Help Me Decide if the travel expense is worth it.

[Doc Harry]

Centrals, I was being sarcastic.

 

[Doc Harry]

I'm too cheap. Any money left over goes to the kids. My parents gave my wife and I a head start and I intend to pass it on.

We have no children and no living parents
Anything leftover when we're gone will go to charity
So we're making sure nothing is left over

 

[chillyinCanada]

Obviously you never travel with your wife!
LOL

1 through 13

Centrals is flying from Hong Kong. Perhaps the answers would be different if Centrals was flying from North America.

 

[Centrals]

Centrals, I was being sarcastic.

I just played along because I could not believe someone like you would not had known it.

We have no children and no living parents
Anything leftover when we're gone will go to charity
So we're making sure nothing is left over

Excellent.
That is also my thinking.
I hate to know if hksar can benefit on what is left over.

Centrals is flying from Hong Kong. Perhaps the answers would be different if Centrals was flying from North America.

Impossible to answer but the cattle class still carries the majority of passengers.
If I have a choice I would rather flying from Europe as long as it is NOT hungary, russia and serbia. France? Not keen as well.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I see that some comments are recommending credit cards that give you points. I can confirm that these points add up quickly if the card is used properly but NEVER run a balance. Pay off the card in full every month. If you let your balance accumulate, you might as well have paid outright for the Business Class fare in the first place.

The majority of you reading this probably already know the above. I have made this post for those who may not have known.

 

[ReefHound]

I see that some comments are recommending credit cards that give you points. I can confirm that these points add up quickly if the card is used properly but NEVER run a balance. Pay off the card in full every month. If you let your balance accumulate, you might as well have paid outright for the Business Class fare in the first place.

Even if upgrading to Business with points there is an "opportunity cost". For the 150,000 or so points to upgrade one flight to Business I can get 3 or 4 economy flights free.

 

[Lorenzoid]

The airlines are constantly changing the rules on points. Sure, the rules make credit card points add up fast, but the award prices in points keep rising in tandem. Some who analyze this game say you’re best off using a card that gives cash back instead of points.

Flexible travel dates are the key to all this, as some here have pointed out. I don’t currently have that flexibility, and end up having no choice but to travel during peak weeks. I paid 100k Skymiles per person for my wife and me to fly ATL-CUN during Christmas week a year ago. I haven’t been to Asia-Pacific in years, and I find the numbers that have been related here horrifying. Even when I retire, my retirement budget isn’t going to allow that.

 

[tridacna]

Gaining airline status is the game for me. Using that status for upgrades is much better than FF points. I have no use for them; I donate them to charities every year like Make-a-Wish and St Judes where they are truly appreciated.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Gaining airline status is the game for me. Using that status for upgrades is much better than FF points. I have no use for them; I donate them to charities every year like Make-a-Wish and St Judes where they are truly appreciated.

If one can fly often enough to get the status, fine.

 

[Lorenzoid]

If one can fly often enough to get the status, fine.

Yep. If Delta’s changes are representative, it’s going to get more difficult to earn status through credit card spending.