UA-partner Business Awards 60K multiple destinations,BKK,KUL,HKG,CGK,MNL, .. changes?
Apr 19, 2022, 4:52 pm
#241
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,302
Really? I have never had problems finding JL awards, right up to the pandemic. That's been my main way to burn AS miles. Of course until Japan reopens again I don't expect things to return to normal. But between AS and AA I have well over a million miles and most of them are going to JL once things get going over there again.
Apr 19, 2022, 4:55 pm
#242
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: DYKWIA, But I'm a "Diamond Guest" UA 1K/2MM
Posts: 2,256
If you don't use them now, you can watch the value gradually tick down to 0.8 cents a mile. Believe me, it will.
Apr 19, 2022, 5:32 pm
#243
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
We only use her miles between Tokyo and NYC -- or sometimes within Japan to visit her family -- they are quite stingy with award availability compared to UA which we can usually get almost any day we want.... Also -- we only look for J class seats internationally -- I'm sure Y is easier....
I've got about 800K United miles, so anytime I can get over 1.5 cents value per mile, I use them. Lately I've counted myself lucky when I got more than 1 cent per mile. So at 5 cents a mile, this looks pretty good to me.
If you don't use them now, you can watch the value gradually tick down to 0.8 cents a mile. Believe me, it will.
If you don't use them now, you can watch the value gradually tick down to 0.8 cents a mile. Believe me, it will.
As for 5c a mile, UA may very well sell these tickets for $6k round trip but there are certainly cheaper options (possibly on other airlines, arguably with a better J experience). I had an $1800 JFK-TYO-TPE (JL J) round trip scheduled for May 2020. Cancelled due to the pandemic, of course. Sad times -- some people pay more than that to fly transcon one way in a lie flat! That was a particularly excellent deal, but sub-$3000 fare sales to southeast Asia (especially BKK!) are not uncommon at all. I would value this at about 2c a mile (because I would not pay more than $2500 for the RT)
Unless if you would actually pay $6k for the trip, the valuation is not really 5c. That's my only point.
I don't mean to badmouth this deal! It's a good deal (especially with the excursionist perk) and I'm happy to have booked it! I'm going to Vietnam for the first time and going back to Bangkok, all in business class. No complaints here! But my point is that if you look to other programs as well there are similarly good deals all the time. I generally like UA but to get good value it's important to be flexible and keep your options open.
Apr 19, 2022, 6:26 pm
#245
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,026
Apr 19, 2022, 6:33 pm
#246
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,993
I was flying F out of SFO. Not sure if that's easier. Not that I ever made use of this trick, but they would usually release F availability for all but 1 of the unsold seats within a day or two of departure. With AS it's only 10k more miles for F so I never used miles on J.
0.8c seems pretty pessimistic.
As for 5c a mile, UA may very well sell these tickets for $6k round trip but there are certainly cheaper options (possibly on other airlines, arguably with a better J experience). I had an $1800 JFK-TYO-TPE (JL J) round trip scheduled for May 2020. Cancelled due to the pandemic, of course. Sad times -- some people pay more than that to fly transcon one way in a lie flat! That was a particularly excellent deal, but sub-$3000 fare sales to southeast Asia (especially BKK!) are not uncommon at all. I would value this at about 2c a mile (because I would not pay more than $2500 for the RT)
Unless if you would actually pay $6k for the trip, the valuation is not really 5c. That's my only point.
I don't mean to badmouth this deal! It's a good deal (especially with the excursionist perk) and I'm happy to have booked it! I'm going to Vietnam for the first time and going back to Bangkok, all in business class. No complaints here! But my point is that if you look to other programs as well there are similarly good deals all the time. I generally like UA but to get good value it's important to be flexible and keep your options open.
0.8c seems pretty pessimistic.
As for 5c a mile, UA may very well sell these tickets for $6k round trip but there are certainly cheaper options (possibly on other airlines, arguably with a better J experience). I had an $1800 JFK-TYO-TPE (JL J) round trip scheduled for May 2020. Cancelled due to the pandemic, of course. Sad times -- some people pay more than that to fly transcon one way in a lie flat! That was a particularly excellent deal, but sub-$3000 fare sales to southeast Asia (especially BKK!) are not uncommon at all. I would value this at about 2c a mile (because I would not pay more than $2500 for the RT)
Unless if you would actually pay $6k for the trip, the valuation is not really 5c. That's my only point.
I don't mean to badmouth this deal! It's a good deal (especially with the excursionist perk) and I'm happy to have booked it! I'm going to Vietnam for the first time and going back to Bangkok, all in business class. No complaints here! But my point is that if you look to other programs as well there are similarly good deals all the time. I generally like UA but to get good value it's important to be flexible and keep your options open.
I agree with porciuscato; the value of UA miles is dropping faster than the dollar. Spend them now, while you can get good value.
Last edited by zombietooth; Apr 19, 2022 at 6:41 pm
Apr 19, 2022, 6:57 pm
#248
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 3
likely the itin you booked ran out of I/X space on the TG segment before it was able to ticket. partner availability seems to update quite slowly.
Apr 19, 2022, 6:59 pm
#249
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,302
As someone who regularly pays 4-6K for Asian flights in J, it's a fantastic deal due to wide availability. I'm on the East Coast and haven't been able to book even one J-pair on JL using AS miles. It's a lot harder than you think. We can't wait for last-minute openings like you, my international travel is primarily for business and my travel has to executed within relatively narrow windows. I have no use for the excursionist perk, so that part does have zero value to me.
I agree with porciuscato; the value of UA miles is dropping faster than the dollar. Spend them now, while you can get good value.
I agree with porciuscato; the value of UA miles is dropping faster than the dollar. Spend them now, while you can get good value.
Apr 19, 2022, 7:22 pm
#250
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 4,993
That happened to me a couple of days ago. I had booked ghost inventory and it never ticketed. I went back in and changed the date by one day and it ticketed fine.
Apr 19, 2022, 7:49 pm
#251
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 42
More and more blogs/wannabe bloggers are covering this dynamic pricing *feature* (likely after booking their own tickets and waiting a few days to be safe). Better book soon; if UA doesn't address this by EOD tomorrow, something is majorly wrong in Willis
Apr 19, 2022, 8:36 pm
#252
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: DUB-BOS
Programs: various
Posts: 3,689
You can fly to Asia in business class on JL using 60k AS miles all day every day. 70k for F. And you get a stopover. Add 5k miles to continue to southeast Asia.
And you can fly round trip to Tokyo in business for 75k/85k/90k ANA miles depending on season. So that's only 45k each way even during high season. And they are an Amex transfer partner (5 points per dollar on airfare with the Plat) so you can get a round trip to Japan every time you spend $15k-$18k on airfare.
So yes this is a good deal but it's not like deals like this don't exist in other programs all time.
And you can fly round trip to Tokyo in business for 75k/85k/90k ANA miles depending on season. So that's only 45k each way even during high season. And they are an Amex transfer partner (5 points per dollar on airfare with the Plat) so you can get a round trip to Japan every time you spend $15k-$18k on airfare.
So yes this is a good deal but it's not like deals like this don't exist in other programs all time.
Apr 19, 2022, 8:40 pm
#253
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: DYKWIA, But I'm a "Diamond Guest" UA 1K/2MM
Posts: 2,256
I think you're overstating what a deal this is. I was just checking Singapore Air awards and I could do the same itin for 95K (with better routing) instead of 60K on United. That's about a toss-up to me: Singapore's service is at least 50% better than United's. If I didn't have so many useless United miles, I'd probably book that instead.
Apr 19, 2022, 8:54 pm
#255
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
I think you're overstating what a deal this is. I was just checking Singapore Air awards and I could do the same itin for 95K (with better routing) instead of 60K on United. That's about a toss-up to me: Singapore's service is at least 50% better than United's. If I didn't have so many useless United miles, I'd probably book that instead.