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United awards flight - is this redemption a good deal?

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United awards flight - is this redemption a good deal?

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Old Apr 17, 2017, 6:51 am
  #1  
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United awards flight - is this redemption a good deal?

Is 320k round trip from JFK-SYD in business a decent deal?

Its going to be on Asiana Airlines A380 JFK-ICN and back. 777 from ICN-SYD and back.
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 6:55 am
  #2  
 
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Define decent!

You could possibly try EWR-SYD (via SFO) (all UA metal), depending on dates that could run about 150k miles if saver business awards are available.
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 6:59 am
  #3  
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I've been searching for awhile and cant find anything on UA metal. Would love to fly UA's 787 from SFO-SYD
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 7:08 am
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Originally Posted by Polo2883
I've been searching for awhile and cant find anything on UA metal. Would love to fly UA's 787 from SFO-SYD
Are you using JFK as your starting point? If you are: IIRC that kicks everything into a *A standard award.

But as narvik indicates... "decent" requires a definition. For me there would be no value to blowing that much on a standard award. However, if you have more miles then you will ever use, then go for it.
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 7:19 am
  #5  
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I am going to end up transferring all my chase points to get the tickets
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 7:25 am
  #6  
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Is this for two people? If so yes, that's the best you can do on a partner award and this is a good option. Be aware that I believe OZ may have a couple of non-refurbished 777s still kicking around and they tend to get put on the ICN - SYD route. However, when I was booking for out SYD trip next year, the seatmap showed the lie-flat configuration for most dates.

UA award is only 20k cheaper for the roundtrip (140k) but there's virtually no chance of finding that especially when the tag leg for you is EWR - LAX/SFO which is arguably even stingier on award space vs. the SYD flight.
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 7:34 am
  #7  
 
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If you feel you are getting value for your points- it is fine.

For me- no way.
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 8:00 am
  #8  
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Originally Posted by zebranz
If you feel you are getting value for your points- it is fine.

For me- no way.
Yep.

If you have plenty of points, really want to take the trip, and there are no other options showing as availble, then it is a good use of points for you.

Not the absolute least "expensive" way to get there, but sometimes that is not always possible.
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 8:10 am
  #9  
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Originally Posted by zebranz
If you feel you are getting value for your points- it is fine.

For me- no way.
Originally Posted by goodeats21
Yep.

If you have plenty of points, really want to take the trip, and there are no other options showing as availble, then it is a good use of points for you.

Not the absolute least "expensive" way to get there, but sometimes that is not always possible.
Still need to find out if this is 1 or 2 people from the OP. Don't think you can price out to this number for one ticket even at a standard level (standard price is 175 which would price out to 350 not 320 for 1).

In that case this is as good as deal as the OP can get for SYD unless OP can find Saver J for EWR - LAX/SFO - SYD on UA metal which is almost certainly not going to happen unless UA accidentally releases award space and OP catches it.
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 8:36 am
  #10  
 
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Originally Posted by Duke787
In that case this is as good as deal as the OP can get for SYD unless OP can find Saver J for EWR - LAX/SFO - SYD on UA metal which is almost certainly not going to happen unless UA accidentally releases award space and OP catches it.
You guys must not see the same thing that I do. If dates are flexible there's 80k miles one-way in J to SYD from EWR. One is UA EWR-NRT and NH HND-SYD all in J.
The issue with EWR-SFO-SYD is always the EWR-SFO leg (or other routings to SFO). But there's plenty 70k miles J flights to SYD originating in EWR. For a saving of 80k miles, I am okay with a E+ to SFO.
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 9:07 am
  #11  
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Originally Posted by Polo2883
Is 320k round trip from JFK-SYD in business a decent deal?

Its going to be on Asiana Airlines A380 JFK-ICN and back. 777 from ICN-SYD and back.
This has to be for two passengers, right?

If so, yes, it's a good redemption. If it's only for one passenger, there's a mistake. Because it should be 160k RT per passenger.
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 9:15 am
  #12  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
This has to be for two passengers, right?

If so, yes, it's a good redemption. If it's only for one passenger, there's a mistake. Because it should be 160k RT per passenger.
That 160k miles is saver award pricing. You could easily drop 300k to 350k miles for standard award.

But yeah, OP needs to verify whether one passenger or two. Makes all the difference!
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 9:18 am
  #13  
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Originally Posted by narvik
That 160k miles is saver award pricing. You could easily drop 300k to 350k miles for standard award.
Yes I am familiar with UA award pricing

There is no way to book a standard award from JFK-SYD without it being a mistake. Standard awards are UA metal and UA does not fly to JFK.
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 9:22 am
  #14  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Yes I am familiar with UA award pricing

There is no way to book a standard award from JFK-SYD without it being a mistake. Standard awards are UA metal and UA does not fly to JFK.
Sorry, didn't mean to offend. ^
The 320k number is indeed odd. I thought it might be a weird combination (such as First on CA out of JFK which runs at 130k OW for instance) but I see OP was quite specific in the routing and airlines, so yeah, likely for two persons.
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Old Apr 17, 2017, 9:32 am
  #15  
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Originally Posted by jhayes_1780
Are you using JFK as your starting point? If you are: IIRC that kicks everything into a *A standard award.
...
Originally Posted by Kacee
...
There is no way to book a standard award from JFK-SYD without it being a mistake. Standard awards are UA metal and UA does not fly to JFK.
I also thought that UA only does "saver" awards with *A flights, but someone else used the *A "standard" award term, which I assumed simply didn't exist. Otherwise those of us with "6+ Figure" mileage accounts would book LH F standard awards nonstop. :-)
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