How can I travel 1320 miles practically?

What's the best way to use cash & miles to travel to CDG in business class on United or a Star Alliance flight?

• So I have what (at least) I think is a complex goal to travel to CDG from SFO with cash and miles on UAL and I'm hoping that folks here might have a few suggestions.   Please & thank you (much) in advance. Background:  My family of four (2 adults, 2 frequent traveler-well-behaved-silent-kids) is traveling from SFO to CDG in the late spring/early summer.  I'm currently Premier Executive, as is my wife.  I've qualified for the 75k Premier Platinum threshold for 2012, but my wife will likely be bumped down to Premier Silver for 2012.  My two kids don't have status.  I have 656k miles in my account, my wife has 203k.  My kids have 52k and 45k respectively.  Goals (in order of priority): 1) Business Class Flights - We definitely want to fly Business Class. 2) Cost - We don't mind paying for one business class ticket (they're running between $5k-7k), but would greatly prefer to keep our costs at/below $7k total for the entire set of flights.  (Side note on timing: I think this means I need to do this, now -- costs are low this far out but will go up, right?) 3) Flights - We really would prefer one very long flight plus one very short flight, if at all possible.  I like the LHR flights from SFO - FRA - CDG for example -- if I could swing this, that's what I'd do and it is definitely my preferred flight.  If possible I really want to avoid SFO - IAD - CDG; that's a harsh trip with two kids.  I don't particularly like SFO - ORD - CDG either, but if I absolutely have to, I'll do that.  I definitely don't want to do more than 1-stop.  4) Confirmed - Whatever we do, I'd like to make sure it is confirmed.  I don't want to do a wait-list thing.  I can't handle the stress. 5) Miles - I'd, of course, prefer to use saver awards.  But I imagine that's unrealistic.  So I'm okay using 250k/pp to pick up two free tickets or whatever else y'all recommend.  Of course I'd like to keep the miles as low as possible, but I'm okay using them too. 6) EQM - On my ticket, only, I want to ensure I get EQM.  My wife's ticket, ideally, would too.  But it doesn't have to. 7) Million Miles - I have about 700k lifetime miles on United.  I'd like to ensure my ticket qualifies for lifetime miles on United.  If this goal conflicts with getting a good flight, I'd (reluctantly) eliminate it.  Not sure if LH, for example, will get me lifetime miles anymore. So, those are my goals.  Here's my main question: What's the best way to achieve these goals, given the facts? Also: Can I use Standard awards on LH? Will a flight on LH qualify for lifetime United miles? If I pay full- or some other non-discounted fare coach for me and/or my wife, can I (still) use miles to get a confirmed upgrade to business class?  on LH? or just United? Any other questions I should ask or goals I should have? Many thanks to all for reading and responding.

• Answer:

  If you must confirm your upgrade(s) in advance, do not book on Lufthansa unless you have actual LH miles to pay for the upgrades. I have tried to do this with United miles any number of times and it is (a) a total crapshoot (with probably equally bad or worse odds against you); and (b) a logistical pain in the ass (they send you a paper certificate which, if on the date of the flight you magically have cleared the upgrade list, you must physically hand to the gate agent at the airport; it is not done electronically, and you don't clear before the date of the flight, if at all).  You can book Standard awards on Star Alliance partners, so if you paid cash for one business class ticket and had enough miles to buy the other three in business class with miles, you could do that. But you should not pin your hopes on getting LH or other Star Alliance international upgrades with UAL miles. If the plane doesn't say UNITED on the outside, it doesn't count toward lifetime flight miles unless the airlines eventually merge (I just picked up credit for all my Continental miles, for example). United Express etc. does count; Lufthansa doesn't. You will get EQMs for this, just not lifetime flight miles. If your wife's ticket is a paid ticket in economy class and gets a business class upgrade, she will receive EQMs for the economy class miles flown, but I don't know what kind of bonus redeemable miles or EQMs a 25,000 mile Premier gets. With your status and by paying cash for your business class ticket you'll get some bonus miles for your ticket purchase for sure, including bonus EQMs. But the rules all just changed and I don't know all the new ones yet. Your best bet is to identify the flight segments/dates you want, then call UAL and speak with a reservationist. Do not try to do this online or with a travel agent. A UAL international reservationist will be able to confirm on the spot which flight segment choices can get your upgrades confirmed today, and if you can be a little flexible in choosing travel dates they can work with you on that too. If you can fly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays you can step up your chances of getting flights you like. When you call, call the Premier Executive desk, or just make sure you enter your UAL number before you get transferred, and you'll get somewhat better service. I've done ORD-LHR and ORD-CDG and ORD-AMS a few times and they aren't that bad FWIW (I live in Portland), although I can understand why you'd want to avoid that choice if possible. It may or may not be able to avoid ORD if you want those upgrades. And call ASAP. Those upgrades and Saver awards are capacity controlled and I think the Saver awards are controlled at a maximum of two or four seats per flight segment. So: the sooner the better. Hope this is helpful. Good luck!