How would use a $10,000 United Airlines voucher?
Yesterday, I wrote about Allison Preiss, who received a $10,000 United voucher after she was bumped from an oversold Washington Dulles (IAD) to Austin (AUS) flight.
Many asked her on Twitter: how will you use your voucher? She mused about flying first class to Australia. That’s actually no longe possible since United uses two-cabin 787s on its Australia routes. Furthermore, the travel credits are also only good on United or United Express flights, no codeshares or Star Alliance partner flights. So much for connecting on Singapore Suites...
Even so, $10,000 can get her far…and she doesn’t have to use it all at once.
Here’s How I Would Use $10,000 in United Credit
My parents love Hawaii. Love it. First thing I would do is book them a ticket two r/t first class tickets to Hawaii. That would take about $3K for the two tickets.
I’d also book two ticket on United’s new Tahiti route, preferably in economy class upgraded to business rather than straight business, for my wife Heidi and me. I’ve always wanted to take her to Tahiti and United’s new service starting this summer would represent a great opportunity.
The rest I would keep and use for my boring domestic travel. Business trips often pop up at the last minute. I’ve also got to buy my own tickets to Frequent Traveler University in New York and Washington, DC later this year.
There are many other things I’d like to do. For example, I would love to book a ticket for my father-in-law to visit from Zurich to Los Angeles. He hates to travel by plane and is not interested in such a long journey. But I don’t need a voucher to do that. I’d do that now in heartbeat with or without the voucher…the problem is getting him to agree to travel. Even an upgrade to business class is not a sufficient enticement.
CONCLUSION
Whether you blow it on one fancy trip or several smaller ones, $10,000 can get you to many (and most) places around the world. How would you use a $10K voucher from United?
Depending on the routes/dates/etc., the $10k voucher might not get much, at least in premium cabins. Even with a few months advanced purchase, some TPAC and TATL flights can go for $5k+. I’m assuming US-Australia is right up there, if not more.
Still, if I had the voucher, I would definitely try to use it for long-haul premium cabin travel (of course, at the same time trying to avoid 8-across sUA Business Class :-p ). If it counts for PQD, all the better! You could rack up UA status at the same time!
You can sell it for about 9k so with that you can easily book 4-5 TATL Biz RT.
Great question. With a 10000 voucher, I’d book tickets to Grand Cayman Island in first class, or if I could, full fare coach hoping to upgrade. I’d take three friends with me, so thats the start. I’d then probably fly polaris class anywhere I could go, with my brother. The destination isn’t too important, we’d make the best of anywhere, we just want to travel somewhere, eat good food, meet people, experience somewhere. Think I could do that within 10000 bucks, presuming I pay coach fares to Grand Cayman regardless of upgrade?
Do you get mileage credit for tickets bought using the voucher?
How would you account for the $10,000 IRS-1099 that comes due next April? What IF it thru you into the next higher tax bracket???
Fair point – Thought you would only pay the higher tax bracket rate on the income that is actually in that higher bracket, not the lower bracket income.
I’d start off by booking the island hopper via IAH and HNL. After that, I honestly have no idea what I’d do. Maybe try to book one flight on every equipment type in UA’s fleet just for the heck of it.
“United’s new Tahiti route, preferably in economy class upgraded to business rather than straight business”
Can you please elaborate on this? Why not just book biz?
Thanks.
This is all BS. United doesn’t allow you to use vouchers for anything other then economy tickets. You have to pay the upgraded cabin seat from your own pocket. If you try to select any other seat then economy or basic economy then it’s website doesn’t allow you to enter the voucher information. I have cakes them and they confirmed. So that 10k voucher actually sucks
Not true. You can vouchers for any paid ticket, it just must be on United metal, not partner metal.