For We Oldies

[Rengoh 0]

PS: No smilely with a long beard and balding head!

If you can read the above line without glasses, this post is not for you.

 

(USD reference)

Two ago, my employer picked up my membership in UAL's Silver Wings, providing me on my first flight with a cost savings to match my lifetime membership cost. Now, with SW preferred upgrade ($215 1st year, $300 in flight vouchers in return) its double miles. Five trips a year......

SW prices fares by regions to regions (e.g. SE USA transatlantic, or SE USA transpacific (Bangkok fare). From Miami, my total was $1087 (all fees,taxes incl)., saving the $300 voucher for my first personal flight. A flight from another region (Western States, example) would have been cheaper.

 

So, if you qualify (I think it is over 55), and can stomach the fateful admission "Oh Shit...I am old," this may be a bargain.

[Samsonite 181]

Can I ask what you paid for a round trip ticket to BKK?

I just check the UAL web site and their prices are double what some other airlines are charging.

[Rengoh 0]

Noted above:

"From Miami, my total was $1087 ."

Travelocity quoted the same fare at about 1400

Note it is a Sunday departure too, so a few baht more

[picoman 1]

Red wings, go with the red wings...

 

[Emil 0]

Can I ask what you paid for a round trip ticket to BKK?

I just check the UAL web site and their prices are double what some other airlines are charging.

 

 

Could be that many of their seats have already been sold. They ran a promotion back in May that if you purchased by the end of the month that you would get double miles, the premier executives would then be getting triple miles. I purchased one and paid just under $1200 which is the most expensive price I've paid to date, however I will be earning almost enough miles for a free flight so the effective cost is around $600.

[Samsonite 181]

Could be that many of their seats have already been sold. They ran a promotion back in May that if you purchased by the end of the month that you would get double miles, the premier executives would then be getting triple miles. I purchased one and paid just under $1200 which is the most expensive price I've paid to date, however I will be earning almost enough miles for a free flight so the effective cost is around $600.

Lost me on that one. It is about 16,000 miles around trip from the west coast, so double miles would only be 32,000 which is hardly enough for a free trip. Even it were, you simply paid for the second trip in advance, unless, of course, I'm missing something here.....

[Emil 0]

Lost me on that one. It is about 16,000 miles around trip from the west coast, so double miles would only be 32,000 which is hardly enough for a free trip. Even it were, you simply paid for the second trip in advance, unless, of course, I'm missing something here.....

 

 

Its a little over 16k from SFO, the leg from SMF to SFO is a little over 90 miles however UA gives you actual miles or 500 miles whichever is greater for each leg. Thus I'm getting over 17K per trip. I said that the promotion gave everyone doubles miles and that premier executive get triple. I was implying that I'm premier executive so I'm earning over 51k miles. Use your United credit card and you get 1 miles for every $ spent on your ticket. Add in another 1k for booking on line plus UA give me 4 - 500 mile upgrades for every 10K flown. They can only be used on domestice flights but if not used they convert to miles. Add it all up and your near 60 K which is required for a freebie. I know I paying for a 2nd trip in advance and whats great about that is that I'll use the freebie when prices are at their highest. I don't cash in miles as soon as I qualify.

[Samsonite 181]

Its a little over 16k from SFO, the leg from SMF to SFO is a little over 90 miles however UA gives you actual miles or 500 miles whichever is greater for each leg. Thus I'm getting over 17K per trip. I said that the promotion gave everyone doubles miles and that premier executive get triple. I was implying that I'm premier executive so I'm earning over 51k miles. Use your United credit card and you get 1 miles for every $ spent on your ticket. Add in another 1k for booking on line plus UA give me 4 - 500 mile upgrades for every 10K flown. They can only be used on domestice flights but if not used they convert to miles. Add it all up and your near 60 K which is required for a freebie. I know I paying for a 2nd trip in advance and whats great about that is that I'll use the freebie when prices are at their highest. I don't cash in miles as soon as I qualify.

Thanks for the information.

I've heard United has a great FF club and apparently they really do. Some airlines require 100,000 miles for a freebie.

If it wasn't for their schedule I'll switch to UAL for the FF club, plus they are home grown. Do they fly 777-200s on that route or 747-400s?

Thanks, again.

[Emil 0]

Thanks for the information.

I've heard United has a great FF club and apparently they really do. Some airlines require 100,000 miles for a freebie.

If it wasn't for their schedule I'll switch to UAL for the FF club, plus they are home grown. Do they fly 777-200s on that route or 747-400s?

Thanks, again.

 

They fly the 747s through Nariata. I like their schedule, earlier this year they put me on Singapore when I used my miles. It departed SFO around 1:30 in the morning, problem was the last hop out of SMF was around 9 PM so I had a long wait. UA requires 90K for a freebie in economy, but offers a few seats on each flight for 60K, so to get those you need to book early and be flexible on your dates. You need to have 25k paid miles to become premier which give you a 25% bonus and 50K to become premier executive for a 100% bonus. When you reach that level not only do you get that bonus for the rest of that calander year but all of the following year. You can see that flying out of SMF instead of SFO is a big help in achieving premier executive status. They have other perks when you reach those levels.

[Samsonite 181]

They fly the 747s through Nariata. I like their schedule, earlier this year they put me on Singapore when I used my miles. It departed SFO around 1:30 in the morning, problem was the last hop out of SMF was around 9 PM so I had a long wait. UA requires 90K for a freebie in economy, but offers a few seats on each flight for 60K, so to get those you need to book early and be flexible on your dates. You need to have 25k paid miles to become premier which give you a 25% bonus and 50K to become premier executive for a 100% bonus. When you reach that level not only do you get that bonus for the rest of that calander year but all of the following year. You can see that flying out of SMF instead of SFO is a big help in achieving premier executive status. They have other perks when you reach those levels.

Arriving BKK at midnight and leaving BKK at zero dark thirty in the morning is not my idea of a customer friendly schedule.

I really would like to fly Singapore Air, but out of SFO you are routed first to Hong Kong, then Singapore, and then, Finally, BKK. Adds 4 or so hours to an already long trip.

Actually, the best schedule IMHO would be to fly Cathay Pacific to BKK and China Air home, but then you would be splitting miles between two airlines and it has to be more expensive to do it that way.

[Emil 0]

Arriving BKK at midnight and leaving BKK at zero dark thirty in the morning is not my idea of a customer friendly schedule.

I really would like to fly Singapore Air, but out of SFO you are routed first to Hong Kong, then Singapore, and then, Finally, BKK. Adds 4 or so hours to an already long trip.

Actually, the best schedule IMHO would be to fly Cathay Pacific to BKK and China Air home, but then you would be splitting miles between two airlines and it has to be more expensive to do it that way.

 

When I first starting going to LOS I flew on Cathay and I rank it a close 2nd to Singapore Airlines. They didn't depart Bangkok that early in the morning because I use to take the mini bus service to the airport and their 1st run out of Pattaya was 6 AM. Once I fully understood UA FF program, I've only flown with them.

[Samsonite 181]

When I first starting going to LOS I flew on Cathay and I rank it a close 2nd to Singapore Airlines. They didn't depart Bangkok that early in the morning because I use to take the mini bus service to the airport and their 1st run out of Pattaya was 6 AM. Once I fully understood UA FF program, I've only flown with them.

As the Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong arrives at 10:30AM, I would imagine they turn that aircraft around and it becomes the 11:30AM flight back to Hong Kong.

China Air has a flight out of BKK to TPE at 17:00. Gives you half of another day in LOS before you have to leave for the airport. More if you are staying in BKK.

Edited August 29, 2006 by Samsonite