Should I use UA miles, cash, combo, or a package? SFO-HNL-KOA-SFO Itin
Mar 21, 2019, 4:17 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Reno NV/San Francisco, CA, USA
Posts: 1,168
Should I use UA miles, cash, combo, or a package? SFO-HNL-KOA-SFO Itin
Hello Everyone!
I haven't planned a multi-city vacation in a while so I'm a little out of the loop. I would've preferred to go SFO-SJU San Juan Puerto Rico for our vacation since it's so much cheaper both with the airfare (miles/paid), lodging, and beautiful beaches, but my hubby wants to go to the Big Island and Oahu for his birthday.
I have access to either 400,000 United miles or 400,000 Ultimate Rewards Points or just pay for the ticket or do a combo of both. It's for his birthday so I wanted to try to book First. For SJU I could get it for 70K each way per person and all lie flat through EWR or around $640 per person each way. But Hawaii is so much more expensive....and it's closer to us here in SF. Go figure.
We're looking to leave on July 20th SFO-HNL, July 24th HNL-KOA, then July 27th KOA-SFO
What would you do if you were me? My option is below:
1) Just pay for the ticket SFO-HNL-KOA-SFO for around $1,592 each (in First all legs)
2) Use 75,000 Ultimate rewards points to reduce that to $2,059
3) Use miles SFO-HNL ranging from 68k-78k one way per person? (I was just thinking of just doing SFO-HNL in First to make it special then coach for the rest of the legs)
At this point I'm not willing to spend 78k-90k miles each person for one way from KOA-SFO since it's not lie flat and, even if we go back to HNL to get on the 777 HNL-SFO, I still don't think that's worth 90K each person one way.
If none of the options above, do you think I'd get a better deal just doing a package? Even if just SFO-HNL in First?
What would you do?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
M.
I haven't planned a multi-city vacation in a while so I'm a little out of the loop. I would've preferred to go SFO-SJU San Juan Puerto Rico for our vacation since it's so much cheaper both with the airfare (miles/paid), lodging, and beautiful beaches, but my hubby wants to go to the Big Island and Oahu for his birthday.
I have access to either 400,000 United miles or 400,000 Ultimate Rewards Points or just pay for the ticket or do a combo of both. It's for his birthday so I wanted to try to book First. For SJU I could get it for 70K each way per person and all lie flat through EWR or around $640 per person each way. But Hawaii is so much more expensive....and it's closer to us here in SF. Go figure.
We're looking to leave on July 20th SFO-HNL, July 24th HNL-KOA, then July 27th KOA-SFO
What would you do if you were me? My option is below:
1) Just pay for the ticket SFO-HNL-KOA-SFO for around $1,592 each (in First all legs)
2) Use 75,000 Ultimate rewards points to reduce that to $2,059
3) Use miles SFO-HNL ranging from 68k-78k one way per person? (I was just thinking of just doing SFO-HNL in First to make it special then coach for the rest of the legs)
At this point I'm not willing to spend 78k-90k miles each person for one way from KOA-SFO since it's not lie flat and, even if we go back to HNL to get on the 777 HNL-SFO, I still don't think that's worth 90K each person one way.
If none of the options above, do you think I'd get a better deal just doing a package? Even if just SFO-HNL in First?
What would you do?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
M.
Last edited by SFnFlaGuy; Mar 22, 2019 at 9:20 am Reason: corrected departure date to July 20th
Mar 21, 2019, 8:08 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
Hello Everyone!
I haven't planned a multi-city vacation in a while so I'm a little out of the loop. I would've preferred to go SFO-SJU San Juan Puerto Rico for our vacation since it's so much cheaper both with the airfare (miles/paid), lodging, and beautiful beaches, but my hubby wants to go to the Big Island and Oahu for his birthday.
I have access to either 400,000 United miles or 400,000 Ultimate Rewards Points or just pay for the ticket or do a combo of both. It's for his birthday so I wanted to try to book First. For SJU I could get it for 70K each way per person and all lie flat through EWR or around $640 per person each way. But Hawaii is so much more expensive....and it's closer to us here in SF. Go figure.
We're looking to leave on July 27th SFO-HNL, July 24th HNL-KOA, then July 27th KOA-SFO
What would you do if you were me? My option is below:
1) Just pay for the ticket SFO-HNL-KOA-SFO for around $1,592 each (in First all legs)
2) Use 75,000 Ultimate rewards points to reduce that to $2,059
I haven't planned a multi-city vacation in a while so I'm a little out of the loop. I would've preferred to go SFO-SJU San Juan Puerto Rico for our vacation since it's so much cheaper both with the airfare (miles/paid), lodging, and beautiful beaches, but my hubby wants to go to the Big Island and Oahu for his birthday.
I have access to either 400,000 United miles or 400,000 Ultimate Rewards Points or just pay for the ticket or do a combo of both. It's for his birthday so I wanted to try to book First. For SJU I could get it for 70K each way per person and all lie flat through EWR or around $640 per person each way. But Hawaii is so much more expensive....and it's closer to us here in SF. Go figure.
We're looking to leave on July 27th SFO-HNL, July 24th HNL-KOA, then July 27th KOA-SFO
What would you do if you were me? My option is below:
1) Just pay for the ticket SFO-HNL-KOA-SFO for around $1,592 each (in First all legs)
2) Use 75,000 Ultimate rewards points to reduce that to $2,059
The reason SJU is priced lower - it is brutally humid that time of year - and high hurricane risk.
Mar 21, 2019, 8:46 pm
#3
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
This. It's not cheap, but it's not crazy either. Don't use the miles if you're getting around 1c for them -- if you don't want to use cash just use the UR points at 1.5c each.
Mar 22, 2019, 9:24 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Reno NV/San Francisco, CA, USA
Posts: 1,168
Thanks for pointing that out. I've corrected it to July 20th.