Tricky Redeem vs. Buy Scenario

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by Ben Schlappig Guest August 25, 2015, 12:57 pm

Tricky Redeem vs. Buy Scenario

Anonymous Guest
August 25, 2015, 12:57 pm

Hello! I have a tricky buy vs. redeem question that perhaps you could help with. I am currently booked round trip from MIA to NRT, for $718 total RT.

Dates are 7-14 Sep.

I just got invited to a wedding in Hawaii, and need to get there leaving either the 14th from Tokyo or fly home and leave the 15th from FL.

My options are to fly back to MIA or at least ATL and buy a separate RT for around 750-800 which isn’t terrible.

OR I could skip the return from NRT, redeem 50k skymiles for business class on China Airlines direct Tokyo to HNL, and then buy a one way from HNL back to FL, for around 450.

Obviously it’s cheaper that way and 718 treated as a one way to Tokyo still isn’t terrible, but I lose out on 7500 MQMs returning from Tokyo and 5k one way if I were to buy from FL to Hawaii. I am Delta
Platinum and trying to stay that way. I really don’t mind the extra 12-16 hours of travel back out there for the miles, but not sure what makes sense to evaluate cost per mile or mqms vs redemption or whatever.

Any ideas on how I should evaluate this?

Thanks!
Gaurav Community Ambassador
August 25, 2015, 5:38 pm

I know you don’t mind the tight turnaround and travel but if I were going to Hawaii, I’d like to get there rested and able to enjoy the festivities. If you feel that you can do that or you need the mile to requalify, by all means do that but otherwise consider paying the premium for a little comfort :).
Anonymous Guest
August 25, 2015, 7:45 pm

Keep in mind as well that if you redeem SkyMiles for a one-way from Japan you’ll pay an outrageous amount in foreign origination fees.
FLtraveler New Member
August 26, 2015, 12:38 pm

It was me who posted- just signed up for an account. So as far as Hawaii goes I have lived there 10 years on and off and go once a year- so it isn’t a once in a lifetime thing (I am very lucky) and don’t mind some jetlag. My conundrum is if I use some miles, I basically pay like this.

718$ for 7500 mqms one way
Redeem 50k one way, plus 150ish in fees
Then 400ish one way back to FL, earning 5k mqms

OR

718$ for 15k mqms, plus 800$ish for another 10k mqms, and one less day in hawaii. lol.

In that sense, it becomes a total of say $1200 for 12,500 mqms, or 9.6 cents per mqm

or

$1500 for 25,000 mqms or 6 cents per mqm. Seems to make more sense except for the time, no?

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Tricky Redeem vs. Buy Scenario