Mar 26, 2019, 12:46 pm
Value of UA miles (cents per mile) after all changes/devaluations
Mar 26, 2019, 5:03 pm
#136
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,720
As all my UA miles are earned RDM I am not as obsessed with redemption value as I would be for Chase transfers or purchased points. That being said i still use the old .02 per mile rule as a yardstick for domestic economy, and thus $250 one-way is roughly my over/under benchmark. But EQM is also a factor for me so there are times when I might buy a $250 transcon (2500 EQM) but use 12.5k for a family member. Conversely I will gladly spend 12.5k for a ticket that earns few EQM (eg SFO-ASE).
I don’t fly so much that I have unlimited miles so i do try to save them for international business class saver awards. And even there I don’t always get .02 but it’s fine with me as I’d rather use 70k one-way than spend $1400x4 on a family trip.
I’ve never regretted using my miles - my only regrets are the awards I didn’t get when I had the chance. But that’s another subject for another thread
I don’t fly so much that I have unlimited miles so i do try to save them for international business class saver awards. And even there I don’t always get .02 but it’s fine with me as I’d rather use 70k one-way than spend $1400x4 on a family trip.
I’ve never regretted using my miles - my only regrets are the awards I didn’t get when I had the chance. But that’s another subject for another thread
Mar 26, 2019, 11:26 pm
#137
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,866
In anticipation of devaluation I burned up my United / CO miles, maximizing a good cents per mile value:
In 2018 did MIA-IST-ZRH-NBO using TK, Swiss 80,000 miles business class
JNB-GRU-IGU - Using SA (A330-300) & some South American carrier 45,000 miles business class
EZE-Torono-MIA - Using Air Canada - 55,000miles business class
Note that the so called "Excursionest Perk" would not book for travel between Kenya & South Africa
Between 2011 and 2014 we did three First Class trips costing 160,000 miles round trip each:
MIA-CDG-BKK-RGN-BKK-DXB-MUC-MIA using Lufthansa & Thai (UAL for domestic segments)
MIA-FRA-CAI-ZRH-BKK-DPS-BKK-FRA-MIA using Lufthansa, Swiss & Thai
FLL-IAH-PEK-BKK-SYD-BKK-ICN-JFK-FLL using Air China, Thai , Asiana (UAL for domestic segments)
In 2002 did an off peak business class award to Cairns Australia for 80,000 miles round trip using CO & Northwest with a sto[over at NGO. - CO miles
In 2000s did several round trips business class awards to Asia.using ANA & THAI, ( with United & US Air for domestic)
Back in early 1990s did a few trips to Austrlia /NZ, and also to Asia on CO where two round trip first class tickets were 170,000, which is 85,000 miles per person round trip.
I still have a lot of devalued AA & Delta miles that I could not yet burn down.
Buring up about 500,000 THAI miles this year for two first class tickets to Asia using ANA & THAI (prices on a paid ticket about $26,000 eaach, $52,000 total works out to 10 cents per mile, but probably could find cheaper first class) Note: effective Oct. 1, 2019 THAI appears to be doubling their mile cost
But probably the best value of all time was 125,000 British or US Air miles for round trip on Concorde.
In 2018 did MIA-IST-ZRH-NBO using TK, Swiss 80,000 miles business class
JNB-GRU-IGU - Using SA (A330-300) & some South American carrier 45,000 miles business class
EZE-Torono-MIA - Using Air Canada - 55,000miles business class
Note that the so called "Excursionest Perk" would not book for travel between Kenya & South Africa
Between 2011 and 2014 we did three First Class trips costing 160,000 miles round trip each:
MIA-CDG-BKK-RGN-BKK-DXB-MUC-MIA using Lufthansa & Thai (UAL for domestic segments)
MIA-FRA-CAI-ZRH-BKK-DPS-BKK-FRA-MIA using Lufthansa, Swiss & Thai
FLL-IAH-PEK-BKK-SYD-BKK-ICN-JFK-FLL using Air China, Thai , Asiana (UAL for domestic segments)
In 2002 did an off peak business class award to Cairns Australia for 80,000 miles round trip using CO & Northwest with a sto[over at NGO. - CO miles
In 2000s did several round trips business class awards to Asia.using ANA & THAI, ( with United & US Air for domestic)
Back in early 1990s did a few trips to Austrlia /NZ, and also to Asia on CO where two round trip first class tickets were 170,000, which is 85,000 miles per person round trip.
I still have a lot of devalued AA & Delta miles that I could not yet burn down.
Buring up about 500,000 THAI miles this year for two first class tickets to Asia using ANA & THAI (prices on a paid ticket about $26,000 eaach, $52,000 total works out to 10 cents per mile, but probably could find cheaper first class) Note: effective Oct. 1, 2019 THAI appears to be doubling their mile cost
But probably the best value of all time was 125,000 British or US Air miles for round trip on Concorde.
Last edited by BF263533; Mar 26, 2019 at 11:33 pm
Mar 28, 2019, 5:30 pm
#138
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Victoria, B.C.
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Gold LT
Posts: 1,940
I price United Miles at about 1.3 cents. I book primarily J or F, so for economy fliers my evaluations might not make as much sense.
I have three different ways that I calculate that.
1) They shouldn’t really be worth more than a lifemile. You can buy virtually unlimited lifemiles from 1.2 – 1.4 cents during their sales. This would be particularly true for people living in major cities like LA, New York etc. that have lots of simple *flights available.
2) I often see paid business class fares to Europe for $2000 or Asia for $2500 (Check out premium fares forum flyertalk) I see these priced fares about as regularly as I see award availability to Europe or Asia. There may be some cost positioning to and from but I will call that a wash as these earn miles too. So Europe = 140,000 == $2000 flight. Or about 1.4 cents.
3) Manufacture Spend – although many ways to MS earn miles much less than that, there is the cost of frozen cards, locked accounts and time to go and manufacture. Lets call it 1.2 cents here.
I have three different ways that I calculate that.
1) They shouldn’t really be worth more than a lifemile. You can buy virtually unlimited lifemiles from 1.2 – 1.4 cents during their sales. This would be particularly true for people living in major cities like LA, New York etc. that have lots of simple *flights available.
2) I often see paid business class fares to Europe for $2000 or Asia for $2500 (Check out premium fares forum flyertalk) I see these priced fares about as regularly as I see award availability to Europe or Asia. There may be some cost positioning to and from but I will call that a wash as these earn miles too. So Europe = 140,000 == $2000 flight. Or about 1.4 cents.
3) Manufacture Spend – although many ways to MS earn miles much less than that, there is the cost of frozen cards, locked accounts and time to go and manufacture. Lets call it 1.2 cents here.
Jul 16, 2019, 11:39 am
#139
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: UA, LH, BA
Posts: 294
about 250k UA miles sat in the account unused for almost 10 years, what is it worth?
about 250k UA miles sat in the account unused for almost 10 years, what is it worth?
what is the absolutely most expensive itinerary(if paid by cash) that one can use 250k miles for?
thanks!
what is the absolutely most expensive itinerary(if paid by cash) that one can use 250k miles for?
thanks!
Jul 16, 2019, 12:02 pm
#141
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,410
Common wisdom says the balance is worth between $2,500 and $3,750. "What is the absolutely most expensive itinerary" is an extremely misleading question if you want to optimize it.
I can fly SFO-MUC-LHR tomorrow night for 60k miles whereas a revenue ticket would cost slightly over eight thousand dollars... so you can "redeem at 7.5 cents per mile". With more effort I'm sure I could do better, but I don't think that's the question you meant to ask.
I can fly SFO-MUC-LHR tomorrow night for 60k miles whereas a revenue ticket would cost slightly over eight thousand dollars... so you can "redeem at 7.5 cents per mile". With more effort I'm sure I could do better, but I don't think that's the question you meant to ask.
Jul 16, 2019, 2:08 pm
#143
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,116
100% hit or miss-- I booked EWR-ZRH-JNB-CPT-JNB-FRA-JFK in business which at the time priced out for about $16k. I got it for 110k miles each way-- or about 7 cents.
Jul 16, 2019, 3:23 pm
#144
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 104
Booked MSY-AMD in Polaris over the Christmas holidays and did my first ever 'Everyday Award' redemption for 160k miles one way. I know that's an obscene redemption rate but the cheapest business fares I could find on Google Flights were $3k. I guess I am trying to make myself feel better by thinking that I did better using miles vs cash and that with dynamic pricing awards - ain't nothing gonna be cheap anymore :/
Jul 16, 2019, 7:36 pm
#145
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,450
1.5 cpm is my new redemption threshold, reduced from 2.0.
I did just redeem at 3.66 cpm on SFO-PHX in Y (and then scored the CPU to F). That valuation is due more than anything else to the ridiculous 7 day fares on the route.
I did just redeem at 3.66 cpm on SFO-PHX in Y (and then scored the CPU to F). That valuation is due more than anything else to the ridiculous 7 day fares on the route.