Author Topic: Today I won the mileage game (Read 5912 times)

SFS · « **on:** January 17, 2015, 07:46:38 PM »

Hi There! I'm a long-time reader/lurker and first-time poster. I want to thank you all, especially Dan, for all your information and the help you offer others. Because of the information from this forums I feel like I won the mileage game today.

My husband and I are going to Israel for my daughter's Bat Mitzvah in June (travel dates 5/31 - 6/17) and I booked the first leg of our trip today: BOS - DUB Business Class on Aer Lingus using Avios miles which were transferred from my Membership Rewards.

It took me a little while to figure out how to get all 3 of us there, but I ended up booking my daughter and husband together on the outbound and I will follow 3 hours later. On the return I will travel with my daughter and my husband will travel solo and return 5 hours ahead of us. It's a little unconventional, but it will work out just fine since we wouldn't all 3 be together anyway due to the 2-2-2 seat configuration.

It required 108,000 Membership Rewards (which converted to 151,200 Avios with the 40% bonus deal) + $351.39.

I priced it out as follows:

Business for 3 people - $12,581.10 ($4,193.70 each)
Business Flex - $23,993.10 ($7997.70 each)

If I take out the $351.39 I had to pay, I come up the the following value for my 108,000 Membership Rewards:

Business: 11.32 cents per mile
Business Flex: 21.89 cents per mile

I think I did my figuring out correctly and am totally blown away to have booked this trip. It took about 8 hours total to figure out the flights and get them booked with the BA agent (6 hrs research and 2 hours on the phone on hold and with the agent).

Thank you all, again, and now on to the rest of the flight planning and Bat Mitzvah details.

yoyo6713 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2015, 08:00:23 PM »

Congrats!

But do you always fly business? If not, then I wouldn't say you are getting 11.32 cents per mile. But that is just my opinion.

Dan · « **Reply #2 on:** January 17, 2015, 08:02:36 PM »

Awesome!
What's your plan for DUB-TLV?

@Yehuda · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2015, 08:03:38 PM »

Great job! Impressive to get that far without ever posting here!

TimT · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2015, 08:07:44 PM »

Congrats

Quote from: @Yehuda on January 17, 2015, 08:03:38 PM

Impressive to get that far without ever posting here!

Its the long time reader/lurker part that did it.

MeirS · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2015, 08:31:09 PM »

I don't know the rules about BA specifically but perhaps you should keep looking for availability on the flight with 2 seats for another seat to open up. Does BA allow you to change travel time for free on an award ticket?

lunatic · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2015, 08:31:54 PM »

Quote from: MeirS on January 17, 2015, 08:31:09 PM

I don't know the rules about BA specifically but perhaps you should keep looking for availability on the flight with 2 seats for another seat to open up. Does BA allow you to change travel time for free on an award ticket?

You can cancel a ticket for 55

SFS · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2015, 08:33:57 PM »

Quote from: Dan on January 17, 2015, 08:02:36 PM

Awesome!
What's your plan for DUB-TLV?

Dan, thank you for your help and for commenting! I am humbled by your kindness.

My plans for DUB-TLV are to go to CDG and spend 2 days in Paris then head to TLV. On the return we'd spend 2 more days in Paris (we promised her a trip to Disneyland Paris) then head back to DUB for a day to relax before heading back.

Aer Lingus DUB-CDG for the dates I need only have Business seats available. At 9,000 Avios for each leg, that would be 54K Avios Miles (only 38K Membership Rewards if I transfer them now with the bonus since I still have 1,200 Avios in my account). I'm thinking this might be a good deal since the flights are running about $720 (US) in Plus (we have to check luggage). It's only 1.3 cents per mile based on what I'd have paid for Economy, which seems average.

From CDG - TLV I haven't searched much, but I've probably exhausted my mile options and will just pay for that.
For the trip to BOS, I'm in PHX so I'll be using my Southwest miles and Companion Pass (another win from this site!).

Quote from: TimT on January 17, 2015, 08:07:44 PM

CongratsIts the long time reader/lurker part that did it.

Tim, I've gotten very good at the reading/lurking.

Quote from: @Yehuda on January 17, 2015, 08:03:38 PM

Great job! Impressive to get that far without ever posting here!

Thank you for your kindness.

Quote from: yoyo6713 on January 17, 2015, 08:00:23 PM

Congrats!

But do you always fly business? If not, then I wouldn't say you are getting 11.32 cents per mile. But that is just my opinion.

For this flight, my husband said we should fly Business Class. When he flies internationally, he always travels in Business. Also, it's her Bat Mitzvah.

But, I guess, even if it were just Economy, at 2.2 cents per mile I would have been happy. I wouldn't have posted it though because that's about the norm.

lunatic · « **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2015, 08:38:03 PM »

Quote from: SFS on January 17, 2015, 08:33:57 PM

From CDG - TLV I haven't searched much, but I've probably exhausted my mile options and will just pay for that.

Try AF

SFS · « **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2015, 08:38:44 PM »

Quote from: MeirS on January 17, 2015, 08:31:09 PM

I don't know the rules about BA specifically but perhaps you should keep looking for availability on the flight with 2 seats for another seat to open up. Does BA allow you to change travel time for free on an award ticket?

In all my searching, it appears that Aer Lingus only opens up 2 seats in Business for award travel on the BOS-DUB route. US Airways and British Airways both had more seats but I'd need 360K Avios and over $2,000 to get them.

SFS · « **Reply #10 on:** January 17, 2015, 08:43:40 PM »

Quote from: lunatic on January 17, 2015, 08:38:03 PM

Try AF

Thank you for the suggestion. I was looking on Kayak but it keeps returning all these random low-budget airlines with stops in totally out of the way places, so I appreciate knowing AF might be a good option.

AJK · « **Reply #11 on:** January 17, 2015, 10:04:20 PM »

And this is precisely the type of story I tell people to whet their appetites into the mileage game.

Mazel tov and continued nachas.

Matovu · « **Reply #12 on:** January 17, 2015, 10:42:57 PM »

Quote from: AJK on January 17, 2015, 10:04:20 PM

And this is precisely the type of story I tell people to whet their appetites into the mileage game.

Mazel tov and continued nachas.

AJK whet as is wet ?
Uh oh

myb821 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 17, 2015, 10:47:31 PM »

Quote from: Matovu on January 17, 2015, 10:42:57 PM

AJK whet as is wet ?
Uh oh

http://bit.ly/1CBv3E9

AJK · « **Reply #14 on:** January 17, 2015, 10:50:27 PM »

Gosh, I feel like if you're gonna go out on a limb and correct someone, he or she should be pretty sure they're not the one needing correcting.

JMHO.

SFS · « **Reply #15 on:** January 17, 2015, 10:59:28 PM »

Quote from: AJK on January 17, 2015, 10:04:20 PM

And this is precisely the type of story I tell people to whet their appetites into the mileage game.

Mazel tov and continued nachas.

AJK, thank you for your kind words. It's been almost of year of reading and learning, and for such a big trip I didn't want to make a mistake. Next, I tackle the hotels. That should be fun!

Many here make it look so easy to amass miles and plan amazing trips. I know it takes a lot of work, but it's definitely worth it.

KidOOO · « **Reply #16 on:** January 18, 2015, 11:59:39 PM »

Quote from: SFS on January 17, 2015, 08:43:40 PM

Thank you for the suggestion. I was looking on Kayak but it keeps returning all these random low-budget airlines with stops in totally out of the way places, so I appreciate knowing AF might be a good option.

When on kayak you can limit the results to only Non-stop options, that should make it easier

Ez · « **Reply #17 on:** January 19, 2015, 12:47:35 AM »

Which site did you use to research Aer Lingus availability?

Since BA doesn't show them on ba.com

AJK · « **Reply #18 on:** January 19, 2015, 01:49:58 AM »

Quote from: Ez on January 19, 2015, 12:47:35 AM

Which site did you use to research Aer Lingus availability?

Since BA doesn't show them on ba.com

http://bit.ly/1yyex6T

smart brit · « **Reply #19 on:** January 19, 2015, 02:13:15 AM »

Great post and even better story! Congrats!
From Dublin to Paris why aren't you looking into Ryanair? I know you are coming from business class but you can't go wrong for $27 a ticket on average.
From Paris to tlv either with flying blue or check transavia they fly direct from Paris orly to tlv and it's usually cheap!
Enjoy