lilac13

Okay, I just needed to vent.

I had been looking at airfares for a few weeks back in February for HNL to CLE in July. Airfare fluctuated from $900 - $850 and I didn't buy hoping that for $750 or under. I finally got nervous in early March because of the fuel prices going up so I decided to buy tickets using 45k of my FF mileage to get the price down to $750 each. I just got an email from a consolidator that tickets on American are $600! UGH! It makes me crazy knowing that had I waited I could have saved $450 plus kept 45k of my FF mileage!

Sure it also could have gone the other way but that doesn't make me feel any better.

Thanks for letting me vent.

DL2SXM

shyt happens.

I bought 2 opening day tickets to the yankees this year for $500.00. I was hoping for great weather, in which case I'd be able to turn around and sell the tickets for twice that much.

Just my luck, it was very cold and it drizzled all day.

If I could have done it over again, I'd have never bought the tickets.

I got stuck with them!

aacreative

Are the tickets refundable? Even if you have to pay 150$ to cancel you will come out ahead.

lilac13

Actually it non-refundable and it's for three tickets.

janetdoe

Refundable on AA means no fees to change the tickets. Non-refundable means that you would have to pay a $150 change fee to re-ticket.

So if the actual prices available from AA are really $250 lower, it is definitely to your benefit to call AA and re-ticket at the lower price.

If there is some sort of "package" deal from a third party, you can still cancel the AA tickets and retain a credit for the full price of the tickets minus $150 for later use, but you would have to plan to travel (in those people's names) within the next year to use the credit.

I'm confused about the miles. My impression is that you bought several tickets at $800-$900 and redeemed one Peak season MilesSaaver ticket with miles to reduce your average cash outlay per person. In that case, depending on your elite status, you can cancel the award and re-deposit the miles into your account for a fee (free for EXP, fees up to $150 for others, I think). So it would basically carry the same $150 penalty as the purchased tickets.

ETA: I did the exact same thing: I was worried about rising fuel prices, so I went ahead and bought some tickets to Japan this fall, but I still think there's a good chance the fares will drop by $200-300 before my trip. So I may be in your same position soon. My husband told me to "Just buy the @#$@ tickets so you can stop worrying about it."

lilac13

Sorry this is so piece-meal...the tickets I bought are on Delta while the great airfare price is on AA. So no matter, I won't be able the make changes and save money and FF mileage in any case.

When I bought my Delta tickets I think they were offered at $825 each. I ended up using 45k miles for a discount bringing the price to (I think $750 each). Whether or not the discount was "worth" 45k miles I don't know as I'm fairly new to this mileage "game". But at the time I felt it was worth it. In retrospect, not so much. Live and learn I guess.

MIT_SBM

Well, you can't change the past.* You thought you had a good deal at the time of purchase, and since it doesn't appear that you can change the tickets, just remember that it was a "good deal" at the time and enjoy your trip.

*If you can change the past, please PM me. There are lots of things that I would like to change - most of them not my fault!

lilac13

LOL! Your last line made my day. Thanks!