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First all the way using points
The value of airline points for me is first class award travel for long distance trips. UA points can get you first class on partner airlines which mostly have better service than UA.
With knowledge and planning the points can go a lot further than you might think. [Member's promotion of commercial blog deleted by Moderator per FT Rules.] |
Originally Posted by WaterTree
(Post 20904829)
Hi All,
So let me ask a couple of questions that have been lingering in my head for a while about points, miles, and cashback... -Since jumping into the miles games, do you ever fly in the back of the plane anymore? What about if you didn't/don't have status with any airline? Is your philosophy quality or quantity? More trips (back of the plane) or higher quality trips but less (front of the plane)? not in long haul. havent flown Y the last 10 trips or so. likely wont ever do it again barring huge changes in circumstances. short haul it doesnt matter... besides here in EU shorthaul is the same seat. (also i dont redeem for shorthaul) -Same question about hotels: do you ever pay for hotel nights when you have tons of points banked? Now of course, if the cash rate is too good to pass up, then yeah, pay. But do you find yourself staying in nicer hotels because you have the points to make the stays free/cheap? especially hotels i burn as fast as possible. dont need to status-chase on hotels. also never really "splurge" on hotels as anything business-grade is suitable for me. derive nothing personally from luxury hotels -Does anyone earn points faster than they can spend them? If you only have 3-4 weeks of vacation a year, I guess you can make the most of your vacation a burn through a lot of points/miles if you're staying at the nicest properties.... after away switching from the dickensian us-employment with its minimal vacation allowance to the more liberal eu system ive had no lack of opportunities to burn points Thanks, -WT |
Despite having plenty of miles/ points I still pay for a lot of flights/ hotels out of my own wallet. It's usually down to an odd location and sometimes due to a lack of availability.
Long-haul miles I'll just travel in the highest available class. If that's F that's great, particularly if it's an Asian/ new airline I've not done before. short-haul I'll do Y wherever possible as I don't really get any marginal benefit and so there really is no point in deploying the miles or higher taxes and fees there. |
My goal is to travel for free, or to subsidize my travel as much as possible. Miles and points help me get travel that I would not otherwise be able to afford -- but it is not luxury travel. I try to stretch my points as much as possible. That said, I many be spending as much as 50-60K points for a domestic round trip ticket because of limited award availability and last minute travel.
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depending on how many miles I have stored up, I tend to use them as a buffer against flights that are very expensive due to short notice booking, or to access flights at times I want to fly but only have reward seats available.
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Caveat, I am retired and usually travel alone:
I never use miles for domestic travel. As far as I am concerned, domestic is for earning miles, not burning them. I only use miles for international travel and only in J or F. I am too old and stiff (and big) to do 10+ hours crammed into cattle class. The only exception to the above is if I gift a flight to a younger relative or friend. They can survive coach. I did it at their age. :p I use hotel points to get the occasional stay at a higher end property I wouldn't pay for on vacation. Or to gift a stay for someone I REALLY like. |
Originally Posted by quick_dry
(Post 20912498)
depending on how many miles I have stored up, I tend to use them as a buffer against flights that are very expensive due to short notice booking, or to access flights at times I want to fly but only have reward seats available.
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Domestic travel - usually economy or E+, unless coast to coast, in which case I might go Business or First if the upgrade price is low or I have a lot of miles I'm not saving for something else.
International - I work hard to get an upgrade with miles, and will sometimes pay for it if I have to. A bad overnight flight ruins the vacation or business trip for me (and I've had my share of bad experiences in coach, but none in business), while the difference between staying in a good hotel and a fancy hotel does not matter as much to me. (Location of hotel is the most important thing to me.) That's just me. For other posters, it is the opposite, and I think we all value different things. |
Depends for me. I try to take several domestic trips a year with a goal of one big international trip. The domestic trips I just use Southwest points accrued from the Chase cards, which is definitely a quantity over quality scenario. When it's an international trip, I'm dipping into a different bucket of miles/points and I go quality first just because it doesn't happen often.
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Originally Posted by WaterTree
(Post 20904829)
Hi All,
-Since jumping into the miles games, do you ever fly in the back of the plane anymore? What about if you didn't/don't have status with any airline? Is your philosophy quality or quantity? More trips (back of the plane) or higher quality trips but less (front of the plane)? For myself I always use my points to get F as all of my leisure flights are international. I only use my points for long haul travel such as my upcoming one from BKK-FRA-BKK flying in F on the A380 for 11.5hrs....the 1hr spa massage and made to order meal of your choice with all drinks galore at the lounge doesn't hurt either ;) Now if I did not have any status with any airline I would for sure book Y and use the miles for more traveling as apposed to quality. -Same question about hotels: do you ever pay for hotel nights when you have tons of points banked? Now of course, if the cash rate is too good to pass up, then yeah, pay. But do you find yourself staying in nicer hotels because you have the points to make the stays free/cheap? Don't stay at hotels often enough as I have friends all around the world, but when I do have to pay I usually go for the moderately priced hotels in a safe area/location. -Does anyone earn points faster than they can spend them? If you only have 3-4 weeks of vacation a year, I guess you can make the most of your vacation a burn through a lot of points/miles if you're staying at the nicest properties.... Only recently began getting into the points game and lost out of thousands of miles and points previously....so no trouble earning them faster than I can spend them! Already spent all my miles on 2 international separate destination F class tickets......d'oh! Thankfully they were 50% off miles though Welcome to the points game! Thanks, -WT |
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