lots of examples, but one other I know of is that United used to offer discounted mileage awards for two first-class tickets (you'd usually save about 20,000 miles over the cost of two tickets for international flights). They did aways with those in 1999.
Jul 10, 2002 | 6:54 pm
#32
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NJ
Posts: 3,343
I use our miles pretty exclusively for family trips. A nice reward to them (and me) for time I spend working, which is where many of the miles come from. Never use them for upgrades, since I cannot stay awake on airplanes, whether in economy or up front, so upgrades don't matter as much to me.
In last 5 years, they have been used for our trips to California (2 times), Seattle, Maui, Sun Valley (me skiing), Salt Lake City (me skiing), Grand Cayman, St. Thomas, Chicago, Santa Fe and Paris. Also a few for my mother-in-law to California, and Regina, and a couple last-minute family emerg. trips for my wife. Italy for 3 and Madrid for 1 this summer.
Djlawman
In last 5 years, they have been used for our trips to California (2 times), Seattle, Maui, Sun Valley (me skiing), Salt Lake City (me skiing), Grand Cayman, St. Thomas, Chicago, Santa Fe and Paris. Also a few for my mother-in-law to California, and Regina, and a couple last-minute family emerg. trips for my wife. Italy for 3 and Madrid for 1 this summer.
Djlawman
Jul 10, 2002 | 9:00 pm
#33
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Programs: AA PLT, SPG GLD, PC PLT SPIRE
Posts: 4,531
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by yorock:
I do know a guy who doesn't fly often (less than once per year, he says) and everytime he gets credit he turns around and uses his miles on magazines. (Not a bad idea for a SMALL amount of orphan miles.) Whatever floats your boat. yorock</font>
I do know a guy who doesn't fly often (less than once per year, he says) and everytime he gets credit he turns around and uses his miles on magazines. (Not a bad idea for a SMALL amount of orphan miles.) Whatever floats your boat. yorock</font>
Jul 10, 2002 | 9:05 pm
#34
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 893
Sorry, folks, but it's domestic r/t tix for me.
When DL cut its redemption rate from 25,000 to 15,000 SkyMiles last fall, I really should have cashed in better. Merely did a BDL-SAV weekend trip -- if I had the opp again, I'd try to book ANC or at least SEA.
When DL cut its redemption rate from 25,000 to 15,000 SkyMiles last fall, I really should have cashed in better. Merely did a BDL-SAV weekend trip -- if I had the opp again, I'd try to book ANC or at least SEA.
Jul 10, 2002 | 9:55 pm
#35
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 290
125k spent splurging on Concorde back in 1994. This was on US when they had an alliance with BA. Went to see Pink Floyd at Earls Court, so it was worth it! Interestingly, I thought I was only wierdo back then flying for no express reason other than to rack up miles.
Otherwise, I use miles only for emergencies.
Otherwise, I use miles only for emergencies.
Jul 10, 2002 | 10:27 pm
#36
Join Date: May 2002
Location: SNA
Programs: STARS/LUMINOUS, PRIVE, FSPP, STARS, MO FAN Club, PEN Club, Bellini Club
Posts: 2,612
I have over 2 million miles.. but only redeemed 1 economy ticket so far on UA. I always seem to find really low fares for personal travel, so just buy the tickets.
Jul 11, 2002 | 12:28 am
#37
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Northside in tha house
Posts: 1,286
Seldom spent miles, maybe an occasional gift to one of the sisters-in-law to fly them out to see us. I was a pretty staunch accumulator. Then we had kids. Now we spend 200k miles per year minimum on trips to see family. 50% depletion of miles in past 2 years and not accumulating at nearly the rate I used to.
Once my UA account got close to 7 figures fat, like others, I also felt that my exposure (in event of airline bankruptcy) was too high and began consuming them. Right now miles are worth less than cash to me.
Once my UA account got close to 7 figures fat, like others, I also felt that my exposure (in event of airline bankruptcy) was too high and began consuming them. Right now miles are worth less than cash to me.
Jul 11, 2002 | 1:44 am
#38
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Digital Nomad
Programs: AA2MM LIFETIME PLT, Turkish Miles&Smiles Elite, Marriott Plat
Posts: 1,026
International First Class seem to be the best deal for using miles.
My partner does remind me though that we'd never SPEND $17,000 on a first class ticket to South Africa!!!
Back in the olden days, we spent over $1000 dollars a ticket to fly to South Africa in COACH. Now thanks to flyertalk we always fly in first or biz for the same money.
My partner does remind me though that we'd never SPEND $17,000 on a first class ticket to South Africa!!!
Back in the olden days, we spent over $1000 dollars a ticket to fly to South Africa in COACH. Now thanks to flyertalk we always fly in first or biz for the same money.
Jul 11, 2002 | 6:14 am
#39
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: MUC
Programs: LH Sen // HH Dia; Bonvoy LTTE
Posts: 3,210
1.) Hotel chains MR/SPG: Hotel stays (pleasure/holiday) and sometimes transfer to AA.
2.) Airline: Upgrades or RT tickets in (long-haul) C-/F-class. I use all points for pleasure/holiday. I try to keep at least 200000miles in one of my accounts (less frustrating when checking my account; good for one F-class RT ticket).
2.) Airline: Upgrades or RT tickets in (long-haul) C-/F-class. I use all points for pleasure/holiday. I try to keep at least 200000miles in one of my accounts (less frustrating when checking my account; good for one F-class RT ticket).
Jul 11, 2002 | 6:06 pm
#40
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,811
I know someone who has earned somewhere between 2 million and 3 million FF miles in the past 15 years but they haven't redeemed a single mile for themselves, their friends or family. Instead they have sold all of their miles (always directly to the users, never using a middleman like a mileage broker). They estimate that they have actually turned a small profit from their years of air travel (i.e. thru the years they have spent about $50K of their own money on airline tickets but have recouped all of that amount plus a little more from the sale of their miles).
Jul 12, 2002 | 8:57 am
#41
Suspended
Join Date: May 1998
Location: USA
Posts: 533
I use miles ONLY for free roundtrips...upgrades aren't worth it. If I want business or first, I give more miles for the free trip. I've never seen anything else where it's a better value to give miles for something else, (free hotel nights, merchandise, etc.).
Jim
Jim
Jul 12, 2002 | 10:46 am
#42
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Programs: DL estranged 1MMer and lifetime gold, F9/CO/NW/UA/AA once gold/plat now dust, Spirit RIP
Posts: 42,226
I'm a dyed-in-the-wool free-roundtripper at the most frugal award level possible. I'll also comb the fine-print rules on stopovers and open jaws, research the routings on the Net and milk that for the most destinations possible (within a tight budget).
For example, I took AMS as a 5-day stopover on an ATL-BKK routing via the Atlantic, and also got a non-stopover stopover (i.e. less than 24 hours) in Singapore.
I really like upgrades (since I get them free often in the U.S.) but still can't bring myself to spend a lot of miles on them.
For example, I took AMS as a 5-day stopover on an ATL-BKK routing via the Atlantic, and also got a non-stopover stopover (i.e. less than 24 hours) in Singapore.
I really like upgrades (since I get them free often in the U.S.) but still can't bring myself to spend a lot of miles on them.
Jul 12, 2002 | 11:05 am
#43
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Monroe, LA
Programs: CO Plat; Delta Plat; Marriott Plat; SPG Gold; HHonors Gold
Posts: 112
I just booked my first reward's on Delta for my family (Wife & 2 kids) to Hawaii. 120k Skymiles + 50k Skymiles converted to Hilton for 6 free nights(ALON Cert). I would say that 1/2 my miles have come from tips and promotions that I gleaned off of this site since I started visiting in 2000.
Jul 12, 2002 | 11:11 am
#44
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: ATL/MDW/ORD
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 590
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by bigbroinca:
I just booked my first reward's on Delta for my family (Wife & 2 kids) to Hawaii. 120k Skymiles + 50k Skymiles converted to Hilton for 6 free nights(ALON Cert)... </font>
I just booked my first reward's on Delta for my family (Wife & 2 kids) to Hawaii. 120k Skymiles + 50k Skymiles converted to Hilton for 6 free nights(ALON Cert)... </font>