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Bid United Miles for a Trip to London and a Spider-Man Appearance

June 13, 2018
3 min read
Aerial View of London
Bid United Miles for a Trip to London and a Spider-Man Appearance
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While I tend to save up my miles for business and first-class award flights, many road warriors travel so frequently for work that the last thing they want to do is step foot on another plane. Instead, they'll redeem miles for gift cards, or experiences through programs like United's MileagePlus Exclusives.

Some of those redemptions would appeal to those who love to travel, too, such as a recent weekend with United's retired 747s and this latest auction, which includes a trip to London and the chance to appear as extras in the upcoming film, Spider-Man: Homecoming 2.

For the next 12 days, MileagePlus members can enter their bid to win this latest experiential package, which comes along with the following:

  • Round-trip economy airfare for two to London (Economy Plus and business upgrades aren't possible)
  • Two nights at the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane
  • Two nights at the Radisson Blu London Stansted Airport
  • $200 Uber credit
  • Opportunity to be join as an extra during the filming of Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 (appearance in the final film is not guaranteed)

The winners will fly to London on Saturday, June 30 and will return on Thursday, July 5. Bidding ends at 1pm ET on June 25, and the current high bid is 181,000 miles, though I expect the final amount to be quite a bit higher.

Economy award travel from the US to London runs 60,000 miles round-trip at the saver level, plus about $190, including the UK's awful Air Passenger Duty (APD). Considering our 1.4-cent valuation of United miles, plus the $380 in taxes, the flights alone are worth $2,060.

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Sheraton Grand Park Lane hotel exterior
(Photo courtesy of Sheraton Grand London Park Lane)

A two-night stay in a base room at the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane on the same dates, July 1-3, runs $910, including tax, while the Stansted Airport stay costs $325, bringing the total lodging value to $1,235. Add in the $200 Uber credit and we're at $1,435 for the ground portion of this giveaway.

Finally, while extras are typically paid to appear in a film, they're also usually working professionals. While I imagine some Spider-Man fans would pay a considerable amount for this opportunity, I'm going to leave it out of the calculations here.

So, in total, we're at a total package value of $3,495, if booking everything separately. Converted back to United miles, you're looking at 250,000 miles, again based on our 1.4-cent valuation. If you're willing to bid more than that, you better be a pretty big Spider-Man fan!

Featured image by Getty Images/iStockphoto

TPG featured card

Rewards rate
5X milesEarn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
2X milesEarn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
Intro offer
Open Intro bonus
Enjoy a $250 travel credit & earn 75K bonus miles
Annual fee
$95
Regular APR
19.49% - 28.49% (Variable)
Recommended credit
Open Credit score description
670-850Excellent, Good

Pros

  • Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
  • You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
  • Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners

Cons

  • Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
  • LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
  • Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
  • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
  • Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
  • Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
  • Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Top rated mobile app