Joel Widzer claimed a premium level first class award on a domestic flight from LA to Dallas. While that strikes me as a little crazy for a midcon flight, I can’t criticize him too much.

For the very first time I recently claimed a premium first class award on a domestic flight. It was a last-minute transcon, I was paying out of my own pocket, and the flight would have cost about $1500 in coach. Plus I knew I wouldn’t get an upgrade. I had to fly on one specific return flight, and there was only one first class seat left for sale.

Claiming the premium award allowed me to pull a seat from revenue inventory and take that last first class seat.

Still, it was a questionable use of miles defensible only based on the fact that I have a very large stash of miles (what am I saving them for, they’ll never be worth as much tomorrow as they are today) and I’m spoiled and have a terrible aversion to coach.

Some would argue I should have sucked it up and flown coach for half the miles. But the set that includes ‘some’ would not include ‘me’.