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With the thermometer hovering around 29 degrees, I’ve had a warm-weather vacation on the brain. Luckily for me, United recently announced that between now and February 24th, they’re offering 5,000 points off of economy roundtrips between the US and Mexico.

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Sale Rules

  • This offer for discounted Saver Awards is available to all MileagePlus members
  • Saver award discount is only valid for air travel
  • Tickets must be booked no later than 11:59 p.m. CST on February 24, 2017
  • Offer is valid for travel beginning on or after April 29, 2017, and completed on or before May 26, 2017
  • Offer is valid for travel on all days of the week
  • Discounted Saver Award is only valid for roundtrip travel between Mexico and the United States (excluding Hawaii) or Canada
  • Discounted Saver Award is only valid for roundtrip travel in United Economy
  • See all terms and conditions here

So while I might not be able to escape the cold weather right now, it is a great opportunity to book an early Spring trip to Mexico!

Is it worth it?

To decide if this sale was worth it, I priced out Newark to Cancun for 4/29 – 5/5. In points, as expected, it came to 30,000 plus $74.83 in taxes.

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In cash? The same exact flights came to… $295.33, including taxes.

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When you factor in the taxes I’d have to pay on the award redemption, I’m really only saving $220.50 by using points. To me, that’s not a really great use of points, as they would be worth $0.007 each, which is way lower than I value United miles.

Conclusion

It’s always great to save miles, especially when you’re trying to plan a vacation for more than a couple (Dan’s family would save 40,000 points with this promotion!), but make sure to check the comparable cash price, as you may get a better deal paying in cash.

Header image courtesy of René Bongard.


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