One issue the OP mentioned that most everybody seems to be overlooking is that most of his flights need to earn milage to earn elite level. As a leisure traveler I am in the same situation. I am not flying on someone else's money, so am always looking for the cheapest fares and the most miles. It takes pretty much all year to earn gold or platinum, and I know others who are in the same situation. So while it is easy to say go ahead and use the miles, in the real world with time and money constraints, that is not so simple to do.

[b]warning: Inflation[/b]
 

So slowly the airlines raise the "prices" of awards outrightly by increasing miles needed, creating different zones, etc, as well as secretly, limited availability for PerkSaver awards.

If you don't use them now, you'll get less later.

So this is what I do.
If traveling with others, I try to buy their ticket with miles and they buy my ticket so I can get EQM and more miles.

I give them away frequently

If I've achieved the status I want (usually only can make Gold) after I do so each year, I start flying on miles and save my own money.

I think upgrades are definately worth it since I'm 6'5 granted I usually can't afford the B or Y fares...

Oh do share!

I know it's short notice, but next weekend in Ann Arbor, MI (DTW), there is a FlyerTalk DO. One of the events there will be a Mileage Run seminar where we'll talk about all things earning revenue miles. But part of the discussion is likely to include strategies for redeeming miles. If you've got nothing else to do that weekend and it wouldn't be much of a burden to go, maybe you want to consider attending. Just a thought I'd pass along.[/QUOTE]

Great suggestion. Sadly a little bit on a short notice and
I can't find anything out for that weekend on NW from IAH
under $ 700.00. Got to bring the wife and $ 1400.00 for a
short hop is a bit excessive.That's more than the HNL trips cost.
BTW how do I find out about these seminars?
Thanks for the offer. I would love to be part of it next
time.

In the milagerun forum, in specific this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=525183

You hit the nail right on the head. That's more or less exactly
the situation I am in. Two, three European trips a year, two,
three Asian trips per year and two, three times Hawaii. Makes
Platinum with luck, but when using the miles for awards throws
me right out of Elite status. And who likes to be a "nobody" if
one can avoid it?

By the way, when using programs like this, you do not have to hit enter at the end of each line. The computer will take care of word wrap for you. Here is the above posting letting the computer do it for you.


You know, a thread asking the question "should I upgrade" and some of the responses got me thinking. I got about 250.000 miles on NWA, about 100.000 on AA, 100.000 on UA, 150.000 on DL, 40.000 on CI. I am always trying to get status and therefor don't ever use any miles. I am always looking for mileage runs to increase my miles. And of course I am also not half as savvy as most of you finding fantastic routings and using your miles. If I can't find it on my first try i forget about it.

Isn't
that getting a
little
picky?
;)

Now I know you can't get BM/EQMs for award travel, but what is the cost to attain them? Is it $300? A little less? 150 each way? I have never heard of this, so your post is very enlightening to me.

Thanks!

Great suggestion. Sadly a little bit on a short notice and
I can't find anything out for that weekend on NW from IAH
under $ 700.00. Got to bring the wife and $ 1400.00 for a
short hop is a bit excessive.That's more than the HNL trips cost.
BTW how do I find out about these seminars?
Thanks for the offer. I would love to be part of it next
time.[/QUOTE]

Why not award travel it? That sounds like a situation where you are getting a good value on your miles?

I agree completely, this is also my approach. Why hoard something that devalues every year. I always maintain at least 100k in amex mile so I can transfer them somewhere in an "emergency", but the rest I spend.

HA! for $700 I'm sure VJ would be happy to fly from PHX to IAH and give you a personal seminar... not to plug him or anything, but VJ is a good guy, you can learn alot from him when it comes to NW/CO/KL flying, I did!

I usually hoard as well. I generally keep 100K around, enough for 2 PerkPass tickets. I in the past have had to go to visit a friend on 3-day notice and paid 50K miles to avoid a $600 ticket. I also use them for upgrades on international flights were avail. I roll the dice to get the platinum upgrade for domestic flights.

I was hoarding, but the issue of devaluation, and being able to get what you really need is an issue.

I fall firmly in the camp that it is worth spending to upgrade. I have done this both internationally and domestically. (Although I might not domestically if I were still plat.) This year, the only way to elite status is to get 1.5 EQMs on my trip to Tokyo. Mileage runs are just not practical for me any more, even though I want the status for when I do fly.

Spend your miles how you want to spend your miles. You are the one who decides what you value most.

Thanks for the suggestion. This time it is really a bit too short of a notice but now that I know about these seminars I will make sure to attend the next one wherever it takes place. Thanks again. I surely need some help.