Now that the US Airways 100% bonus on shared miles (the best offer for purchased miles generally made by any airline loyalty program) is over, they’re apparently back with a version of their usual bonuses for purchased miles (which isn’t nearly as good a deal). (HT: Loyalty Lobby)
The buy miles offer page is again asking you to verify your name and account number at the outset, which means it’s checking on what your targeted offer is.
The offer runs through the end of the month, not everyone is eligible, and the bonus you’ll be offered will vary.
It turns out that none of the accounts I manage were targeted for a purchased miles bonus this go-around. Even if they were, I wouldn’t be a buyer — certainly not at any amount under a 100% bonus.
Good Deal?
At a 100% bonus, priced at around 1.9 cents per mile, I would consider it to top off an account towards a given award.
US Airways ran — both targeted and non-targeted — versions of the 100% purchase miles or share miles bonus for most of 2013. This airline has been the single most aggressive in selling miles, and at a price point lower than most other carriers offer their miles.
Buying miles at a 100% bonus from US Airways used to be an amazing deal. Four years ago their award chart was less expensive (e.g. 80,000 miles for business class to Europe). And prior to September 2010 miles normally cost 2.5 cents apiece. In October 2011 they raised the standard price of miles to 3.5 cents apiece.
Challenges and Opportunities With US Airways Miles
US Airways has difficulty ‘seeing’ some partner award inventory — even now that they’ve left Star Alliance — although it mostly seems to be agent error when they’re unable to find flights, the agents aren’t used to the systems they’re using to find oneworld space, or the booking codes for that space.
On the other hand they’re pricing awards less expensively in both miles and taxes than most other oneworld members so there’s real value here.
How to Play This
My advice is to use this offer only to top off an account towards a specific award — and you can generally place awards on hold and then buy the miles, calling back to ticket the held reservation.
I wouldn’t buy miles speculatively at nearly 2 cents apiece. This purchase bonus offer is cheaper than American sells miles. Of course there’s uncertainty about the US Airways award chart over the course of the next year. They’ve just increased the price of the famous 90,000 business class award to Hong Kong.
No Credit Card Bonuses for the Purchase Cost
US Airways mileage purchases are processed by points.com which means they don’t show up as airfare, and thus don’t earn bonuses from credit cards like Chase Sapphire Preferred (double points) or American Express Premier Rewards Gold (triple points) that bonus airfare spend.
- You can join the 40,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. You can also follow me on Twitter for the latest deals. Don’t miss out!
I got 75%
did not get targeted for squat.
I received 75% as well
i got 100% but not buying… i didn’t even do share miles last week.
i would buy speculatively if i were targeted for 200% bonus.
i have to say, as of now the USair award chart is the best in the world. 150,000 for first class from europe to australia. that said, i have never encountered such inept customer service. you have to do all the work for them. i have cathay first on the return, but qatar business on the outbound cuy the connection to berlin is brilliant. the agent did not know how to spell berlin. then she told me qatar doesn’t fly to melbourne. she had typed in melbourne florida. like i’d travel from berlin to florida via the middle east! when she informed me of the 50 dollar ´service´fee i kinda had to laugh. but still: 150K for this itinerary is brilliant….
@Lantean 200% bonus would only be marginally better than the share miles offer you didn’t take
@Gary
it would actually be quite a bit better because i never want to leave any orphan miles hanging in the dummy account… so i could only do 28k->49k->98k so my cost was higher than 1.1c per mile.
basically it has to be quite under 1c per mile to buy speculatively.