Need opinion, pls. Use miles vs. $$$?

I can buy two rt coach tix for $908 vs. 50,000 miles. What would you do?

It depends on how often you travel and where you may be planning to go in the future.

I have been told that the best use of miles is to upgrade to first class on long flights.

I'd use my miles. Especially if there is any chance that they could expire.

Use the miles. Unless you're going to collect enough for Business or First class tickets overseas, miles are valued by most frequent flyers at about $0.01 each. Since you're getting nearly $0.02 each here, it's a no-brainer.

With frequent devaluations, it also doesn't pay to hoard miles.

I would absolutely use the miles. But then I don't trust airlines to not change their rules, blackout dates, etc that make using miles inconvenient at best and impossible at worst. So when you get a chance to use them....use them.

Depends

Where are you going today vs. where do you want to go in a couple of years?

Tampa to Seattle for a 7 day Alaska cruise today vs. Australia is on the bucket list? I'd pay cash to earn extra miles for the Business or first to Australia.

Bucket list is clear, don't fly often enough to earn extra miles,,,, or this is my bucket list trip,,,,, then miles it is. (especially at the 2 cents per mile)

Depends on where you are flying to. Probably use the miles.

I'd buy the tickets. Save the miles for a trip where you need to be up front, like to Europe, AK or HI.

Cash and save the miles for longhaul premium cabins.

I'm considering this too but with DL miles & cash. ... LAX-SJU 40,000 mi. & $290.00 pp. for our May cruise. Thoughts anyone :confused:

I'm considering this too but with DL miles & cash. ... LAX-SJU 40,000 mi. & $290.00 pp. for our May cruise. Thoughts anyone :confused:

Cash again.

One of the other things people don't factor in is when you are using miles you aren't earning miles on that ticket either. If you're working towards elite status then those could make the difference between earning one level up and not.

Most of us who play this game (and there are millions of us) use some sort of rule of thumb to "value" our miles. The majority use a range of (US$) 1.5 cents to 2.5c per mile. We've come up with this number based on the fact that most miles aren't really "free" as you're paying a buried transaction fee with every credit card purchase, most credit cards that earn miles come with an annual fee (usually $75 to $100, sometimes much more) and so on.

Make no mistake, too - the mileage game is a huge money-maker for the airlines. They sell billions of miles to the credit card issuer, for which they receive cash. The credit card companies (Citibank, B of A, whoever) then re-sell the miles to consumers through credit card purchases etc. But many of the miles are never redeemed, just like many gift certificates or gift cards sold by department stores or Starbucks et al are never fully used. In the case of miles, many people let them expire, so the airlines have gotten paid with no requirement that they hand out tickets in exchange - the miles have "leaked" out of the system.

Some years ago Air Canada went bankrupt and sold off its Aeroplan frequent flyer program to investors. It was worth more than the rest of the airline.

So use miles or fly? Well, at 50,000 miles to "save" $908, that puts the value of the miles at just under 2c each, so I'd call that a marginal deal. If it means 50K miles vs. not traveling at all, then use the miles. If you plan to go to, say, Europe and would like to travel in business class, the 50K miles would offset a ticket that might cost $1500 or more one-way, so there the value would be 3c per mile, which I'd regard as a better deal. Or 50K miles with most airlines will pay for a first class round trip within the US, which can easily cost $1500 - $2000 if purchased. You can do the math.

Having a hard time understanding (first time mile user) so please help :confused:

Roundtrip May 5th-21st... DL LAX-SJU (flts 80-549 & 322 -17)

$856.00pp...so would it be better to book this and use my miles to upgrade...any idea of the number of miles needed ?

Use the miles. Unless you're going to collect enough for Business or First class tickets overseas, miles are valued by most frequent flyers at about $0.01 each. Since you're getting nearly $0.02 each here, it's a no-brainer.

 

With frequent devaluations, it also doesn't pay to hoard miles.

I too use my miles as soon as I can get a good award -- meaning one I would have to pay for. I often use $money$ to upgrade an economy to economy plus on US airlines -- Foreign airlines are a bit more expensive -- probably worth it but not out of my pocket. I like to go more often at the expense of the upgraded seats. Often you can buy more miles if needed -- especially if they are on sale (40% off or more). If you have credit card miles they can be used for anything and then frees money for air tickets. Try it many different ways -- I use so many ways to get airline miles that I earn few miles flying--no miles on award tickets.

Having a hard time understanding (first time mile user) so please help :confused:

 

Roundtrip May 5th-21st... DL LAX-SJU (flts 80-549 & 322 -17)

 

$856.00pp...so would it be better to book this and use my miles to upgrade...any idea of the number of miles needed ?

Well, for the same dates you could fly on American Airlines from LAX to SJU (via Dallas in both directions) for $841 round trip in first/business class without needing to upgrade at all. (American calls its first class cabins "business class" on flights to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean/Central America, so it's first class to DFW and business class to/from SJU.)

You'd earn roughly 9100 American FF miles in the process.

Upgrading using Delta miles requires that the "base" fare - the one being upgraded from - be in certain categories, usually those that cost much more than the cheapest fares. How many miles is needed is difficult to determine - Delta has been reluctant to release a chart or similar, but it's probably in the range of 15,000 - 25,000 miles one way on trips to the Caribbean. If you can buy a premium cabin ticket on AA for the same price as an economy ticket on Delta, and not then need to have to use umpteen thousand miles to upgrade, I'd go that route, personally.

Depends. How urgently do you need to take this flight and what's your cash flow situation?

Having a hard time understanding (first time mile user) so please help :confused:

 

Roundtrip May 5th-21st... DL LAX-SJU (flts 80-549 & 322 -17)

 

$856.00pp...so would it be better to book this and use my miles to upgrade...any idea of the number of miles needed ?

Please note that only certain fare classes on DL can be upgraded using miles, so that $856 may not even be eligible to be UG'd with miles.

Well, for the same dates you could fly on American Airlines from LAX to SJU (via Dallas in both directions) for $841 round trip in first/business class without needing to upgrade at all. (American calls its first class cabins "business class" on flights to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean/Central America, so it's first class to DFW and business class to/from SJU.)

 

You'd earn roughly 9100 American FF miles in the process.

 

Upgrading using Delta miles requires that the "base" fare - the one being upgraded from - be in certain categories, usually those that cost much more than the cheapest fares. How many miles is needed is difficult to determine - Delta has been reluctant to release a chart or similar, but it's probably in the range of 15,000 - 25,000 miles one way on trips to the Caribbean. If you can buy a premium cabin ticket on AA for the same price as an economy ticket on Delta, and not then need to have to use umpteen thousand miles to upgrade, I'd go that route, personally.

Hmmm. Have never flown AA but this looks interesting except I think I'll have to connect on the return at MIA flight time out of SJU 11:35am.

Also any suggestions on seating (two of us) on the 32B, 738 & 777 (not sure about that middle divider) :confused:

I'm trying to book everything right...doing a B2B for our 40th.

So very MUCH appreciate all this help.

Hmmm. Have never flown AA but this looks interesting except I think I'll have to connect on the return at MIA flight time out of SJU 11:35am.

 

Also any suggestions on seating (two of us) on the 32B, 738 & 777 (not sure about that middle divider) :confused:

 

I'm trying to book everything right...doing a B2B for our 40th.

 

So very MUCH appreciate all this help.

The A321 ("32B") has a very modern business class section, looking like this: https://www.aa.com/content/images/production/aircraft/A321_transcon_business_class_side_lg.jpg

The other planes are going through cabin makeovers so you might get either the older or the newer seats, depending on how AA inserts the newly renovated planes into the fleet.

On the 737s, first class (called business between SJU and the mainland) can either be the older seats with drop-down screens for movies - http://patstravelreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Post-pics-Summer-Fall-2014-523.jpg

... or the new ones (more likely I'd think) with seatback video - http://s617.photobucket.com/user/viewfromthewing/media/AA-737-NewF/IMG_3270_zps7b07a966.jpg.html

The 777 will probably be a 777-200 with the older angle-flat seats, http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/IMG_9516.jpg

... or the new ones, http://onemileatatime.img.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/American-767-Business-Class-1.jpg

The Delta fare you mentioned looks like it's booked into the "T" bucket which I don't think is upgradable, but I am no expert on Delta's Skymiles (aka Skypesos) program.

Given its merger with US Airways, AA's fleet is in a state of flux as the US planes are integrated into the existing AA fleet, so pinpoint projections are tough this far out.

 

The A321 ("32B") has a very modern business class section, looking like this: https://www.aa.com/content/images/production/aircraft/A321_transcon_business_class_side_lg.jpg

 

The other planes are going through cabin makeovers so you might get either the older or the newer seats, depending on how AA inserts the newly renovated planes into the fleet.

 

On the 737s, first class (called business between SJU and the mainland) can either be the older seats with drop-down screens for movies - http://patstravelreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Post-pics-Summer-Fall-2014-523.jpg

 

... or the new ones (more likely I'd think) with seatback video - http://s617.photobucket.com/user/viewfromthewing/media/AA-737-NewF/IMG_3270_zps7b07a966.jpg.html

 

The 777 will probably be a 777-200 with the older angle-flat seats, http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/IMG_9516.jpg

 

... or the new ones, http://onemileatatime.img.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/American-767-Business-Class-1.jpg

 

The Delta fare you mentioned looks like it's booked into the "T" bucket which I don't think is upgradable, but I am no expert on Delta's Skymiles (aka Skypesos) program.

Thank you so very much for your time, research and help.

Any reason to hold off booking this due to the transitions happening with AA & US Airways ?

I keep checking these AA flights with an outbound connect from LAX in DFW and a return connect in MIA any concerns...times are good.

I guess I'm so afraid to pull the trigger :o

Again...much appreciation.

Thank you so very much for your time, research and help.

 

Any reason to hold off booking this due to the transitions happening with AA & US Airways ?

 

I keep checking these AA flights with an outbound connect from LAX in DFW and a return connect in MIA any concerns...times are good.

 

I guess I'm so afraid to pull the trigger :o

 

Again...much appreciation.

If you see the flights you want and are at a price you are good with book them now. Seats up front rarely go down, but can go up closer to departure time. I just booked my ticket for by Med cruise next May...United wanted almost $5000 form CHS-BCN while American "only" wanted $2900...I grabbed it before they changed to match UA's fare.

If you see the flights you want and are at a price you are good with book them now. Seats up front rarely go down, but can go up closer to departure time. I just booked my ticket for by Med cruise next May...United wanted almost $5000 form CHS-BCN while American "only" wanted $2900...I grabbed it before they changed to match UA's fare.

Thanks for your much appreciated input...I'm close to doing this...after all this trip is for our 40th :D

I decided to buy the tix and actually got them for $842. I am planning to fly to Istanbul in 2017 and currently a business ticket is $3500. So for me, no brainier. On a long haul, JFK TO IST I need to fly business or First. Not getting any younger. Thanks for the input.

If you see the flights you want and are at a price you are good with book them now. Seats up front rarely go down, but can go up closer to departure time. I just booked my ticket for by Med cruise next May...United wanted almost $5000 form CHS-BCN while American "only" wanted $2900...I grabbed it before they changed to match UA's fare.

I booked the flights last night...$1907.20 for the two of us roundtrip first/business LAX-SJU in early May.

Whew so glad that's done...now, if I can just stop myself from looking back :eek::).

I have about 1million miles in the UAL bank...they don't expire ever as long as I use my UA credit card. Others may expire like the " credit cards that say all airlines" Those are loosers across the board you will spend far more to get far less. No experienced traveler uses them if they know what they are doing.

First to decide consider it cost YOU at the least 3 cents per mile to get them.

Now 50,000 miles is equal to $1500.00 in value ..... If the ticket you get costs less than $1500 you go purchase the ticket If more you use miles.

Its that simple... If you can go to the airline and buy the miles online for between 1.9 and 3 cents each.. you can see the difference.

As a general rule you never will get a good return or deal on domestic flights..ever and that goes for domestic first class too

You save your miles to use for international business or first As an example I just got a $8400 ticket for 57,000 miles..... Whereas the person spending 50,000 miles for an $900 ticket took it in the shorts for $7500.00 .