Heels Up before Wheels Up. Flying on Miles.
Australia Travelog #1
SFO Airport lounge - Fri, 22 Dec 2023, 7pm
It's almost time to board our flight to Australia. We've got a nonstop from San Francisco to Sydney. I've been here at the United Lounge cooling my heels- and wetting my whistle- for the last 2 hours or so. Gaining lounge access when flying internationally is one of the perks of my lifetime status with United Airlines.
Dinner this evening in the lounge was Cuban-style pulled pork, black beans, and fried plantains. I combined the pork and beans with some chips, salsa, and toppings to make... Cuban nachos? Nacho libre? It may seem humble but it sure beats paying $25+ for an airport pizza and a bottle of Coke.
Another perk is that we booked this trip on frequent flyer miles. Well, miles aren't a perk, per se. I earn them. And some of that earning comes through blood, sweat, and tears. Thus it's extra satisfying that this trip is a good use of miles.
The challenge when redeeming airline and hotel points nowadays is that while there's almost always a miles/points rate available, it's almost always a poor rate. Years ago I valued UA miles at 1.8 cents per point (cpp). I sought, and often could find, redemptions at that rate. But over the years UA, like all airlines and hotels, has devalued its points. Nowadays it's hard to find a redemption above 1.1 cpp. And that drop in the rate comes while airfares have also gotten more expensive.
This trip was a rare opportunity to redeem points for far more than their typical value. These tickets to Australia and back would've cost $3,000 each if paying cash... but we scored them for (initially) 110k points each plus about $100 in taxes. That put the points redemption at 2.6 cpp. Then when I checked back a few weeks after booking I found lower points rates and was able to re-fare the tickets. That adroit maneuver lowered our points outlay to just over 77k each, upping the redemption value to 3.75 cpp.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to take one last swig of my gin and tonic and walk over to the boarding gate.
SFO Airport lounge - Fri, 22 Dec 2023, 7pm
It's almost time to board our flight to Australia. We've got a nonstop from San Francisco to Sydney. I've been here at the United Lounge cooling my heels- and wetting my whistle- for the last 2 hours or so. Gaining lounge access when flying internationally is one of the perks of my lifetime status with United Airlines.
Dinner this evening in the lounge was Cuban-style pulled pork, black beans, and fried plantains. I combined the pork and beans with some chips, salsa, and toppings to make... Cuban nachos? Nacho libre? It may seem humble but it sure beats paying $25+ for an airport pizza and a bottle of Coke.
Another perk is that we booked this trip on frequent flyer miles. Well, miles aren't a perk, per se. I earn them. And some of that earning comes through blood, sweat, and tears. Thus it's extra satisfying that this trip is a good use of miles.
The challenge when redeeming airline and hotel points nowadays is that while there's almost always a miles/points rate available, it's almost always a poor rate. Years ago I valued UA miles at 1.8 cents per point (cpp). I sought, and often could find, redemptions at that rate. But over the years UA, like all airlines and hotels, has devalued its points. Nowadays it's hard to find a redemption above 1.1 cpp. And that drop in the rate comes while airfares have also gotten more expensive.
This trip was a rare opportunity to redeem points for far more than their typical value. These tickets to Australia and back would've cost $3,000 each if paying cash... but we scored them for (initially) 110k points each plus about $100 in taxes. That put the points redemption at 2.6 cpp. Then when I checked back a few weeks after booking I found lower points rates and was able to re-fare the tickets. That adroit maneuver lowered our points outlay to just over 77k each, upping the redemption value to 3.75 cpp.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to take one last swig of my gin and tonic and walk over to the boarding gate.