Miles on Sale

[MrJetset]

Remember:

1) bonus miles are received 6-8 weeks AFTER the promotion ends
2) you need to ensure availability of award seats, after you have the total amount of points required, which which you can do via the QFF website taking into account the lag between QFF redemptions, and other OW Carriers
3) you also need to factor in the cost of taxes

 

[lmere12]

Hi all, was thinking of suggesting to my mum that she join AA and purchase herself enough miles in business for an upcoming trip to the U.S., they are flexible and can juggle for an award seat. Is this an ok option in your opinions to obtain a business class seat instead of purchasing the fare? even if she purchases o/w for the return or wait until another reasonable purchase comes up. She doesn't earn points in any way. Thanks in advance.

 

[MrJetset]

Hi all, was thinking of suggesting to my mum that she join AA and purchase herself enough miles in business for an upcoming trip to the U.S., they are flexible and can juggle for an award seat. Is this an ok option in your opinions to obtain a business class seat instead of purchasing the fare? even if she purchases o/w for the return or wait until another reasonable purchase comes up. She doesn't earn points in any way. Thanks in advance.

One way tickets are incredibly expensive. As mentioned before, check the availability of awards first, and price the return leg.

 

[serfty]

One way tickets are incredibly expensive. As mentioned before, check the availability of awards first, and price the return leg.

Standard AA awards are costed on a one-way basis, so they can be a good way to travel.

 

[medhead]

Yes.But this gives me the opportunity to buy more for this calender year.Important for me as strong suggestions that after December not all miles will count for life time status.

If purchased miles count for life time status, does that mean they also count for annual status?

 

[drron]

If purchased miles count for life time status, does that mean they also count for annual status?

Unfortunately not.Status obtained by BIS miles,sectors or EQPoints-depends on fare bucket-eg J and F are 1.5 EQP per mile flown but discount economy is less eg for QF G,O,S-50% EQP.But M,V,L will earn 100% EQP even though only 50% miles.
Strong rumours that Lifetime status may change from all miles,possibly by year end.

 

[medhead]

Unfortunately not.Status obtained by BIS miles,sectors or EQPoints-depends on fare bucket-eg J and F are 1.5 EQP per mile flown but discount economy is less eg for QF G,O,S-50% EQP.But M,V,L will earn 100% EQP even though only 50% miles.
Strong rumours that Lifetime status may change from all miles,possibly by year end.

Thanks.
I should really put my V SIN-xSYD-ADL over to AA, in that case.

 

[AdamR]

Should I buy miles

I now have 754 AA miles (total lifetime, same for EQM). I have heard there are bargains to be had with AA awards, and that you can buy miles (thanks to this thread).

If I were to buy, say 20,000 miles (plus the bonus), would that be an amount that I could make good use of, or do I really need 50K, 80K or what?

Also, what is the process for booking awards outside the US? The AA website does not seem to allow it.

 

[NM]

The best "deals" for AA awards tend to be for international premium cabin award seats. So the starting point is probably the 17.5K for business class one-way awards anywhere within and between Australia and NZ. So that 35K return. But the best value awards are for long-haul First Class travel for which you need significantly more than 20-30K miles.

Personally, I would not be purchasing AA miles for a 35K mile award. But I may purchase some miles if I was 35K short of a F return to Europe.

 

[AdamR]

The best "deals" for AA awards tend to be for international premium cabin award seats. So the starting point is probably the 17.5K for business class one-way awards anywhere within and between Australia and NZ. So that 35K return. But the best value awards are for long-haul First Class travel for which you need significantly more than 20-30K miles.

Personally, I would not be purchasing AA miles for a 35K mile award. But I may purchase some miles if I was 35K short of a F return to Europe.

Thanks NM, that is the sort of advice I was looking for. I will let them build up with flying this year and see where I am with buying next year.

 

[markis10]

Looks like its been extended:

[FONT=&quot]Purchase American Airlines AAdvantage® miles for yourself or a
loved one by December 31, 2010, and you'll earn 2,000 bonus
miles for every 6,000 miles purchased, up to 20,000 bonus
miles!

Plus, for the month of December only, AAdvantage members
can receive up to 60,000 miles purchased through the
buyAAmiles® or giftAAmiles™ programs, increased from the
40,000 mile annual limit.

So purchase miles for yourself or loved ones this holiday,
because either way, you'll earn up to 20,000 bonus miles!
Go ahead, give the gift of travel this season.[/FONT]

 

[knasty]

The January promotion includes buy 40k get 15k free.

Members must purchase 2,000 miles or more in a single transaction from the
buyAAmiles® program or giftAAmilesSM program beginning 12:00 am CST January 1, 2011, to 11:59 pm CST January 31, 2011, to be eligible for the bonus mile offer. Purchases of 2,000-5,000 miles will earn 500 bonus miles. Purchases of 6,000-11,000 miles will earn 2,000 bonus miles. Purchases of 12,000-39,000 miles will earn 4,000 bonus miles. Purchases of 40,000 miles will earn 15,000 miles.

I've just spent 100k miles on a return J to South America - a bargain at just over AUD2k equivalent, using mostly purchased points. Is the bonus ratio of 37.5% about as good as it gets? Combined with the Aussie above the USD I'm tempted to restock my balance.

Cheers,

Knasty.

 

[peachy3333]

I will be restocking =)

US Airways seems to have stopped it's buy miles promotion.

If you take a cheap fare to Sth East Asia, it's only 135k miles for F to North America return. At 0.02/mile, it's $2700 + little fees.

Bargain for me!

 

[auriga]

I will be restocking =)

US Airways seems to have stopped it's buy miles promotion.

If you take a cheap fare to Sth East Asia, it's only 135k miles for F to North America return. At 0.02/mile, it's $2700 + little fees.

Bargain for me!

The only problem is the low annual limit you are allowed to buy each year.

 

[Baysider]

The high A$ is making the purchase of AA miles look very good right now. A Qantas return trip between Brisbane and Perth costs 20,000 miles. With the bonus miles, you can buy 20,000 miles for a total cost of $460 including fees and taxes. This is the cheapest Qantas BNE-PER return journey on the market !!

 

[MrJetset]

The high A$ is making the purchase of AA miles look very good right now. A Qantas return trip between Brisbane and Perth costs 20,000 miles. With the bonus miles, you can buy 20,000 miles for a total cost of $460 including fees and taxes. This is the cheapest Qantas BNE-PER return journey on the market !!

The miles, IMHO, are best used for international travel.

 

[rwatts]

The miles, IMHO, are best used for international travel.

Surely the best use is for the travel one actually needs/wants to take ?

Richard.

 

[serfty]

The miles, IMHO, are best used for international travel.

35000 AA miles will purchase a return business class award wholly within Oz/NZ.

Cost for, say PER-MEL vv on QFF is 72,000 QFF points; do it via AA for ~AUD700.

 

[NM]

The miles, IMHO, are best used for international travel.

Excellent value to be had for long-haul premium cabin travel.

 

[MrJetset]

35000 AA miles will purchase a return business class award wholly within Oz/NZ.

Cost for, say PER-MEL vv on QFF is 72,000 QFF points; do it via AA for ~AUD700.

80,000 will get you First to anywhere in Europe. QFF is 192,000 points just to LHR. Buy AA miles during a bonus period, supplement with SPG points and it's a no brainer.