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The best way to spend miles

PostPosted: 01 Nov 2005, 16:41
by Littlejohn
Say you have a decent number of miles. Perhaps not a million, so we count out necker island, but maybe a couple of hundred thousand. What's the best way to spend them? I did a few calculations and reckon that in general a PE to UC upgrade offers the maximum value in terms of how much you "save" per mile. But this is just an accountant's view, and takes no account of the emotional value, if I can call it that, of a reward.

So the miles are burning a hole in your pocket - what would you blow them on?

PostPosted: 01 Nov 2005, 17:02
by stephen
I have alot burning a hole in my pocket and more being added with my upcoming flights and wild spending on my CC[}:)] ( I like the new smilies)

I never am able to get the right milage flights during school holls so I thought of blowing a few hundred thousand miles on taking our friends to New York in UCS for a wild crazy weekend of fun[y] Leave the kids at home and just go cracker dog[8D]

PostPosted: 01 Nov 2005, 17:05
by RichardMannion
If I had a million miles, I would not take the Necker reward anyway. It has been discussed before if you do a search [|:)].

For me, if I wanted to blow that kind of mileage I would just phone up my family and annouce the mileage account is open... [B)] There would be more G rewards gobbled up before you can say Upper Class.

Thanks,
Richard

PostPosted: 01 Nov 2005, 17:12
by Nottingham Nick
I would go for the x number of UC seats at 80K. If you book far enough in advance, and have a little flexibility, school holidays are possible on the LHR routes.. not sure about the LGW ones though.

Nick

PostPosted: 01 Nov 2005, 17:16
by Littlejohn
Originally posted by RichardMannion

For me, if I wanted to blow that kind of mileage I would just phone up my family and annouce the mileage account is open... [B)]


LOL[:o)]. I know what you mean by[B)]

Remember the Necker thing before as well, which is why I kind of excluded it.

PostPosted: 01 Nov 2005, 19:52
by jaguarpig
I have either redeemed for UC seats or upgraded y to J if we needed a few extra TPs.

PostPosted: 02 Nov 2005, 00:03
by DylanDog
Trying to maximise value for money is causing me a bit of a quandry.

Thanks to V-flyer and the internet I'm now totally addicted to collecting miles...but currently I only fly with my wife and 4 yr old twins on holiday.

I cannot bring myself to use miles on Y or PE flights when J rewards are obviously far better value. Even then I'm not sure my daughters would appreciate the value of UCS, clubhouse etc.

And of course the chances of getting 4xJ rewards on a flight ... esp on B&S routes is pretty remote. As a result I am continually hoarding miles and paying for flights[:?]

At this rate I will have to wait for the kids to leave home before using my miles[:0]

DD

PostPosted: 02 Nov 2005, 10:10
by FamilyMan
Originally posted by DylanDog
I cannot bring myself to use miles on Y or PE flights when J rewards are obviously far better value. Even then I'm not sure my daughters would appreciate the value of UCS, clubhouse etc.

And of course the chances of getting 4xJ rewards on a flight ... esp on B&S routes is pretty remote. As a result I am continually hoarding miles and paying for flights[:?]

My thoughts exactly and why FC does favour singles and couples rather than families.

As you say the values of miles are greatly enhanced by buying UCS but getting 4 for a family is difficult. Added to this the value of the miles is decreased if you use them for children - as a result I can't bear to use them in any class for kids - meaning miles for wifey and I and paid tickets for the kids which is not viable for UC.

Basically I am sure the best way to spend miles is UCS. As mentioned elsewhere you can get around 3p per mile value (based on the cheapest UCS seat) on some destinations. Using them on Y represents as little as .5p a mile and PE is around 1-1.2p per mile.

Phil (Buffy)

PostPosted: 02 Nov 2005, 10:22
by jaguarpig
Over the last year thinking a little more about how we have used miles. When the 3 of us have travelled together as a family in UC, mrs and I have paid for 2 x Z tickets and junior has gone on a miles reward.Cost cut by a third plus miles,TPs credited to our FC accounts.When just 2 of us have travelled both have been on full reward tickets or 2X Y-J miles upgrades.FC has enabled at least 2 more trips a year on the same budget[y]