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Mackieman or someone else who plays the "Miles game," To me it appears that US Airways is going to merge their Dividend Miles program into American's AAdvantage program (by next year sometime?). I have a "0" balance in both programs, but would like to game the credit card system to get the US Air miles before Barclays is shown the door. Does it make sense for me and my wife to sign up for their 30-35K mile offer now and then EXPECT to be able to sign up for the 40-60K offers that AA has through Citi later on, say in late 2014? As a side note, I think we need a mileage nerd thread, who's with me? I'm young to the game and have discovered this is a brilliant way of traveling. We travel to Europe every year, but last summer was our first year flying for "free." We've already got the miles to go again for "free" next summer. Trying to get it to where we can "bank" a bunch of them and go whenever the hell we want. LaserWash fucked around with this message at 15:27 on Dec 14, 2013 |
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Dec 14, 2013 15:24
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Mackieman posted:If you like Europe, be wary of the fuel surcharges on awards, especially in premium cabins. I'm totally invested in united mileage plus. So the thing with fuel and environmental surcharges that AA/BA have going on is totally foreign to me. The best I understand, it's best to skip stops and layovers in the UK and there is a lawsuit going over those charges. Most of our travel is into and out of Germany, which on American means leaving from College Station or San Antonio is a stop in Dallas, then on to Frankfurt, the best I can tell. LaserWash fucked around with this message at 20:04 on Dec 14, 2013 |
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Dec 14, 2013 19:34
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My limited experience, flying United and Lufthansa enough to know what to expect: United is poo poo internationally, okay domestically, and the united contracted flights (Skywest, United express, etc) tend to be good experiences despite the cramped planes. Lufthansa is good internationally (at least the iah to fra a380 route) and within Europe is so-so. United internationally: I've seen a fa actually lose her poo poo on a flight from Germany because the customer on board didn't speak English, French, or German (he was middle eastern or something). To me it was understandable for the customer not to speak any of those languages given that the flight was from Frankfurt. My attitude is that they will get you there, contractually. Enjoy the ride and just take the experiences (even the bad ones) for what they are. Also, avoid Chicago and Newark crews. They both tend to suck butt. LaserWash fucked around with this message at 04:08 on Jan 6, 2014 |
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Jan 6, 2014 04:04
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This may sound like a silly question/statement, but I'll give it a go anyways. My wife and I are trying to book award travel on United Mileage Plus from San Antonio (or College Station) to Budapest in early June (later than the 6th, but soon after is preferred). It appears that almost nothing is available at the saver rate and that the options seem to have ZERO options for flying Lufthansa for the trans-atlantic leg (we would prefer the IAH->FRA A380 flight) even at the regular rate. We will be flying back to Texas from Brussels in late June or early July. I've tried pulling up flights directly from IAH, ORD, IAD, etc. to pick up SOME options and pretty much nothing exists there either. It also looks like most of the flights are pretty much empty (seatwise). Am I just so far ahead in my booking plans that United and Lufthansa haven't released seats for summer awards yet? In previous years, we've never booked before February and never as late as March. Should I just chill until February (even though I really want to start reserving rooms and trains)? What would account for the fact that I can only book awards that use Lufthansa for the short trip from Munich or Frankfurt to Budapest and not as part of the trans-atlantic leg? (We prefer Lufthansa on transatlantic because of the free booze. At least I'm not denying it.)
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Jan 21, 2014 03:33
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I did finally get a one way booked to Budapest. Now I'm hoping that I can find something 20'ish days later that leaves from Brussels and plants us back in College Station or San Antonio. 
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Jan 21, 2014 21:12
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I agree with you on the IFE on the A380, but otherwise found economy on Lufthansa to be comfortable enough (at least equivalent to United Economy) - when we flew, it was toward the front of the bottom deck on the aisles, so it was as comfortable is it's going to get with 500-600+ of your best friends for the next 10-11 hours. I'm just in total awe of that plane. Watching those wings hang off of the runway (with the tail camera), into what looked like the taxiway at the airports as it lugs toward takeoff is something that every one should experience sometime in their life. If I'm booking rewards with no status, how hard is it to change the last leg of my trip from IAH->AUS to IAH->SAT or IAH->CLL. What kind of fees are involved? I'm seeing flights getting back to Austin, and would rent a car to get to San Antonio or College Station if need be, but would prefer to leave that part of the looooong journey back home out of the itinerary. LaserWash fucked around with this message at 00:32 on Jan 23, 2014 |
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Jan 23, 2014 00:28
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I'll speak a little to this. It really does work. It's really that easy. As you can tell, I live in College Station, so United and American Airlines are "the only games in town," which basically means I'm loyal to United because Star Alliance and the flexibility that United gives you in travel. My wife and I collected miles for a few years while we traveled to Europe every summer for the first few years after we got married. I got curious about this stuff too and started looking and reading at places like Million Mile Secrets and The Points Guy ($3000+ every year just for flights to get to Europe adds up). So I finally got the nerve last year and signed up for the United Mileage Plus card that is offered through Chase. By the time you add up the signup offers, the cosigning bonuses, the miles you gain from the spending requirements (which we cover with utility bills, groceries, every day stuff, etc.), we ended up with 60K+ miles... each. So we flew to Europe for free last year. We're essentially doing the same thing this year too. This year I personally signed up for the Chase Sapphire Plus card and got 45K+ United miles and with the remaining balance saved from years past are flying to Europe AGAIN, FREE, this year. My wife hasn't even signed up for her card, so we'll be doing that soon as well. Our grand total for the two one-way tickets from Texas to Hungary this summer? $55 of taxes... total. We just signed up for the US Airways card a few weeks ago, have met the "use once" threshold to gain our miles and plan to at some point use those miles to fly to Seattle to see my brother or have those miles roll into American AAdvantage miles once that part of the merger concludes. As to your concern about finding flights: It can be a little difficult during the summers and other "prime" travel times. Obviously us going to Europe during the summer is one of those times. As an example, we've got one of our flights booked from Texas to Hungary booked for this summer, but we're hoping we can find a return flight from Brussels back to Texas in the next week as availability is always shifting around. Otherwise, to find award flights (at the reduced rate) I'd say it's pretty easy.  One thing I've learned: It is important that you continue to use the cards even after you've met the spending requirements. It shows card companies that you are "using" their card for more than just getting free travel. That way it doesn't look like you are "robbing" them for their mileage when you want to sign up for the 25 variations of each card they offer (example: I have Chase United Mileage Plus and Chase Sapphire Plus, it allows me as a person that uses those cards to make it look like I would use other products if I wanted to sign up for those as well and cash in for some sweet, sweet airline miles.) The point is, if you sign up for these cards, make sure you are using them on a regular basis (at least once a month).This being my second year as a United Mileage Plus cardholder, I decided to keep the card and cancel my wife's. It allows us to use the boarding priority - which is kind of "baller" the first time you do it, still gain a few miles as we spend (which isn't all that spectacular), free first bag, and get lounge passes fwiw (not much). Meanwhile, somewhere down the road, my wife can sign up again for another 50K+ miles. I only fly to conferences once a year (which are paid by my employer) and Europe in the summers when we want to get away from the hell that is College Station, TX. So the card "scheme" works great for us. We haven't even covered the opportunities that other banks like Barclays, Citi, etc. and other airlines like Southwest, American, Lufthansa, Virgin, etc. etc. etc. offer. The fun has only just begun for us.  I'm still an amateur, still learning how to play the game, but holy crap if it doesn't work. tl;dr: Yes, this works. Do it. Seriously, you pay for airline tickets still? LaserWash fucked around with this message at 01:50 on Jan 23, 2014 |
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Jan 23, 2014 01:45
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Kobayashi posted:Are you making a moral argument, or did you get bitten by inactivity fees or something? If it's the latter, then I would like to know what happened. Not a moral one, just a "get more miles, must. have. more. miles. om nom nom nom nom nom..." point. The example I used was that since I use my Chase United card, I was more likely to be approved for the Chase Sapphire Plus card... and more products as well. Later on, when I cancel that Sapphire Plus card, I'll be able to "churn" that card for another bonus a couple of months or years later. Granted, I ALWAYS pay my cards back at the end of the month, so all of this is only a good idea if you have good credit and pay your bills (duh!).
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Jan 23, 2014 03:17
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Speaking as someone who travels once or twice a year (relatively not much), I don't seem to understand the absolute need of some people to travel in first class (except maybe the exception of internationally). I like to think that economy seats get you to more places and is a temporary discomfort relative to the amount of time you are on that plane. Then again, I've never flown business or first, so there's that too.
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Feb 28, 2014 21:16
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Mackie or someone else with reward ticket know how for United Airlines: My wife and I have bought two tickets, one way Texas to Budapest and then two tickets, one way from Brussels to Texas that we need to cancel and get the miles back into our account. The long story is that she is a cold hearted bitch and wants to divorce me to go sleep with another guy that I work with (classy). There I said it. One pair of one way tickets were bought with my miles, the other with her miles. She is going to allow me to use some of her miles to buy a round trip to Seattle from Texas at the same time. Is there a chance that given the circumstances they cancel or lower the charge for cancellation given the circumstances? If not, what am I looking at here in terms of "cancellation and recrediting/buying a trip to Seattle?" I noticed there was an option to "combine" the two pairs of tickets. I'm not sure if that allows me to pay the fee (looks like $200/pair of tickets) once or if that is something else. Also, I paid something like $350 for taxes on those two pairs of tickets. I assume that I'm getting that back, correct? Please advise how I should be working these crazy fees. +/-$200 fees is crazy. Also seeing round trip to Seattle in May is $300. I might make her eat the fee if she really wants the miles back and pay the fee on the one I paid for. Suck it bitch.
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Apr 25, 2014 13:07
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When you say "per ticket" is it possible that I could combine ALL of those flights and then cancel them for a one time $200 fee, total? I do have the option of combining all the flights into one reservation/ticket. What about if I cancel them and change the trip from SAT to SEA, for one ticket, on different dates? Probably not eligible for $100, right?
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Apr 25, 2014 14:38
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How long do those reward ticket refunds take to process? So I'm looking at paying $400, getting about $350 back from taxes, right?
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Apr 25, 2014 14:56
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Also, I'm seeing this: Which would seem to imply that I can combine. (???) They did come from different reward accounts though, so there's that. Mackie, thanks. I'm trying to book those tickets today. I want to get in ahead of the 21 days for rewards so I don't have to pay another $75 on that Seattle flight. Might just make my wife eat that $200 fee is she wants to have her round trip ticket back or not. She'd basically be forced to do that if I bought a $300 ticket myself (sweet revenge). LaserWash fucked around with this message at 16:01 on Apr 25, 2014 |
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Apr 25, 2014 15:50
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 10:06 |
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Okay, Called United and they said they wanted $400 for refunding two one way tickets to Europe on reward miles (worth 60K miles). $400?! $800 dollars total if I refunded hers too (fat chance). Really? My bitch wife is going to really be pissed when she finds out that her part of the other one ways are going to be more expensive because refunded taxes ($55) going there were cheaper than the taxes I paid ($225). Bitch. Gentlemen, this is what happens when you spoil your spouse, year in and year out by taking them on fancy trips to Europe. Okay, rant over. I just wanted you guys to know that $400 for refunding award miles is ridiculous. LaserWash fucked around with this message at 18:38 on Apr 26, 2014 |
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Apr 26, 2014 18:33
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