pbd456

it depends on your time and preference.
for me. i prefer to do many legs multi carrier award trips within a zone in economy class. since i can get to visit many new places in one trip (24 hours max) with food in the lounge as a star gold, and sleeping in the airport.
travel can be very cheap yet exploring new places.

some may prefer to do long haul J, but i dont. even if i do long haul, with star alliance route map, i can break the trip into day time flights only with multiple segments and with long layover to sleep comfortably.

i have done plenty of long haul in J...

AndyInSaigon

My choice: FRA-BKK(-HKG/SGN/SIN/KUL) on TG's A380. F one way, J the other. You'd need to buy a few miles or fly Y instead of J on the one leg.

mduell

*A J/F to Asia.

njxbean

food tour of asia for the win!!!!

kayexalate

Hello:

my mother in law has 4554 expiring United mileage plus miles (they'll expire in February).

She never flies united or their partners and this only originated from a flight she took with my family a few years ago.

I can transfer them and right now with the 30% "discount" the cost for transferring 4500 miles would be:

Miles to transfer 4,500
Remaining 54 miles
Cost of miles $67.50 USD
Discount (30%) -$20.25 USD
Processing Fee $30.00 USD
TOTAL $77.25 USD

Not a great value at all, but I don't know what else to do other than let them expire.

I know I can keep extending the life of the miles but buying something small but I can't forsee the mileage ever going up since she won't travel again on United or their partners and so the mileage balance will always stay around 4500 (or less)

I also (unfortunately) only travel with my family, so an using those miles for an upgrade probably won't be of much help as I don't even know if that's enough miles for an upgrade on any flight and also surely not enough for more than one person

Any suggestions on what to do? Bite the bullet and just pay the $77? (at least I have the chase United Card, so I presume I'd get 154 miles out of the purchase).

Thanks.

SEA1K4EVR

I'd let them go. As you said, not a good value at all... unless you need them urgently to redeem an award it's not worth it just for the sake of saving them.

svirfnebli

I'd let them expire

sannmann

Can you use them to get a magazine subscription or two? If you don't want the subscription, have it sent to your dentist's office or a Fisher House.

TA

Just go on the United marketplace or magazines portal and redeem for some small gift.

Barcky

Why not use some/all of them for magazine or newspaper subscription(s)?

https://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/Mar...#subscriptions

Bruin1K

Buy A $10 gift card for Panda Express, Quiznos or Starbucks at mpx app

pseudoswede

One year subscriptions to:
- Time
- Fortune
- InStyle
- Entertainment Weekly
- Sports Illustrated

4500 miles

https://magazinerewards.mileageplus.com/20000744/

I'm still waiting for the return of The Economist digital subscription for 1800 miles.

WineCountryUA

Donate your miles to charitable organizations 500 miles min

H2O - COWBOY

Sign up for opinion miles club,fill in a survey and get a few free miles added to act. and you get 18 months to use them and to add to them .Onepass dining ,etc.

Summerrain123

Hi Travel Experts - I am thinking about taking a trip over thanksgiving weekend. I am hoping for something that is "cheap" pointswise and also where hotels will be reasonable. I am United Platinum and have award miles that I can use. I don't want to go crazy spending them or go to a city where a decent hotel is hundreds of dollars. But it would be cool to go somewhere. I just came back from the UK, Switzerland, Australia, and India so those are out. I'm a big shopper and like walking outside. I also like to volunteer. Does anyone have any ideas? Maybe you spotted a saver award to somewhere cool? Thanks!