Buying UA Miles?
Nov 28, 2019, 9:47 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: United 1k, HH Diamond, Bonvoy Ambassador and LT-Gold
Posts: 1,660
Buying UA Miles?
I noticed that there is a new promotion in which you can buy miles
I know this offer comes up frequently and there are limits to how much you can buy
does anyone actually buy miles?
.... and why?
I have been pondering buying some miles to use for an upcoming trip in 2020 - but have funds in 2019 to use..... but then you dont get credit for status???
-m
I know this offer comes up frequently and there are limits to how much you can buy
does anyone actually buy miles?
.... and why?
I have been pondering buying some miles to use for an upcoming trip in 2020 - but have funds in 2019 to use..... but then you dont get credit for status???
-m
Nov 28, 2019, 9:56 am
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
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Only buy UA miles if you have an immediate use for them. Never buy to hold.
They are a quickly devaluing currency and the "sales" are a total rip-off for most MP members.
They are a quickly devaluing currency and the "sales" are a total rip-off for most MP members.
Nov 28, 2019, 10:25 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Delaware
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 1,393
Agreed. Their best (and only good purpose) is to top off an account to buy an award ticket right away. With dynamic award rates, you can't know ahead of time how many miles you will need to buy when it's time to book that award ticket.
Even at the promotional rates, it is very seldom, if ever, that it would be cheaper to buy miles and pay for the flight with them, vs. just paying outright cash for the ticket. While I think there is a limit as to the number of miles one can purchase, if you're buying that many miles, you might just be better paying cash for the ticket.
Even at the promotional rates, it is very seldom, if ever, that it would be cheaper to buy miles and pay for the flight with them, vs. just paying outright cash for the ticket. While I think there is a limit as to the number of miles one can purchase, if you're buying that many miles, you might just be better paying cash for the ticket.
Nov 28, 2019, 1:21 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,349
I find the opposite is true in MANY cases.
Just bought more miles to replenish the 83500 I used for a one-way J award ticket with SWISS from JNB to ZRH with a day's worth of time for meetings there; then continuing on to EWR also in J with SWISS.
That would have been MUCH more than $1670 if paid for.
Buying miles is still a good strategy in certain cases.
Hopefully this continues...
Nov 28, 2019, 2:10 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,400
I take issue with the idea of “replenishing” your account, though. I would never recommend that. There would always have been a chance to buy them again later if you had another valuable redemption. In the meantime, you have purchased a fiat currency that UA has shown a willingness to devalue rapidly. The mere fact that you spent 83.5K instead of 80K is telling: the 3.5K increase over the old “chart value” is the first volley toward fully dynamic pricing for partner awards.
Nov 28, 2019, 2:22 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,349
There are times that it makes sense. If you didn’t have any miles in your account, buying them for this sort of J redemption would be a perfectly sensible strategy.
I take issue with the idea of “replenishing” your account, though. I would never recommend that. There would always have been a chance to buy them again later if you had another valuable redemption. In the meantime, you have purchased a fiat currency that UA has shown a willingness to devalue rapidly. The mere fact that you spent 83.5K instead of 80K is telling: the 3.5K increase over the old “chart value” is the first volley toward fully dynamic pricing for partner awards.
I take issue with the idea of “replenishing” your account, though. I would never recommend that. There would always have been a chance to buy them again later if you had another valuable redemption. In the meantime, you have purchased a fiat currency that UA has shown a willingness to devalue rapidly. The mere fact that you spent 83.5K instead of 80K is telling: the 3.5K increase over the old “chart value” is the first volley toward fully dynamic pricing for partner awards.
I would not have had the flexibility in booking several award trips, then canceling them once I was sure I couldn't make a particular flight (for free as a 1K).
Having to quickly top up one's account isn't always easy or cheap whilst traveling.
We all have different travel needs and requirements. I am pleased United makes miles available for purchase, and have made excellent use of them.
Nov 28, 2019, 2:26 pm
#7
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Posts: 21,400
You don’t have that flexibility now. Doing that is a violation of MileagePlus rules and could result in the termination of your account, including forfeiting the points that you just purchased.
Nov 28, 2019, 2:34 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2010
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Nov 28, 2019, 2:47 pm
#9
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CoC rule 5(H):
In combination with MileagePlus Rule #2 :
They’ve certainly closed accounts for this sort of thing before: UA is as Loyal as a 3 Dollar Bill [account closed]
ETA: Note that I’m inferring that you’re talking about something like booking two JNB-JFK itineraries with the intent to fly one or the other depending upon your schedule. If you actually mean booking JFK-TYO for October and JFK-BKK for December and not cancelling JFK-TYO until the last minute, then I agree; that’s a reasonable behavior that shouldn’t fall afoul of the rules.
UA reserves the right to cancel bookings and/or reservations which it deems fraudulent, abusive, illogical, fictitious, which are booked and/or reserved with no intention of flying, or for which the passenger makes a misrepresentation without notice to the passenger or the individual making the booking. The types of improper reservations that UA will cancel without notice include, but are not limited to: reservations made without having been requested by or on behalf of the named passenger; reservations made to hold or block seats for the purpose of obtaining lower fares, MP award inventory, travel certificates, or upgrades that may not otherwise be available; reservations made to manipulate, abuse, or circumvent any of UA’s fare rules, policies or provisions; reservations made for the same passenger on flights traveling on or about the same date between one or more of the same or nearby origin or destination cities; and reservations with connections that depart before the arrival on the inbound flight.
...Any abuse of the Program or failure to follow the Rules, United’s Contract of Carriage, United’s fare rules, Partner rules, terms and conditions or any abuse of any Partner offers or programs, any violation of law, rule, or regulation, any conduct detrimental to the interests of United, any fraudulent activity or attempted fraudulent activity, or any misrepresentation of any information furnished to United or its affiliates by any Member, anyone else acting on the Member's behalf, or any third party (collectively, “Prohibited Conduct”), may result in United exercising any one or more of the following remedies (“United’s Remedies”), with or without notice to the Member: (a) the termination by United of such Member’s membership (including without limitation any Premier or Million Miler status, if applicable), (b) the removal or cancellation by United of any or all accrued mileage, Premier Qualifying Credits and any pending or outstanding award redemptions, certificates, or benefits (including without limitation any benefits associated with Premier (and/or Million Miler) status, if applicable), (c) the confiscation of any award tickets, denial of boarding with respect to any award ticket holders or, at United's discretion, completion of the travel only upon payment of an applicable revenue fare (and applicable taxes and fees), or (d) the loss of other Program benefits....
They’ve certainly closed accounts for this sort of thing before: UA is as Loyal as a 3 Dollar Bill [account closed]
ETA: Note that I’m inferring that you’re talking about something like booking two JNB-JFK itineraries with the intent to fly one or the other depending upon your schedule. If you actually mean booking JFK-TYO for October and JFK-BKK for December and not cancelling JFK-TYO until the last minute, then I agree; that’s a reasonable behavior that shouldn’t fall afoul of the rules.
Nov 28, 2019, 2:56 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,349
ETA: Note that I’m inferring that you’re talking about something like booking two JNB-JFK itineraries with the intent to fly one or the other depending upon your schedule. If you actually mean booking JFK-TYO for October and JFK-BKK for December and not cancelling JFK-TYO until the last minute, then I agree; that’s a reasonable behavior that shouldn’t fall afoul of the rules.
Last edited by narvik; Nov 28, 2019 at 4:27 pm
Nov 28, 2019, 3:25 pm
#11
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For a very frequent and knowledgable traveler, with top tier status, perhaps. But for anyone who is coming here to ask about buying miles on sale, that would almost certainly not be a wise strategy. Too high a risk miles get redeemed at low value, or simply sit there and are never used.
Nov 28, 2019, 5:34 pm
#14
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