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Are the airline last minute tickets worth it"AIRLINE LAST MINUTE TICKETS" Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
5/1/1999 With travelers increasingly booking plane tickets through online travel agents such as Travelocity, airlines are beefing up their own Internet presence. Their latest strategy is to allow frequent fliers to cash in miles for those discounted airline last minute tickets announced in weekly e-mails. American, Continental and TWA are the first to offer this deal, with United planning to follow suit by this summer. But should you bite? In most cases no, says Randy Petersen, editor of Inside Flyer: "Airlines price miles for much less than you should be trading them in for." Here's the rule: Aim to get at least 1.3[cents] per mile when you cash them in. Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
Generally, Petersen says, the longer the flight, the more likely the deal will approach that threshold--but check anyway. (See the table below for a guide to the calculation.) American, for example, recently allowed travelers to purchase airline last minute tickets weekend Chicago-Boston ticket for either $139 or 13,000 miles and a $39 service charge. That means you would effectively be getting about 0.8[cents] per frequent-flier mile--not a great deal. Of course, you may want to accept less than 1.3[cents] a mile if that's your only chance to use your miles before they expire or if you're unlikely to ever build up enough for a free ticket. And don't ignore all airline Web offers. Many carriers, including American and US Airways, are giving you 1,000 to 4,000 frequent-flier miles just for booking tickets on their site.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IT'S A GOOD DEAL FOR AIRLINE LAST MINUTE TICKETS? A bad deal Chicago to Green Bay for $69 or $39 plus 6,000 miles on American What you get for your miles: ($69-$39) x (100[cents]) divided by 6,000 miles = 0.5[cents] per mile Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
A better deal St. Louis to Toronto for $149 or $99 plus 5,000 miles on TWA [What you get for your miles:] ($149-$99) x (100[cents]) divided by 5,000 miles = 1[cents] per mile ...... Compare airline last minute tickets here /cheap airfares home |