Using Miles vs Buying a Ticket
Jul 8, 2010, 10:29 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat, SPG Lifetime Plat
Posts: 54
Using Miles vs Buying a Ticket
I have a dilemma... should I use 65K miles to redeem an economy ticket or buy it for ~$1800?
Option 1: Use 65K miles for the round-trip ticket
Option 2: Use my 20% off cert (expiring soon anyway) on United to buy a non-stop ticket for ~$1800, which will net ~15600 EQM roundtrip
Option 3: Buy a ticket on Continental with a similar fare, but with longer travel time and 1 stop, which will get me ~26300 EQM due to the higher fare class
Both the United and Continental options will give me enough EQM for 2P next year. On the other hand, $1800 is quite a lot of $$
Thoughts?
Option 1: Use 65K miles for the round-trip ticket
Option 2: Use my 20% off cert (expiring soon anyway) on United to buy a non-stop ticket for ~$1800, which will net ~15600 EQM roundtrip
Option 3: Buy a ticket on Continental with a similar fare, but with longer travel time and 1 stop, which will get me ~26300 EQM due to the higher fare class
Both the United and Continental options will give me enough EQM for 2P next year. On the other hand, $1800 is quite a lot of $$
Thoughts?
Jul 8, 2010, 11:11 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: Ex. Somebody, now a disloyal Nobody
Posts: 317
Depends?
Of course the answer depends up your circumstances:
1) 65k / $1800 is an OK redemption rate..worse than some XC rates, better than most XY rates.
2,3) This is a fairly expensive way to get miles. The missing part of the equation is the value of 2P. Even w/ lower UDU rates, you get E+, free bags, priority lines in many places...it's a lot better than GM. When you figure out what 2P is worth to you, you will know the answer.
1) 65k / $1800 is an OK redemption rate..worse than some XC rates, better than most XY rates.
2,3) This is a fairly expensive way to get miles. The missing part of the equation is the value of 2P. Even w/ lower UDU rates, you get E+, free bags, priority lines in many places...it's a lot better than GM. When you figure out what 2P is worth to you, you will know the answer.
Jul 9, 2010, 12:20 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: UA
Posts: 255
Really depends. I will redeem the miles if it is more than $0.02/mile.
Jul 9, 2010, 12:20 am
#4
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
Another option
Use miles for your trip. Quickly look at the Tware offerings, book three r/ts from LAX/SFO to Australia for around $ 600.00 ea., total $ 1800, which will net you around 50k EQMs plus bonus miles depending on your status. Use your UA Visa card and rake in even more miles. But better hurry, Twares go fast.
Jul 9, 2010, 12:49 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA 1K, NW forever
Posts: 1,390
Use miles for your trip. Quickly look at the Tware offerings, book three r/ts from LAX/SFO to Australia for around $ 600.00 ea., total $ 1800, which will net you around 50k EQMs plus bonus miles depending on your status. Use your UA Visa card and rake in even more miles. But better hurry, Twares go fast.
Jul 9, 2010, 1:51 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO / HKG
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum Elite
Posts: 187
Flight Change Fee
Sorry if this is off topic. I booked a one-way saver award HKG-SFO on UA next month. Do they charge $150 change fee if I switch my flight to SQ? Same origin/destination and same date.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Jul 9, 2010, 2:00 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: United 1K Hilton Gold
Posts: 136
80 hours in 747 Y sounds like the punishment for shoplifting in some countries.
Jul 9, 2010, 2:19 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: UA-1K, Hertz-Gold, Marriott-Gold, PC-Platinum, SPG
Posts: 2,777
Jul 9, 2010, 2:49 am
#9
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: YVR SFO
Programs: UA G
Posts: 4,866
I have a dilemma... should I use 65K miles to redeem an economy ticket or buy it for ~$1800?
Option 1: Use 65K miles for the round-trip ticket
Option 2: Use my 20% off cert (expiring soon anyway) on United to buy a non-stop ticket for ~$1800, which will net ~15600 EQM roundtrip
Option 3: Buy a ticket on Continental with a similar fare, but with longer travel time and 1 stop, which will get me ~26300 EQM due to the higher fare class
Both the United and Continental options will give me enough EQM for 2P next year. On the other hand, $1800 is quite a lot of $$
Thoughts?
Option 1: Use 65K miles for the round-trip ticket
Option 2: Use my 20% off cert (expiring soon anyway) on United to buy a non-stop ticket for ~$1800, which will net ~15600 EQM roundtrip
Option 3: Buy a ticket on Continental with a similar fare, but with longer travel time and 1 stop, which will get me ~26300 EQM due to the higher fare class
Both the United and Continental options will give me enough EQM for 2P next year. On the other hand, $1800 is quite a lot of $$
Thoughts?
Also, it's not clear if you plan to fly this year or next year. If it's this year and you still have SWUs from your 1K status, I'd pick the UA flight and upgrade it. Otherwise, my answer above applies.
One way awards are UA-metal only.
Last edited by unavaca; Jul 9, 2010 at 2:55 am
Jul 9, 2010, 7:06 am
#10
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: MBS/FNT/LAN
Programs: UA 1K, HH Gold, Mariott Gold
Posts: 9,630
No one asked it yet.....
But can you spare the $1800.00? That would be a good chunk of change for me right now.
But can you spare the $1800.00? That would be a good chunk of change for me right now.
Jul 9, 2010, 7:31 am
#11
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
if one is "flush" and can afford the $1,800 +/- and needs the eqm's, then it's a no brainer but if money is tight then i say go for the miles option. i recently (3 weeks ago) had a situation where i needed to get to bos on short notice and the fare was quite expensive (in other words, nothing left but b & y) and i simply could not afford it (even using certs) as i'm not working so i used miles (had i been working, i would have done it as i could have used the eqm's and cos eqm's). this is truly a ymmv situation where you have to look at all the options and choose which is best for you (both from a dollars & cents standpoint and from an eqm standpoint)
Jul 9, 2010, 8:10 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFO
Programs: AA ExPlat,EX-UA 1K, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat,
Posts: 12,212
Depend whose $$ is this, if someone is paying for it buy ticket, I will use miles.
Jul 9, 2010, 8:23 am
#13
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Reno, NV (RNO)
Programs: AA Platinum, AS, UA, DL, HHonors Gold, Marriott LTP, Hyatt, IHG Platinum
Posts: 4,707
This is a no-brainer in my view.....use the miles. You get 2.76 cents/mile in value (personally, I'd use miles at about half that rate). I do agree with gregas that you need to assess the value of 2P vs. 1P (assuming you already are or will qualify for 1P regardless of your decision to use miles or cash). In my view, paying $1800 to simply receive additional upgrade possibilities is not worth it.
Jul 9, 2010, 8:29 am
#14
In Memoriam
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: ORD, UA 1K, SPG
Posts: 421
$$$
I think it has been determined that the op is paying the freight.
I try to figure miles vs $$s as 25k miles vs $400.00 which is .016 cents per mile.
So the $1800 fare for 65k miles I think is a good reason to use your miles.
Of course as mentioned above...can you afford the $$$s. That is the overriding consideration.
I think that I would book using miles.
bg
I try to figure miles vs $$s as 25k miles vs $400.00 which is .016 cents per mile.
So the $1800 fare for 65k miles I think is a good reason to use your miles.
Of course as mentioned above...can you afford the $$$s. That is the overriding consideration.
I think that I would book using miles.
bg
Jul 9, 2010, 10:49 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat, SPG Lifetime Plat
Posts: 54
Thanks for all the responses. To answer some of the questions, I'm going to be paying out of my own pocket, flying in August (peak season hence the high ticket price) and still have SWUs left.
$$-wise I can pay for it, but am hesitant coz I'll be going back to school as a student soon, which means no income for a while... just thought it's going to be tough to drop from 1K to no status
$$-wise I can pay for it, but am hesitant coz I'll be going back to school as a student soon, which means no income for a while... just thought it's going to be tough to drop from 1K to no status