Anatomy of an Award: Using Singapore Airlines Miles to Book United Award to Europe

This week I posted that it is cheaper to use Singapore Airlines miles to book United flights to Europe in economy than it is to book the same flights with United miles.

Anatomy of an Award: Using Singapore Airlines Miles to Book United Award to Europe

This week I posted that it is cheaper to use Singapore Airlines miles to book United flights to Europe in economy than it is to book the same flights with United miles.

Using Singapore Miles to Europe in Economy is Better Than Using United Miles

It costs fewer Singapore miles to fly United economy flights to Europe than the same flight costs with United miles, and neither award has fuel surcharges.

Conclusion: book United economy awards to Europe with Singapore miles instead of United miles.

From Singapore's award chart:

27,500 miles one way in economy to Europe (United charges 30k)
65,000 miles one way in Business Class (United charges 57.5k)
80,000 miles one way in First Class (United charges the same)

Singapore does not collect fuel surcharges on awards of United flights, so those economy awards on United flights are just cheaper

Why Does a Business Class Award and a First Class Award on United Cost the Same Amount?

When United greatly devalued its award chart in February 2014, it started charging more to fly Business and First Class on its partners than on its own planes.

Buy Up to 150,000 United Miles. Good Deal?

Through April 20, 2015, United is offering up to a 30% discount on purchased miles. The size of the discount depends on the number of miles you buy, with the largest 30% discount kicking in at 30,000 miles purchased.

United miles normally cost 3.5 cents per mile plus a 7.5% tax, bringing the full price to 3.76 cents each.

Buy Up to 150,000 United Miles. Good Deal?

Through April 20, 2015, United is offering up to a 30% discount on purchased miles. The size of the discount depends on the number of miles you buy, with the largest 30% discount kicking in at 30,000 miles purchased.

United miles normally cost 3.5 cents per mile plus a 7.5% tax, bringing the full price to 3.76 cents each.

Current State of Free Oneways

This blog became famous because I was the first to articulate how to book free one ways on United and US Airways awards.

A free one way is a one way trip to or from your home airport that is tacked onto another award for no extra miles.

United Making a Move toward Revenue Based Awards

Wandering Aramean got "part of an internal memo describing [United's] plans for the coming year." It says:
Deliver first phase of united.com 2.0 by 2q 2015, including bundled ancillary offerings;
Some time in this quarter (by June 30), United plans to roll out a new website with new bundled fare options, which sounds like what American Airlines offers. Not that interesting. Moving on...
begin introducing dynamic award pricing.
Uh-oh!

"Dynamic award pricing" would mean that award prices change, presumably based on the cash price of the underlying ticket.

United Making a Move toward Revenue Based Awards

Wandering Aramean got "part of an internal memo describing [United's] plans for the coming year." It says:
Deliver first phase of united.com 2.0 by 2q 2015, including bundled ancillary offerings;
Some time in this quarter (by June 30), United plans to roll out a new website with new bundled fare options, which sounds like what American Airlines offers. Not that interesting. Moving on...
begin introducing dynamic award pricing.
Uh-oh!

"Dynamic award pricing" would mean that award prices change, presumably based on the cash price of the underlying ticket.

20% Off United Awards to Hawaii

United is offering a 20% discount on roundtrip Saver economy awards booked to Hawaii by April 19 and flown Mondays through Thursdays from April 14 to May 19. The total cost of a roundtrip is 36,000 miles.

Don't Book This Promotion
If you have United miles, this may be a good deal. If you have Ultimate Rewards, do not transfer them to United miles to book this deal.