100,00 Point Three Zone Bedroom Award

[jmbgeg]

My next long distance trip in November I will hit 60,000 points for a two zone deluxe bedroom award. I am shooting for 100,000 points for a three zone award SPK-Miami RT. Could take six months for me to get there.

I need to analyze the following:

1) Take a one way 50,000 point award to Miami and pay for one way.

2) Take a 60,000 mile two zone bedroom RT award and buy the third zone ticket.

3) After 1/1 buy another 10k points and accelerate towards the 100k.

Comments?

 

[Ryan]

I'd certainly look into paying for the third zone - especially if you book far enough out in advance. Living in WAS I can get to CIN or TOL pretty cheaply, so burning the points for a 3 zone makes no sense at all. CHI - Miami would be a little more expensive obviously, but I think that it could be cheaper than buying the points to get there.

 

[jmbgeg]

I'd certainly look into paying for the third zone - especially if you book far enough out in advance. Living in WAS I can get to CIN or TOL pretty cheaply, so burning the points for a 3 zone makes no sense at all. CHI - Miami would be a little more expensive obviously, but I think that it could be cheaper than buying the points to get there.

I picked random dates in December and the third zone is $2,275.

 

[Ispolkom]

I'd do a 2-zone Wolf Point-Miami AGR reward, and then buy either coach or sleeper for Spokane-Wolf Point. If it were me I'd probably do a coach ticket on the way east and book a sleeper on the way back. $209 seems to be the one-way bedroom charge SPK-WPT, so a round-trip bedroom ticket would be in the neighborhood of $600.

 

[jmbgeg]

I'd do a 2-zone Wolf Point-Miami AGR reward, and then buy either coach or sleeper for Spokane-Wolf Point. If it were me I'd probably do a coach ticket on the way east and book a sleeper on the way back. $209 sees to be the one-way bedroom charge SPK-WPT, so a round-trip bedroom ticket would be in the neighborhood of $600.

So Wolf Point is central?

 

[Upstate]

So Wolf Point is central?

Its west and central, its a border town.

 

[the_traveler]

Wolf Point, MT (WPT) is the border of the zones. So coming from the east, it's in the Midwest zone. (Thus from Miami, it would be 2 zones.) Coming from the west, it's in the Western zone.

Consider the cost. When I go to Birmingham (BHM) and have to go back to RI, I could get a 2 zone award (BHM is in the Midwest zone) and spend xx,xxx points, or I could buy a $29 coach ticket for the short few hours trip and start the award in Atlanta (ATL - the border of the Eastern zone). By starting in ATL, I save 2,500 points (coach) or 5,000 points (roomette) or 10,000 points (bedroom). To me, that is worth more than $29!

And if you buy a ticket from WPT to SPK, you will earn additional AGR points - for your next award!