This week there have been airline deals flooding Twitter and the blogs. $600 to Morocco, $650 to Shanghai on a Dreamliner from DFW, and $89 Detroit to Chicago.
If you’re trying to gain airline status, something that I do not have on any airline, then taking advantage of these deals may be worthwhile. But this post is geared at those who get so wrapped up in the points game they begin to believe that spending $ equals cheating.
Why would I pay $600 to go to Europe when I could fly business and pay $35 in taxes? While I see your point, I say why not use your points to go somewhere that may be more inconvenient, further away, and more aspirational? Where that place is depends on your tastes and preferences.
For example, I would rather spend a few hundred flying to Iceland with a WOWair sale than use my AAdvantage points and have to make multiple connections just to get to Reykjavik for free.
At the same time, don’t be the oaf that my friend is and book an $800 ticket to Iceland because you couldn’t find points availability and missed out on the fare sale.
So the next time a great fare appears, forget calculating how much cheaper it is via points and take out the old credit card. After all, you have some minimum spends to hit.
Exactly. Totally needed this reminder today too.