Heavens

San Diego, CA -Portland, OR - San Diego, CA?

The going cash price on this right now is $200. We are traveling first week of Oct. I would have to use AA 25,000 miles per ticket. Is that dumb? I still have time for the 21 day advance. I already booked the FF miles through AA, but have time to cancel it. What would you do?

Cash wise that is still about $500. with taxes and all. I don't have huge amounts of miles. About 200,000 and my DH has about 100,000. Thanks for your time.

Patrick

Is it dumb? No, depends on what you want.
Of course you could fly from San Diego to Portland, Maine for that so some will say you're "wasting your miles". But if you don't want to go to Portland, Maine and you DO want to go to Portland, Oregon, go for it. The main consideration is not how many cents those miles are costing or getting you, but rather what kind of enjoyable travel it's making possible for you. The other consideration, of course, is -- will it limit a trip you were saving up those other miles for? I mean if you had planned first class to Europe on them next year and this will prevent that, then I sure wouldn't use them up that way.

I personally save my miles and get the most for me out of them by using them for major European trips, but if using a few miles meant I could go somewhere I wanted to go that I couldn't really afford to go otherwise, then I wouldn't hesitate.

Patty

Me personally, no.

Heavens

Yes, Patrick, that is part of it. This is an "extra" birthday indulgance trip. I can justify it a little better by using miles than paying cash. We haven't used miles in years b/c I am great at hording them. But gotta use them sometime, right? They won't be there forever is how I see it. Thanks, Patrick, for your view point. I respect your opinion.

dcespedes

I used miles once to get to Seattle--same situation as you, at the time I didn't have a lot of miles saved and the trip ate most of it. The cost of the ticket drove my decision to use miles...it was my first trip to Seattle and worth every mile. Now I save them for longer hauls but at the time it was the right thing to do. Good luck!

dcespedes

Happy birthday, Heavens!

Heavens

Thanks for grounding me. I will be turning 50! So, I do deserve the use the miles, don't you think? Maybe it isn't the flight, but the purpose for the trip...dcespedes, thanks for reminding me of the occasion...

Gardyloo

No, because you will be flying on Alaska Airlines equipment using AA codeshare numbering. The FC in AS airplanes is not particularly more comfortable than coach. For two hour hops save your miles and use them on some future "real" AA trip where you'd be sitting in one of their "less room throughout coach" 757s. If you want to spend the cash money, okay, but not the miles.

if you decide to ride with the sheeple, look at the schedule and book yourselves into an Alaska/American flight that's on an MD-80. Try to get seats on the 2-side rather than the 3-side. Not a lot of legroom compared to American's MD-80s, but way more comfortable than the middle/aisle or middle/window on the other side, or any combination of two seats on AS's 3 x 3 737s.

kodi

Heavens, I'm the same as you. I save airmiles for years. SO, I'd have to say that I personally want to make the most of them. I pay cash for cheaper flights and use my airmiles for the most expensive flights. But I agree with Patrick. If Portland is where you want to go, then I suppose it's worth it to you. You DO deserve it if it's your 50th birthday. NOw a question. If it's your 50th, is there a reason to limit yourself to Portland? Really go for it and use your miles to go some where more exotic.
Have a Happy Birthday.