US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

[Insaneous]

you have to call them to book. use united.com to check availability, or awardtravelr.com. but availability is a little screwy at the moment.

and the cost is as per that PDF? i.e. 110,00 Busines / 140,000 First from South Pacific to US (return?)

Just checking out that ANA method of seeing availability of Star Alliance partner flights... my search turns up MEL-LA around 105,000 return business in July. I presume the DIvdend miles are the same quoted on the ANA booking tool?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

and the cost is as per that PDF? i.e. 110,00 Busines / 140,000 First from South Pacific to US (return?)

Just checking out that ANA method of seeing availability of Star Alliance partner flights... my search turns up MEL-LA around 105,000 return business in July. I presume the DIvdend miles are the same quoted on the ANA booking tool?

if you want to use dividend miles you pay what they are asking for.

 

[PapaRubbery]

I'm in a similar boat to Isaneous - wanting to fly to the US next year, and hoping for a stop-over along the way.

Using Awardtraveller I'm seeing an option to go MEL-BKK-NRT(stopover for a few days) NRT-JFK (destination) and then JFK-NRT-BKK-MEL return. That's all in J (Thai and ANA). According to the US Airways that would be 110k miles - which is currently costing $1925 USD pp (thanks to the 100% miles buy program) - so 1.75c/mile. Is it possible to book the return via Europe - something similar to JFK-GVA-BKK-MEL?

Am I correct in thinking that I can't buy more than 50k miles per year? Is that a calendar year? Or financial year? Or year from purchasing? Can I buy the max number of miles and then have a friend/family member transfer me the remaining miles required?

So, assuming I already have a US Dividend miles account (I do), one would call up with dates and flight numbers, get their staff to reserve the seats, then go online, buy the miles and have the difference required transferred into my account - and then call back to confirm? And the booking cost should be <100USD pp?

Further, how frequently do these 100% buy miles promos occur? Can I transfer AmEx MR's to the US Airways account?

Sorry for the million questions; I've read the thread and this *seems* to be the case, I just wanted to be 100% sure before I get too excited and start planning holidays!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm in a similar boat to Isaneous - wanting to fly to the US next year, and hoping for a stop-over along the way.

Using Awardtraveller I'm seeing an option to go MEL-BKK-NRT(stopover for a few days) NRT-JFK (destination) and then JFK-NRT-BKK-MEL return. That's all in J (Thai and ANA). According to the US Airways that would be 110k miles - which is currently costing $1925 USD pp (thanks to the 100% miles buy program) - so 1.75c/mile. Is it possible to book the return via Europe - something similar to JFK-GVA-BKK-MEL?

Am I correct in thinking that I can't buy more than 50k miles per year? Is that a calendar year? Or financial year? Or year from purchasing? Can I buy the max number of miles and then have a friend/family member transfer me the remaining miles required?

So, assuming I already have a US Dividend miles account (I do), one would call up with dates and flight numbers, get their staff to reserve the seats, then go online, buy the miles and have the difference required transferred into my account - and then call back to confirm? And the booking cost should be <100USD pp?

Further, how frequently do these 100% buy miles promos occur? Can I transfer AmEx MR's to the US Airways account?

Sorry for the million questions; I've read the thread and this *seems* to be the case, I just wanted to be 100% sure before I get too excited and start planning holidays!

You can buy during each and every promo. They have them about every month or so.

You can route back via Europe, no problems. But remember that US doesn't necessarily see everything you may find on awardtravelr or ANA or United. They see most of it but not always. The ANA tool is your best bet for availability.

You can make a booking, put it on hold, then get the miles.

Dunno about credit card transfer of miles, i don't use that facility.

 

[Insaneous]

Hi MEL, do you know if you are able to book a trip for 2 people, using two different Dividend miles accounts?

Obviously it would be quicker to get more miles if I can have two accounts (mine and my GF) and then get the max 50,000+bonus during the next sale. Then book the same trip together.

 

[hummel]

Hi MEL, do you know if you are able to book a trip for 2 people, using two different Dividend miles accounts?

Obviously it would be quicker to get more miles if I can have two accounts (mine and my GF) and then get the max 50,000+bonus during the next sale. Then book the same trip together.

You can book with 2 diffrent accounts, I did the same 12+ months ago. Just make sure when you book you tell the agent that the miles will be coming out of two seperate DM accounts.

 

[travelislife]

I would get the 100,000 on sale and then just buy the extra 10000 you need at normal prices. Very easy to book from two different accounts, just tell the agent early do they create two PNRs. Considering you see what you want flight wise I would just do it and not wait for another sale.

 

[PapaRubbery]

You can buy during each and every promo. They have them about every month or so.

You can route back via Europe, no problems. But remember that US doesn't necessarily see everything you may find on awardtravelr or ANA or United. They see most of it but not always. The ANA tool is your best bet for availability.

You can make a booking, put it on hold, then get the miles.

Dunno about credit card transfer of miles, i don't use that facility.

Excellent, many thanks!

Oh if they are 1.75c/mile then I'm nearly better off buying them than using the Amex points. Saving those for Etihad redemptions!

I would get the 100,000 on sale and then just buy the extra 10000 you need at normal prices. Very easy to book from two different accounts, just tell the agent early do they create two PNRs. Considering you see what you want flight wise I would just do it and not wait for another sale.

Awesome, too easy. I'll have to book early next year as I simply don't have the $$ at the moment. Being a student has it's perks and downsides!

 

[Flashback]

The only way to get points over is via SPG. 1000 AMEX MR -> 500 SPG, then transfer lots of 20,000 SPG points to US Airways (and receive a 5,000 bonus) -- there's a cap per day on how many you can do so the sweet spot is usually 60,000 (+15,000 bonus) per day.

 

[PapaRubbery]

The only way to get points over is via SPG. 1000 AMEX MR -> 500 SPG, then transfer lots of 20,000 SPG points to US Airways (and receive a 5,000 bonus) -- there's a cap per day on how many you can do so the sweet spot is usually 60,000 (+15,000 bonus) per day.

Right, so going off that:

20,000 SPG = 40,000 MR = 25,000 US Airways Miles?

That doesn't seem worth it to me? I'd be better off buying the miles than using MR's in that case?

 

[burmans]

Right, so going off that:

20,000 SPG = 40,000 MR = 25,000 US Airways Miles?

That doesn't seem worth it to me? I'd be better off buying the miles than using MR's in that case?

Well that depends very much on how you values MR's I'd suggest! Certainly on my valuation I agree, Amex did run a promo recently where you got 50% bonus, i.e. 80KMR = 60KSPG = 75K US, that was worth it but not IMO at current rate.

 

[aikman]

Wish I'd bought some miles last month now.

Limited time offer: Give a 100% bonus when you Share Miles!
Share miles between October 1, 2012 and October 31, 2012 and your friend or family member will get 100% MORE.

Effectively 50,000 miles for USD567.

 

[Shanye2233]

US Airways 100% Bonus on Shared Miles in October - View from the Wing

This is a great deal . I shouldnt have brought so many lifemiles !

 

[MEL_Traveller]

nevermind...

 

[Shanye2233]

nevermind...

Sorry i got caught up in the excitement. 1.1cpm is good right its like 150% buy bonus.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Just landed in my inbox....

 

[Stephen65]

Wish I'd bought some miles last month now.

Limited time offer: Give a 100% bonus when you Share Miles!
Share miles between October 1, 2012 and October 31, 2012 and your friend or family member will get 100% MORE.

Effectively 50,000 miles for USD567.

This is the best offer for years in terms of cost per point acquired.

 

[QF029]

Does anyone know if you can double dip by buying with the bonus and then sharing with the bonus?

 

[anat0l]

The only thing about the Share Miles thing is that you need (at least) two accounts to effectively take advantage (since each account will end up with a balance in the end).

Some of us who operate as singles may need to shadow for a relative or friend (possibly with a new account, and thus wait 11 days) to take advantage of this offer.


Is it a targeted offer, or completely open?


In other news, I did not get this email for a Share Miles offer, but instead received an email for another Buy Miles offer (same as always, an extra 100% on purchased miles, up to 50k bonus). If the Share Miles offer was not targeted, then I wonder how I would do with both offers in tandem? (The naive answer from me suggests it would be mutually exclusive, i.e. I can cash in on both deals).

 

[hummel]

Can we share to one account and then share back?

Not sure if confirmed but from FT:

You have 50,000 and mom has 50,000.

You share 50,000 to mom. You now have zero and mom has 150,000.

Mom shares 50,000 to you. You now have 100,000 and Mom has 100,000.

You are allowed to do the above scenario once.

You can also do A shares to B who shares to C who shares to A.

You can have a chain as long as you want. As long as each individual account only receives the bonus once.