Q & A
We live in Seattle and are looking at five different cruises, all departing in January. Two leave from Ft. Lauderdale, one from Singapore, one from Cape Town, and one from Sydney. I have some miles in most of the U.S. mileage programs, and about 375,000 miles in Amex. What general guidance can you give me?Don Morken, Bellevue, WA
Here are six points to keep in mind as you tally the cost of each cruise:• Start with the flights and see what’s available. Flying to Ft. Lauderdale in economy class isn’t so bad; flying coach to the three international embarkation cities would be torture. If you can’t find upgrades to those destinations, that Ft. Lauderdale cruise might start looking best.
• If you get your economy class ticket through the cruise line it’s likely to be a “bulk” fare, which means you probably won’t be able to upgrade with miles.
• Check American and United first for fares to the international embarkation cities, as they usually offer the best value when upgrading to Business Class with miles. Avoid Delta.
• For free award travel, your chances are usually higher with a Star Alliance airline because of the numerous partners. Transfer options from Amex Rewards are: Continental, All Nippon, and Singapore Airlines.
• Hold the award space before transferring points. (See High & Inside, FCF Sept. ’09 for more on this.)
• Check First Class awards as they can be as little as 15,000 to 20,000 miles more, and on the long haul, the best value-permile you’ll ever get. — mb
I live in Hawaii and have booked an Oberammergau Passion Play tour departing next July 29 from Newark. I’d like to have a week in Bavaria to see friends before the group arrives. I also want to spend a couple of weeks with family in the Albany area after the trip, so I suspect I’m looking at two separate roundtrips, Honolulu-Albany and Newark-Munich. Is it best to book now or wait until 90 days out? I have memberships in Hawaiian (Premier), American, United, Delta (68K), and Continental, but no elite status.