I’m just a bit obsessed with the Queen of the Skies.
In 2016 I took Rafi to San Francisco to let him experience flying on the upper deck of the glorious 747 before United retired it.
Last year I flew to Hawaii on United flight 747, which was United’s final 747 flight.
I’ve written in the past about how United auctions off parts of their retired 747s.
I’ve used my miles to fly around in the world in first class and stay in 5 stars hotels, that’s the traditional way to get the most value from your miles. But I’ve also used United miles to steal 2nd base in middle of an Indians game and used Starpoints to throw out the first pitch before game 7 of the World Series.
And now I used miles for a physical item, a metal piece of a United 747 that is going to look great on my office wall next to my giant map of the world:
I won the auction with a bid of 230,000 miles.
Want your own piece of a 747? United is auctioning off pieces of another retired 747 here. There’s about 36 days left until the end of the current round auctions.
Here’s how much parts of a United 747 sold for earlier this week:
- Fuel jettison panel: 65K
- Under the wing fuel panel: 72K
- Livery panel: 80K
- Ram-air inlet: 85K
- Exit sign: 100K
- Galley wine opener: 141K
- Double passenger seat: 220K
- 747-400 cutout: 230K
- Tail number registration: 250K
- Forward facing US flag: 451K
- Rear facing US flag: 435K
Will you bid on a piece of a 747 or other mileage auctions? Or will you keep using your miles for actual travel?
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71 Comments On "I Used 230,000 United Miles To Buy A Piece Of A 747!"
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How big is it?
The item that I won says that it is 5 feet by 1.5 feet.
WOW!!! Thats AWESOME!!!
I think everyone is expecting it to be 12 inches
Seems like a waste of miles… but if it’s worth it to you, then props!
Think of the places you could have gone!
I’m sitting on 8 figures of miles and spend 7 figures of miles on flying every year. The problem for me is the time requirements, not the mileage requirements 🙂
If your MS is getting you over a million miles a year, you could be getting 20K cash in the bank. Now, for that 230K, you could’ve gotten 4600 dollars. If instead of it being CC miles it had been a cash gift to you of 4600 dollars, would you have spent it on that?
It’s a luxury that won’t last
8 figures of miles is obscene
Do you mind telling how many miles do you have. I get a kick reading these numbers. One time I was browsing wiki leaks and found United email for John Podesta. He had like 3M miles.
@Dan What would you do with 8 figures of miles if United sold off its mileage program and then ended their relationship with it with 3 yrs notice (and didn’t buy it back)?
Take day trips to Hawaii every day for a few years? Buy round-the-world tickets for anyone with 100 HT’s? Buy a whole 747?
Would never question you!
What is the point for the airline though to sell for miles ? Is it more valuable for them than $ ?
It isn’t more or less valuable – it’s just another form of currency. when someone spends miles, United gets to remove it from their accounting books, which is similar to getting cash. I’m sure they have some numerical valuation of their miles that they use. For “niche” sales like this, it makes sense to use miles probably for two reasons – first, they can use it as an opportunity to enhance their mileage program by billing it as having cool, unique things you can only do with miles. and second, they can probably get more out of miles then they could with cash- most people probably just aren’t as likely to spend Cold Hard Cash on something like this as they are miles, especially for a United-specific item. It attracts a certain crowd ☺
What does the piece look like
What part of the airplane did it come from
I guess we each have our own yetzer haras
What a horrible judgement to say to someone !
or Yetzer Tov
Yetzer! Yetzer! Hurrah! Hurrah!
230k??? Wow, United miles have really devalued!
for someone that know how to “earn” and you always say that it’s very easy, so yes it’s worth every miles, because you know how to get them back very fast ..
for me (personal and private guy) that try this game for already 3 years, the most that i earn form 1 cc is 150k so it’s very “expensive” the 250k ..
again, happy for you and enjoy it ! it’s a great memory.
and thanks again for all what you do for us the “newbie”
If someone’s business is diamonds or clothing, those things come cheaper to them. I can assume that some of the clicks we do reward Dan with miles. The typical user can not earn miles as fast as Dan does but might have other benefits in their life.
of course ! i agree with that 100%.
this is way i am happy for him, that he is able to get stuff/travel etc.. with the miles that he knows how to get them. good for him. he deserve it!
for me personality without all his work that he share with us on this site i will never had bin in that “game” and be able to earn 1miles.
so again THANKS Dan, and enjoy of what make you happy !
az m’ken nisht english shreibt men nisht
seyog lechucma shtika
My friend does an old Jewish tradition for his livelihood – he’s a peddler! He buys and resells items. Happens to do it all online, with a turnover of over 30mil a year!!!!! Yup people earn plenty of miles legit, just doing what our grandparents did, buying and selling goods
You realize the Fuel jettison panel: 65K is really just a part of a jet’s tuches..
get a life
Are you sure that it is even from the plane? It just says its a cutout
Cutout from what, the wall?
I’ll take “I Have too Many Miles” for $200 Alex
alol
What a genius move by United to get miles off the books for free
My thought exactly! They were just going to trash this thing, so figured why not try to get as much as we can out of it. Granted the people actually buying this stuff have millions of miles to spare.
“I Used 230,000 United Miles To Buy A Piece Of A 747!” your nuts… unless you bought it A an investment as it might sell for alot one day
Do you have part of a plane in your office? Would you even know how to get one if you wanted one? It’s unique and it is also relevant to what he does in his office. It is an accomplishment in the field of his choosing.
Cool and congrats
After the monstrous A370 what’s left to be obsessed with the 747?
Same question. My guess would be since you build these obsessions while being a kid and somehow you don’t lose it, so the A380 was invented and started to operate after him being an adult..
The A380 looks like an ugly whale while the 747 is a beautiful queen.
But sure, there’s also the nostalgia factor.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Beauty is in the eyes of the beerholder
Are you Ben or Bud?
This should be framed:
“The A380 looks like an ugly whale while the 747 is a beautiful queen.”
-Dan 8.24.18
Reb Dan, while as an avgeek I would agree, in your particluar case I would zug Ethics of our Fathers: “Said Rabbi Meir: Look not at the vessel, but at what it contains”. In this case, the ugly whate whale contained the gevaldik First Class Shower…….
@dan I think it’s super cool that you got that and (am slightly astounded at the criticisms as the comments her seem to be more thoughtful than not). Piece of history and something you like. The real question is how on earth do you get so many miles? If the answer is sign up bonuses, don’t most cards have limits on how many you can take out?
Dear Dan, I follow you for quite awhile already and have used some if your advice. For example i got 2 chase cards with 100,000 mile bonus each but i am a last minute vacation person and just blew those on one trip 🙁 I wanted to ask you if you kept or keep a log or history from inception of your award/miles accumulation and spending. That would be very informative to learn from you. Thank you! Linda
Unfortunately I still fly the BA Phx -> Lhr route that will be on a 747 for the next goodness knows how many years!
I can see BA auctioning off parts of that plane while it’s still in service.
Great start Dan!
Just about 500 more of these sales and you’ll have yourself a full plane purchased with points! Gotta start somewhere.
Over half the comments can be answered with two words: “ungrateful much?”. So Dan should only share his experiences if they can be of benefit to you? You want to be a part of the community that he created, then you want him to spend his miles a certain way, and you don’t want him to enjoy what makes him happy?
Maybe learn something from this, that in life not everything = money. Dan drew the line at miles and he’s able to experience things that the very top of the 1 percent can enjoy while also not having the worries that the same people have. We have a clear winner here! Moreover, he’s sharing it with us so we can each experience it at our level.
Anyways, kuddos to Dan for not censoring you and allowing the rest of us to be reminded that there are always going to be a few bad apples.
Perfect summation.
Mic drop….
Dan did ask “Will you bid on a piece of a 747 or other mileage auctions? Or will you keep using your miles for actual travel?”. People are simply answering his question.
I don’t think it’s a matter of bad apples or haters or ungrateful people. It’s simply a matter of difference in opinion and spending ability. Nobody is criticizing him, just they themselves wouldn’t spend the miles on that.
100%
i love you dan!!!
can you book me a ticket to tel aviv?
I have a voucher on Tower Air for ya
These comments are a riot.
!חזק Don’t listen to the haters
I won a toilet seat! 10k
mazel tov, you should use it in good health
I bought one at Home Depot for $10
First of all Reb Dan Shlita, a hartzigeh mazel tov on snagging an actual piece of historical aircraft. To the naysayer shmekles out there varfing aroyes, obtaining something like this in the aviation enthusiast world is just as easy as easy as scheduling a private same day appointment with R Kanievsky shlita while checking in at the airport following a lucky price mistake the day before on Air Yukel.
As a dieheard aviation geek myself, I am envious yet misamayach blev sholem with our good chaver Dan. You should enjoy not only owning a piece of history, but all the great trips and memories you were so kind enough to share with us on this forum. You should only have nachas and brochos from all you children, and may you continue to be guided in identifying great deals for the klal to take advantage on and save serious money.
B’yedidus, QSMAN
What I meant to say in the second paragraph is the 747 piece should also always remind you of all the great quality time you spent with your kids on the aircraft and trips that you were so kind to share with us on this forum
Thanks Dan … Just bought the double passenger seat … so I don’t have to worry where I sit … because now I’ll just bring my seat with me and decide where I park the whole row …
Maybe between all of you, you could make your own plane!
For the geeks without the miles, you can get some of this memoribilia on eBay. Prices seem cheaper in some cases that redeeming miles.
The authentication is better here. I may even add that buying it with miles itself is part of the charm for this kind of item.
Ok, I’m auctioning parts of my used car, 200k for the muffler anybody in?
I’ll trade for an autographed photo of my next Uber driver
lol hakavod Dan!
Where on the 747 did the metal piece go?
Super cool! Post a picture when it’s up on your wall!
My friend works at IAI, they convert old 747’s to cargo, plenty spare parts if you need, perhaps a new row of sea6s for your dining room?