I value miles at 2.5 cents each and never use them for tickets of less than $500 (I know that is just 2 cents!!!). I really like to use them for unexpected last minute trips if seats are available or best for international upgrades.

I flew to Rome last year using 80,000 miles to get two upgrades that would have cost me over $5000. That is about 6 cents per mile. I used many points to go business class to London, again getting a value of over 4 cents per mile. My trip to New Zealand and OZ had a value of almost 10 cents per mile.

Don't waste points on $300 tickets unless you have so many you don't know what to do with them. If you do, donate some to charity. That way they make a difference.

I use mine for last minute trips and international premium tickets. My best use was 4 years ago when I was able to get a TWA flight from STL-BOS to see Roger take on Pedro in the ALCS. I got the ticket the day before the flight, was given the last empty seat on a trip that would have cost ~$1600 to buy. Of course I would not have paid that amount, but it was still a good use of miles.

140K miles for Cathay F to Australia was also an excellent value.

I have made an exception in certain cases when I had 25000 points that I knew would expire before I could use them on an expensive ticket. I felt it was better to get something for the points than nothing.

Ed

Correct. Like my cashing in 50,000 USAir miles for 2 R/T tix on United to Chicago from here. Saved me $500 on the tix and I got to use miles of dubious future viability.

Thanks everyone, for your thoughts. San Diego tends to be a "low fare" city, especially on transcons ($175 - $250). While the flights from SAN to the midwest are slightly higher ($330 or so), I like the idea of saving the miles for last minute domestic emergencies or international upgrades. We flew to Israel on AA/BA several years ago in business class and it was terrific. As retirement approaches, I'd like to begin stockpiling miles for those kind of treats.

Capt. Mike asks about a domestic coach award.

Compared to an international business class award, the dollars saved with a domestic coach is less (for example, J class LAX-SYD is very expensive). However, some look at travel only in terms of miles and a J class award would not be worth paying for much more than coach. From that perspective, domestic coach awards may be a better deal. For example, one might be able to save $500 each time for 2 coach awards ($1000) which would cost 50,000 miles. A trip from the US to Europe also cost 50,000 miles but less than $1000.

In short, different answers for those with different perspectives.

I did a RT from JFK to SYD a few years ago in business. Business was nice, I got a quick look into First which looked a whole lot better. Looked like it was full of Leather Recliners. I was fine in Business, so unless you have more miles than you know what to do with its probably not worth going up to first.

I did a couple of domestic Qantas flights as well, Qantas' domestic business class is nothing special (and there is no first).

[This message has been edited by FrequentStark (edited Jan 27, 2004).]

For the small marginal mileage cost of going F instead of J, there is a large increase in comfort and service. BA and CX both have very nice J service, but both airlines have F class that will keep you talking about your experience for years. Add to that the use of F lounges, which offer pretty good food and drink, and the extra miles have been put to good use.

BA F now costs a lot more miles that J. Last year I picked up an F ticket for 100,000 miles when a J ticket would have been 80,000. Seemed silly not to upgrade to F for the cost of 2 Jaguar test drives.

Airfares have been so low for so long that they are cheaper than 20 years ago when adjusted for inflation.

That being said, I think it is better to use miles only to upgrade, since you are re-earning them on the purchased ticket you are upgrading! This is what makes travel to Australia or New Zealand such a bargain if you upgrade.

Well, if we adjust for inflation, then airfares SHOULD be getting cheaper, as airplanes today are more efficient (lower operating cost), and service quality poorer... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I think that your point is well taken, but there are those who really want a free ticket and do not have enough to get a free one in first/business class. It has been discussed a lot the idea that first/business class are OVERPRICED compared to what many flyers would be willing to pay. For me, if I have enough miles so that my wife and I both fly for free, that means that I can have more money available to travel further. I would rather do that than buy tickets, upgrade with miles, and have less money for the trip. Of course, it all depends on your available miles and money.

Still, I would probably prefer NOT to redeem for a $300 ticket, there are much better uses for the miles. But it also depends on what a person would do with the miles otherwise. If you prefer international destinations, higher class of service, or those with better redemption rates, then save them for that. If the only thing that you need miles for are domestic cheapies, then use them because it is better to save money than keep unused miles forever.

I agree with what you're saying here. Let's say I have mumblety-mum thousands of miles, enough for a coach ticket or an upgrade. I have two choices:

1. Buy a coach ticket and upgrade. Advantage: A nice seat for the trip.

2. Use miles to get a coach ticket. Advantage: Several hundred dollars (at least) more to spend at the destination. Or enough money left over to take another trip another time.

I ALWAYS choose the latter. Taking more trips cheaper is much more important to me than having a nice seat.

Ed

I would roughly say about $225 or so for every 10,000 miles...depending when and where you are going.

So, say if you go to S America and your coach ticket runs close to $1000, then maybe use miles.

But, if you go to Europe in the low season and your ticket costs $500, by all means buy it, it is no only cheap...but you get mega miles...

Caribbean destinations usually are good for mileage awards...reason being you don't get a lot of miles... plus you may be able to fly to more than one destination on one ticket...such as say, flight to US Virgin Islands or Netherlands Antilles and stopping in San Juan on the way in or back.

Going anywhere over 6 hours begs for business or first class. Sure, a $400-500 ticket to Europe is relatively inexpensive, but that only gets you coach. You could use miles to upgrade, but the changes to many airlines awards now have upgrade awards requiring almost as many miles as an award for a free BC/FC ticket. The economics on that just don't make sense. I redeem for coach domestic award tickets (except Alaska/Hawaii) and BC/FC just about everywhere else.

For some of us, coach is fine. I've flown across the Atlantic or Pacific 14 times in the past few years, and I've never had a first class seat in my life. Coach was perfectly fine for me.

As I've said on other occasions, I would ALWAYS make two trips in coach rather than one trip in business or first. My goal is to maximize my travel, not my comfort.

It may help that I'm 5'4" tall, which is somewhat shorter than average.

Ed