so a relative called to ask for miles...
May 30, 2006, 11:03 am
#31
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 17,769
Originally Posted by clusters78
*ring ring*
<i pick up> hello?
<uncle> hey clusters78, aunt Sally says you have a lot of miles
<i> yes?
<uncle> me and aunt and your two cousins are coming to the east coast july 4th, and the tickets are over $400 each from LAX! Why don't you redeem like 40000 of your miles to pay for one of us.
<i> ... (wanting to bang head on wall...thinking...you want me to redeem $800+ worth of miles for a standard award last minute on july 4th weekend for a $400 ticket...I'd rather BUY you the ticket)
<uncle> I mean that's 1600 dollars, if you help pay for one that'll reduce our burden a lot...
<i> listen, let me check the schedules and see what I can do.
...spent 30 minutes looked over united dates and routes, thinking if I can't find any saver awards I'll just BUY him the darn ticket myself. Found alternate dates for saver awards. Decided ah **** it I'll help my uncle out by redeeming 50k miles for two tickets. At 1.6c per mile one of the worst usage ever, but it's family...
<i> hey, I redeemed 50k miles for two tickets on these dates...you just have to come here a couple days earlier...
<uncle> TWO!
<i> yes two tickets, you'll have to...
<uncle> OMG YOU ARE TOO MUCH! THANKS SO MUCH!!!
<i> hey listen, do you have a United Mileage plus ff #?
<uncle> um yeah I think I do
<i> can you dig it up so I can place it on the reservation? that's almost 5000 miles for your account there
<uncle> OH just put your own ffm on the ticket so you can earn back some of those miles
<i> ...
I think my head still hurts from banging it on the wall
<i pick up> hello?
<uncle> hey clusters78, aunt Sally says you have a lot of miles
<i> yes?
<uncle> me and aunt and your two cousins are coming to the east coast july 4th, and the tickets are over $400 each from LAX! Why don't you redeem like 40000 of your miles to pay for one of us.
<i> ... (wanting to bang head on wall...thinking...you want me to redeem $800+ worth of miles for a standard award last minute on july 4th weekend for a $400 ticket...I'd rather BUY you the ticket)
<uncle> I mean that's 1600 dollars, if you help pay for one that'll reduce our burden a lot...
<i> listen, let me check the schedules and see what I can do.
...spent 30 minutes looked over united dates and routes, thinking if I can't find any saver awards I'll just BUY him the darn ticket myself. Found alternate dates for saver awards. Decided ah **** it I'll help my uncle out by redeeming 50k miles for two tickets. At 1.6c per mile one of the worst usage ever, but it's family...
<i> hey, I redeemed 50k miles for two tickets on these dates...you just have to come here a couple days earlier...
<uncle> TWO!
<i> yes two tickets, you'll have to...
<uncle> OMG YOU ARE TOO MUCH! THANKS SO MUCH!!!
<i> hey listen, do you have a United Mileage plus ff #?
<uncle> um yeah I think I do
<i> can you dig it up so I can place it on the reservation? that's almost 5000 miles for your account there
<uncle> OH just put your own ffm on the ticket so you can earn back some of those miles
<i> ...
I think my head still hurts from banging it on the wall
If you redeemed miles for them, they won't earn miles...
May 30, 2006, 11:26 am
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sacramento
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Posts: 12,152
Originally Posted by rar indeed
[SIZE=1]Is it just me that thinks its odd to go on a vacation when you find it hard to afford $800 worth of tickets...?
On another board, someone posted that the new passport requirements for US citizens going to the Carib was probably going to ruin their cruise plans. If she had to spend $200 to get passports for the two kids, that would cut too far into their budget.
I made the comment that if $200 was going to sink a cruise (pun intended), maybe the adult thing to do is save the money, spend a weekend at Disneyland/Disney World, and pocket the difference into the family's emergency reserve fund.
God, did I get blasted. "She's a good mom" "She'd never do anything to financially jeopardize the family" "She's saved for months for this trip" "She's a single mom and works hard to treat her kids with a nice vacation"
If $200 is going to make the difference in pulling off a vacation or not, then taking family on a Carib cruise (even if Carnival, even if inside cabin) is not a wise decision.
May 30, 2006, 11:27 am
#33
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: QLA
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Posts: 14,507
Originally Posted by BenjaminNYC
If you redeemed miles for them, they won't earn miles... (See post #10
)PS - I'm not wearing any socks today
May 30, 2006, 11:34 am
#34
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Hiding under the trees in Denver, CO
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Posts: 4,306
I agree with flysurfer - Asking for miles is like asking for money. I know not everyone understands the value of the miles, and all family dynamics are different. But still. It seems tacky to call and ask for a resource to which you are not strictly entitled.
Still, it was a nice gesture. I'm glad the OP was able to accommodate half of Uncle's needs using Saver awards.
Still, it was a nice gesture. I'm glad the OP was able to accommodate half of Uncle's needs using Saver awards.