i spent something like 45,000 on an economy award down to south america on continental, because i had moved and changed to new primary carrier... wanted to deplete points

1) 35$ booking fee
2) changed to open jaw... 150$ fee
3) missed return flight, 150$ fee

spent 45,000 pts and 350$ on economy flight.

i could have spent <500$ and atleast accrued EQM/RDM on revenue flight

 

Randy Sez:

Look! A Puppy!!

 

I spent 15,000 miles X3 [45,000 miles total] for family to upgrade one-way from coach to First Class on a 40 minute TUL-DFW flight to ensure that we'd make our connecting flight [the connecting flight was on American Eagle, so the only upgrade was the TUL-DFW portion].

Despite the seemingly large waste of miles for a beverage service only flight that lasted 40 minutes, we barely made our connection. If we were in coach we would have definately missed our connecting flight on American Eagle. [the ticket was purchased last minute, and the only coach seats available on the TUL-DFW were in the far back section of coach]

 

I redeemed 20K Amex points to get $100 Amex Gift check

I just didn't know where to use those points...

 

I'm not sure if this qualifies as worst or best use.

A couple months ago I spent 218k miles at the UA mileage plus store to buy a 50" plasma TV. I've been accumulating miles much faster than I use them over the past couple years, and decided I wanted a new TV, but couldn't really justify spending > $1k for a nice one (and why get a new TV if you can't get a nice one? my silly brain suggested). So I ended up using 218k miles for a roughly $1600 purchase.

On one hand I got something I probably wouldn't have shelled out cash for on my own (and I absolutely love the new TV), but at the same time that's a pretty poor redemption rate. The majority of those miles were earned through biz travel, so at least it wasn't my "money."

(First post, btw, from a long-time lurker who's been away for a while.)

 

15,000 aeroplan miles +85 CAD for a C$350 ticket.
And Aeroplan miles are historically very easy to redeem. Especially on LH F.

It's not great value, but how the heck else am I going to spend 15K miles.

I redeem miles when it's either way too expensive or I won't be earning much miles on the trip anyway.
I have too many miles scattered around, so I want to use them as often as I can without compromising retaining status.

 

I had US Airways miles sitting around forever (from before expiration dates, I guess) so I used 50K for two tix LAX-MSY + $125 in fees. I booked it via phone since the nonstops were on United, so that cost me.

I could have paid $212 each for the tix, so $424, or $299 after the fee deduction, for 50K points. But they'd been sitting for years already - more than 10, I think, so I just figured I'd use them and be done already.

 

Last year my Uncle was producing a Travelogue on "Visiting Rome". He had already bought the tickets (UA) before he called me asking if I could use my points to upgrade his coach seats to F. Well, my *A points at that time were all AC, and you ain't upgrading UA with AC points.....

However, this trip was going to be for him, my aunt and cousin Lucaya, TPA-JFK-MUC-FCO on Christmas day for the cheapest fares. My other cousin Logan was now living in Colorado and they hadn't included him. So, I looked at it and for 120k could fly Logan DEN-YYZ-MUC-FCO and return FCO-YYZ-DEN (with 16 hour layover in Toronto....) in First Class. I booked it and was VERY proud of myself.

Next time I think about it? February, I'm talking to Uncle Dave and ask "So, How did Logan like the flights?" After a really long pause he says "Logan didn't call you???"

Turns out that Logan, a 160+ IQ teenager, didn't have his Passport last fall. He finally did the paperwork in early Oct and when the paperwork arrived at Grammy's place in Dec he didn't even go over to get it, much less open it, Till about Dec 20th....It wasn't his passport, it was a request for more documents. He's in Denver, the Regional Passport office (where you can get a same day passport if you have an international ticket within 14 days) is AURORA - 11 MILES AWAY!!!!!

He just decided it was too late to do anything and not to go. He didn't call me, even after his father reminded him it would be the nice thing to do. He just didn't show up at the airport, and since I didn't find out for 2 months I couldn't get the points redeposited. 120k miles for no flight, how do I work the math for that one?

 

oh well.


Wow, that is certainly unfortunate. Might have been to much risk to talk to the FA and have them make an announcment to let some flyers making tight connections to deplane first.

You have been lurking all month.)

Miles get someone what they value. Someone might look at the 1,600 bucks and say that isn't enough value. Others would say I don't travel internationally and don't use them for premium int. cabins thus I'm putting up that new Plasma for the upcoming football season. ^

 

You absolutely CAN put the monetary value on your BIL's park entry. Just look at the cost of a one-day park hopper. It's going through the roof! I have a friend I met in Scouting that is corporate something at Disney. I own at Hilton GVC Sea World. My two boys and I take my friend up on his offer to get us into whatever parks we want. Hilton gives us Extra Hours perk too! December trip Payless car was $78 for the week. AAA discount for Universal (yeah, the boys love Islands of Adventure) was $104 each for the week. The money saved at Disney was several hundred bucks. We've been the receipients of my friend's generosity each year for a week for about five years now.

In April I burned 52,500 miles for an ECONOMY award on CO to CZM with NW miles using the lovely DL award chart. I could have booked the fare a week out for $252 or a little over $300 three days out AND been upgraded to first AND had my companion upgraded AND redeposited the miles without penalty (Platinum). I booked early but still no perk saver available in either cabin. I'm in the 'burn those NW miles' mentality but that was just plain stupid. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it but since everyone else is stepping up to the plate I decided to take the plunge.

Chapter Two is my upcoming trip to DUB. NWA.com only showed award tix on CO in economy and again, no perk saver, on my dates and I was trying to stick with the rest of our group that would be buying tix. 125,000 miles. Ouch. Well, the others waited one week too long and the fare went up so they opted for a different ITIN with NW and Aer Lingus on Orbitz so I wasn't able to mirror. I was able to fix the outbound. WBC with an extra connection on AF at CDG AND return of 12,500 miles with the payment of another $25 in taxes. Still trying to 'fix' the return but not holding my breath.

Of course, there is some balance when considering the good ones. Remember the good OLD days on DL and the 30K to Hawaii? Last year's 40k open jaw to South America using AA miles with cobwebs (pre-18 month activity rule) was sweet, too. In 2002 it was four tix on AA to MIA and then to CUN on Iberia at 30k each. When is the last time you've been able to get four on the same flight without double miles? Those were the days...

 

The photo of your dead cousin can be found doing a search of 'Justifiable Homicide.'

 

If anything, I think this 45000 mileage spend is one of the BEST use of miles since you had a tight connection. Imagine saving those 45000 miles, missing the connection, and then sitting around TUL waiting for the next flight to DFW. Bet then you'd have thought "Why didn't we upgrade???"

I've been on so many flights where the FAs are mentioning how many fellow PAX have connections and can those PAX without connections stay seated... but instead the aisles are filled with all PAX exiting - nobody is staying seated. The FAs have good intentions, but once the plane lands, all PAX want out, so that they can then wait at baggage claim (or exit airport, go to the bathroom, etc etc).

Anyway my worst use of miles:
1. Using 25000 RDMs for a $207 SFO>SNA ticket for my coworker, because I didn't want to pay cash for her ticket, and I had previously used 50000 RDMs for a SFO>FRA ticket for her which I then cancelled and paid $150 to get those 50000 RDMs back into my account. But even without that cancelled ticket, I still would use the 25000 RDMs instead of cash for her ticket, since I don't benefit from her getting the 1000 EQMs. She was travelling with me, and I "had" to use UA for EQMs, thus this ticket instead of trying a cheaper ticket with WN/VX/et al.

2. Using 90000 RDMs for a Standard Award on UA ps C (SFO/JFK) last October so that I could be on the same flight with my wife, where most flights were NC0, and it was hard enough to find NC1 for her. I was already status-confirmed for 2009 so didn't care about not getting EQMs. We (or rather I) never want to buy Y and hope for e500 or mileage upgrade that comes after buying the ticket, rather we/I prefer to just buy the ticket by phone and have the upgrade confirmed immediately, and get that instant peace of mind.

3. Using 90000 RDMs for 3 RT upgrades for my wife, baby, and me for our upcoming Thanksgiving SFO/ORD flight - I'm not in the mood to use e500s and hope for an upgrade down the line, I'm thrilled to just confirm the upgrades now. I don't think this is a "worst use" but I'm sure others may roll their eyes

 

Flews, that is a story of a life time.

 

In general I agree using miles for even a saver coach award for domestic is not the best use, but there are a few cases where it is better than buying a discount coach ticket. Specifically, the ability to change the flights without paying penalty if you do it well in advance. And of course, if the miles are expiring any use is well worth it. Only due to these two reasons I have used my/my wife's miles for domestic tickets a few times. Also used them for upgrades a few times for transcon flights.

I had fortunately avoided what would have been the worst use of my miles IMO. Me and my wife were travelling from BHM to OAK (connecting in ORD) on UA. I had requested an upgrade (30k miles for 2 tickets) which was confirmed for BHM-ORD, but waitlisted for ORD-OAK which did not clear even at the time of boarding at BHM. Luckily better sense prevailed and I canceled the upgrade just before boarding at BHM and moved to coach instead of hoping that the ORD-OAK would clear by the time we go there (and I checked in ORD, F was all full). I just don't see a point in using 15K miles for upgrading on an hour or so long flight (that too it was on an ERJ).

Now if there was a thread for the best value anyone has got for their miles (for a single trip i.e.), I would probably be at the top of that list.

 

My worst use of miles was when I transferred 15,000 miles from my Worldperks account to my recently linked Skymiles account. I had been warned by Delta that my relatively few Skymiles were going to disappear due to lack of use. So, I linked the accounts and transferred mileage - in effect making activity on the Delta account. I "knew" the accounts would be merged fairly soon so I was just trying to save the approximately 3,000 miles that had been sitting in my Skymiles account since about 2 years ago.

Unfortunately, Delta kept its threat to dissolve my miles and on May 1st they erased my 3,000 old Skymiles PLUS the 15,000 Worldperks miles transferred in just a few weeks prior.

Talking to CSR's and even writing corporate only results in a letter restating their policy and saying my transfer was not "activity" on Skymiles.

Too bad. DH and I travel NWA (well, now Delta) ALOT! He's well over Platinum and I am within a week of being there. Pretty poor customer service if they are wanting to make a good impression on those of us who've been loyal to Northwest.


Update: August 13 2009
To my great surprise - when reviewing my Skymiles account statement yesterday, I found that Delta had changed their position, extended by expiration date and credited back the miles!! Don't know if Flyertalk had anything to do with it, but I'm very thankful.