Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh?

Last spring break, we flew to France for 120K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets on KLM.

This spring break, we are flying to Zurich. 140K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets again.

We stayed 4 nights in a suite in NYC with the kids for Veterans Day weekend. All the holiday decor is already up. It was 90K points total, I booked it one month out.

Booking 5 days out for a holiday weekend? Of course there is NOTHING left.

But really it’s $1200 for 4 tickets… 300 each + tax so $550/ticket.

How is it different than just retrieving your points for money and paying $550/ticket.

It’s just really cash back.

You're not paying $550/ticket during Easter week or summer.

Like I said: RT was 35,000 points plus $250/taxes per seat. I booked it out a year in advance. At the time, the same itinerary was $1200/ticket in straight cash. That's 2.7 cents per point of value when you deduct for the taxes I did pay. It was a good deal when it was booked.

I cannot control what the airline may be charging today for the same itinerary during Easter week to Europe. Sunk cost.

I just looked up my exact itinerary right now - it's priced at over $1500/ticket when you include option to check one bag on KLM. So right now I'm getting 3.6 cents per point of value relative to trying to book today.

You can get United direct (no layover) for $1136 per ticket in cash ($4541 total). Sure that's a better deal if you're willing to pay cash today. But I paid 140,000 Chase points and $1000 in cash. So yeah, I saved $3500 in my pocket which covers our very nice hotel at an Alps ski resort for the week.

Who keeps repeating the dumb canard about "no good deals"?

Your points are worth money. 140,000 points cashed out is $1,400. So you effectively spent $2,400, not $1,000.

I have bought tickets for European trips in the 500-700s easily, even for summer months, by booking in advance and being flexible with airlines. Icelandair is great and reliable. I do keep checking price deals closer to the departure dates and in the last two years it wasn't massively expensive to have booked a week or two in advance (we flew to Switzerland last August) compared to the beginning of the year.

I spent enough time and years playing the points game. Opened up accounts with all the major airlines, ready to pounce, credit card signing bonuses. But between limited availability and taxes and fees everywhere it was rarely ever a deal. Then remember cards like Chase have annual fees. And you're giving up the opportunity costs of 2% cash back cards too versus the typical point a dollar card (yeah I know about bonus points and all that but the 2% cash back on everything still comes out on top).

People who see points strictly as getting business class seats at a discount are the primary beneficiary of the reward cards. Along with heavy duty travelers like corporate travelers who accumulate millions of travel points in a year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Inflation in these points programs has long outpaced real inflation.

Once in a while you can find a deal.

Hotel points are better than airline points.

Not at all true across the board. Depends completely on your usage, where you travel, when, how many rooms you needs, etc.

Fair enough. I should have said "can be better." I think in general they're easier to cash in, though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Inflation in these points programs has long outpaced real inflation.

Once in a while you can find a deal.

Hotel points are better than airline points.

Not at all true across the board. Depends completely on your usage, where you travel, when, how many rooms you needs, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh?

Last spring break, we flew to France for 120K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets on KLM.

This spring break, we are flying to Zurich. 140K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets again.

We stayed 4 nights in a suite in NYC with the kids for Veterans Day weekend. All the holiday decor is already up. It was 90K points total, I booked it one month out.

Booking 5 days out for a holiday weekend? Of course there is NOTHING left.

But really it’s $1200 for 4 tickets… 300 each + tax so $550/ticket.

How is it different than just retrieving your points for money and paying $550/ticket.

It’s just really cash back.

You're not paying $550/ticket during Easter week or summer.

Like I said: RT was 35,000 points plus $250/taxes per seat. I booked it out a year in advance. At the time, the same itinerary was $1200/ticket in straight cash. That's 2.7 cents per point of value when you deduct for the taxes I did pay. It was a good deal when it was booked.

I cannot control what the airline may be charging today for the same itinerary during Easter week to Europe. Sunk cost.

I just looked up my exact itinerary right now - it's priced at over $1500/ticket when you include option to check one bag on KLM. So right now I'm getting 3.6 cents per point of value relative to trying to book today.

You can get United direct (no layover) for $1136 per ticket in cash ($4541 total). Sure that's a better deal if you're willing to pay cash today. But I paid 140,000 Chase points and $1000 in cash. So yeah, I saved $3500 in my pocket which covers our very nice hotel at an Alps ski resort for the week.

Who keeps repeating the dumb canard about "no good deals"?

Your points are worth money. 140,000 points cashed out is $1,400. So you effectively spent $2,400, not $1,000.

I have bought tickets for European trips in the 500-700s easily, even for summer months, by booking in advance and being flexible with airlines. Icelandair is great and reliable. I do keep checking price deals closer to the departure dates and in the last two years it wasn't massively expensive to have booked a week or two in advance (we flew to Switzerland last August) compared to the beginning of the year.

I spent enough time and years playing the points game. Opened up accounts with all the major airlines, ready to pounce, credit card signing bonuses. But between limited availability and taxes and fees everywhere it was rarely ever a deal. Then remember cards like Chase have annual fees. And you're giving up the opportunity costs of 2% cash back cards too versus the typical point a dollar card (yeah I know about bonus points and all that but the 2% cash back on everything still comes out on top).

People who see points strictly as getting business class seats at a discount are the primary beneficiary of the reward cards. Along with heavy duty travelers like corporate travelers who accumulate millions of travel points in a year.

I did not effectively spend $2400.

I spent $1000 and used 140K points that I received for “free” from bonuses and strategic organic spending. Sure, it’s baked into the merchant fee and retail price. But I would be paying that at point of sale even if I put everything on a debit card or paid cash and received zero points from a card issuer.

It’s bizarre that you believe $1K cash + 140K in free points is somehow not a better deal than forking out $4500+ from your own pocket.

The only thing I can think is that you make so much money that $4500 is daily pocket change for you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh?

Last spring break, we flew to France for 120K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets on KLM.

This spring break, we are flying to Zurich. 140K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets again.

We stayed 4 nights in a suite in NYC with the kids for Veterans Day weekend. All the holiday decor is already up. It was 90K points total, I booked it one month out.

Booking 5 days out for a holiday weekend? Of course there is NOTHING left.

But really it’s $1200 for 4 tickets… 300 each + tax so $550/ticket.

How is it different than just retrieving your points for money and paying $550/ticket.

It’s just really cash back.

You're not paying $550/ticket during Easter week or summer.

Like I said: RT was 35,000 points plus $250/taxes per seat. I booked it out a year in advance. At the time, the same itinerary was $1200/ticket in straight cash. That's 2.7 cents per point of value when you deduct for the taxes I did pay. It was a good deal when it was booked.

I cannot control what the airline may be charging today for the same itinerary during Easter week to Europe. Sunk cost.

I just looked up my exact itinerary right now - it's priced at over $1500/ticket when you include option to check one bag on KLM. So right now I'm getting 3.6 cents per point of value relative to trying to book today.

You can get United direct (no layover) for $1136 per ticket in cash ($4541 total). Sure that's a better deal if you're willing to pay cash today. But I paid 140,000 Chase points and $1000 in cash. So yeah, I saved $3500 in my pocket which covers our very nice hotel at an Alps ski resort for the week.

Who keeps repeating the dumb canard about "no good deals"?

Your points are worth money. 140,000 points cashed out is $1,400. So you effectively spent $2,400, not $1,000.

I have bought tickets for European trips in the 500-700s easily, even for summer months, by booking in advance and being flexible with airlines. Icelandair is great and reliable. I do keep checking price deals closer to the departure dates and in the last two years it wasn't massively expensive to have booked a week or two in advance (we flew to Switzerland last August) compared to the beginning of the year.

I spent enough time and years playing the points game. Opened up accounts with all the major airlines, ready to pounce, credit card signing bonuses. But between limited availability and taxes and fees everywhere it was rarely ever a deal. Then remember cards like Chase have annual fees. And you're giving up the opportunity costs of 2% cash back cards too versus the typical point a dollar card (yeah I know about bonus points and all that but the 2% cash back on everything still comes out on top).

People who see points strictly as getting business class seats at a discount are the primary beneficiary of the reward cards. Along with heavy duty travelers like corporate travelers who accumulate millions of travel points in a year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh?

Last spring break, we flew to France for 120K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets on KLM.

This spring break, we are flying to Zurich. 140K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets again.

We stayed 4 nights in a suite in NYC with the kids for Veterans Day weekend. All the holiday decor is already up. It was 90K points total, I booked it one month out.

Booking 5 days out for a holiday weekend? Of course there is NOTHING left.

But really it’s $1200 for 4 tickets… 300 each + tax so $550/ticket.

How is it different than just retrieving your points for money and paying $550/ticket.

It’s just really cash back.

You're not paying $550/ticket during Easter week or summer.

Like I said: RT was 35,000 points plus $250/taxes per seat. I booked it out a year in advance. At the time, the same itinerary was $1200/ticket in straight cash. That's 2.7 cents per point of value when you deduct for the taxes I did pay. It was a good deal when it was booked.

I cannot control what the airline may be charging today for the same itinerary during Easter week to Europe. Sunk cost.

I just looked up my exact itinerary right now - it's priced at over $1500/ticket when you include option to check one bag on KLM. So right now I'm getting 3.6 cents per point of value relative to trying to book today.

You can get United direct (no layover) for $1136 per ticket in cash ($4541 total). Sure that's a better deal if you're willing to pay cash today. But I paid 140,000 Chase points and $1000 in cash. So yeah, I saved $3500 in my pocket which covers our very nice hotel at an Alps ski resort for the week.

Who keeps repeating the dumb canard about "no good deals"?

Your points are worth money. 140,000 points cashed out is $1,400. So you effectively spent $2,400, not $1,000.

I have bought tickets for European trips in the 500-700s easily, even for summer months, by booking in advance and being flexible with airlines. Icelandair is great and reliable. I do keep checking price deals closer to the departure dates and in the last two years it wasn't massively expensive to have booked a week or two in advance (we flew to Switzerland last August) compared to the beginning of the year.

I spent enough time and years playing the points game. Opened up accounts with all the major airlines, ready to pounce, credit card signing bonuses. But between limited availability and taxes and fees everywhere it was rarely ever a deal. Then remember cards like Chase have annual fees. And you're giving up the opportunity costs of 2% cash back cards too versus the typical point a dollar card (yeah I know about bonus points and all that but the 2% cash back on everything still comes out on top).

People who see points strictly as getting business class seats at a discount are the primary beneficiary of the reward cards. Along with heavy duty travelers like corporate travelers who accumulate millions of travel points in a year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh?

Last spring break, we flew to France for 120K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets on KLM.

This spring break, we are flying to Zurich. 140K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets again.

We stayed 4 nights in a suite in NYC with the kids for Veterans Day weekend. All the holiday decor is already up. It was 90K points total, I booked it one month out.

Booking 5 days out for a holiday weekend? Of course there is NOTHING left.

But really it’s $1200 for 4 tickets… 300 each + tax so $550/ticket.

How is it different than just retrieving your points for money and paying $550/ticket.

It’s just really cash back.

You're not paying $550/ticket during Easter week or summer.

Like I said: RT was 35,000 points plus $250/taxes per seat. I booked it out a year in advance. At the time, the same itinerary was $1200/ticket in straight cash. That's 2.7 cents per point of value when you deduct for the taxes I did pay. It was a good deal when it was booked.

I cannot control what the airline may be charging today for the same itinerary during Easter week to Europe. Sunk cost.

I just looked up my exact itinerary right now - it's priced at over $1500/ticket when you include option to check one bag on KLM. So right now I'm getting 3.6 cents per point of value relative to trying to book today.

You can get United direct (no layover) for $1136 per ticket in cash ($4541 total). Sure that's a better deal if you're willing to pay cash today. But I paid 140,000 Chase points and $1000 in cash. So yeah, I saved $3500 in my pocket which covers our very nice hotel at an Alps ski resort for the week.

Who keeps repeating the dumb canard about "no good deals"?

Your points are worth money. 140,000 points cashed out is $1,400. So you effectively spent $2,400, not $1,000.

I have bought tickets for European trips in the 500-700s easily, even for summer months, by booking in advance and being flexible with airlines. Icelandair is great and reliable. I do keep checking price deals closer to the departure dates and in the last two years it wasn't massively expensive to have booked a week or two in advance (we flew to Switzerland last August) compared to the beginning of the year.

I spent enough time and years playing the points game. Opened up accounts with all the major airlines, ready to pounce, credit card signing bonuses. But between limited availability and taxes and fees everywhere it was rarely ever a deal. Then remember cards like Chase have annual fees. And you're giving up the opportunity costs of 2% cash back cards too versus the typical point a dollar card (yeah I know about bonus points and all that but the 2% cash back on everything still comes out on top).

People who see points strictly as getting business class seats at a discount are the primary beneficiary of the reward cards. Along with heavy duty travelers like corporate travelers who accumulate millions of travel points in a year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh?

Last spring break, we flew to France for 120K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets on KLM.

This spring break, we are flying to Zurich. 140K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets again.

We stayed 4 nights in a suite in NYC with the kids for Veterans Day weekend. All the holiday decor is already up. It was 90K points total, I booked it one month out.

Booking 5 days out for a holiday weekend? Of course there is NOTHING left.

But really it’s $1200 for 4 tickets… 300 each + tax so $550/ticket.

How is it different than just retrieving your points for money and paying $550/ticket.

It’s just really cash back.

You're not paying $550/ticket during Easter week or summer.

Like I said: RT was 35,000 points plus $250/taxes per seat. I booked it out a year in advance. At the time, the same itinerary was $1200/ticket in straight cash. That's 2.7 cents per point of value when you deduct for the taxes I did pay. It was a good deal when it was booked.

I cannot control what the airline may be charging today for the same itinerary during Easter week to Europe. Sunk cost.

I just looked up my exact itinerary right now - it's priced at over $1500/ticket when you include option to check one bag on KLM. So right now I'm getting 3.6 cents per point of value relative to trying to book today.

You can get United direct (no layover) for $1136 per ticket in cash ($4541 total). Sure that's a better deal if you're willing to pay cash today. But I paid 140,000 Chase points and $1000 in cash. So yeah, I saved $3500 in my pocket which covers our very nice hotel at an Alps ski resort for the week.

Who keeps repeating the dumb canard about "no good deals"?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh?

Last spring break, we flew to France for 120K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets on KLM.

This spring break, we are flying to Zurich. 140K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets again.

We stayed 4 nights in a suite in NYC with the kids for Veterans Day weekend. All the holiday decor is already up. It was 90K points total, I booked it one month out.

Booking 5 days out for a holiday weekend? Of course there is NOTHING left.

But really it’s $1200 for 4 tickets… 300 each + tax so $550/ticket.

How is it different than just retrieving your points for money and paying $550/ticket.

It’s just really cash back.

You're not paying $550/ticket during Easter week or summer.

Like I said: RT was 35,000 points plus $250/taxes per seat. I booked it out a year in advance. At the time, the same itinerary was $1200/ticket in straight cash. That's 2.7 cents per point of value when you deduct for the taxes I did pay. It was a good deal when it was booked.

I cannot control what the airline may be charging today for the same itinerary during Easter week to Europe. Sunk cost.

I just looked up my exact itinerary right now - it's priced at over $1500/ticket when you include option to check one bag on KLM. So right now I'm getting 3.6 cents per point of value relative to trying to book today.

You can get United direct (no layover) for $1136 per ticket in cash ($4541 total). Sure that's a better deal if you're willing to pay cash today. But I paid 140,000 Chase points and $1000 in cash. So yeah, I saved $3500 in my pocket which covers our very nice hotel at an Alps ski resort for the week.

Who keeps repeating the dumb canard about "no good deals"?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh?

Last spring break, we flew to France for 120K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets on KLM.

This spring break, we are flying to Zurich. 140K points and $1K in taxes. 4 tickets again.

We stayed 4 nights in a suite in NYC with the kids for Veterans Day weekend. All the holiday decor is already up. It was 90K points total, I booked it one month out.

Booking 5 days out for a holiday weekend? Of course there is NOTHING left.

But really it’s $1200 for 4 tickets… 300 each + tax so $550/ticket.

How is it different than just retrieving your points for money and paying $550/ticket.

It’s just really cash back.

You're not paying $550/ticket during Easter week or summer.

Like I said: RT was 35,000 points plus $250/taxes per seat. I booked it out a year in advance. At the time, the same itinerary was $1200/ticket in straight cash. That's 2.7 cents per point of value when you deduct for the taxes I did pay. It was a good deal when it was booked.

I cannot control what the airline may be charging today for the same itinerary during Easter week to Europe. Sunk cost.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't do it last minute with points. OMG. Plan far in advance. I'm going to Hawaii in a couple weeks with flights on points.

OP here. Can we swap. You stay and we go. Just joking lol.

I agree poor planning on my part. This is where I miss my ex wife. She would have planned this 14 months ago.

But still, even 6 months ago when I looked the prices were that cheaper compared to what I am seeing now.

Anonymous wrote:Inflation in these points programs has long outpaced real inflation.

Once in a while you can find a deal.

Hotel points are better than airline points.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You could spend hours with the neurodivergent folk on FlyerTalk and figure it all out, if your time is worth nothing to you.

Ha, some significant truth there. That's why many people refer to it as a hobby or game.

That was my point way earlier in this thread - I'm sure there are some one off amazing deals, but airline miles have absolutely been devalued several times. It's been about 15 years since I was a United 1k flyer and even then it wasn't great, but there were far more options. If you want to game the system for a business class ticket somewhere you might make it out ahead of a standard 1-5% CC with bonuses. Otherwise, that ship has sailed a while ago.