Merry Christmas from everyone at MileValue to you and your family.

Christmas 2008, the View from the Conrad in Punta del Este, Uruguay

There will be no new posts the rest of the week. Check out some of these classics if you can't take a few days off from thinking about miles!

Negative Price Oneways to the Caribbean (Dies in One Month!)
My Favorite Hotel Promo of 2013 Will Return in 2014.

With Christmas tomorrow, I'll get on my soapbox for a second: Give experiences not things.

Having lived happily for much of 2013 with very few things--two carry on sized bags full to be exact--I can confirm what many more have said before me: things don't bring happiness.

If you're celebrating Christmas, what should you give your loved ones tomorrow?

Last second award availability is routinely fantastic on United flights and on certain Star Alliance partner flights. Use your United miles (or any other Star Alliance miles) to book a last minute trip right now to anywhere in the world for Christmas or New Year's!
Australia
You could be in Sydney Harbour for the fireworks. United flies daily from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Both routes have Saver award space this week in economy, business, and first classes for two passengers.

In Part 1, I shared my experiences at the 2012 Euro Cup and how they informed my plan for the World Cup. I also discussed the flight and hotel awards I booked for myself.

I just booked myself a roundtrip First Class award from Honolulu to Sao Paulo, Brazil during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. I also booked myself five nights at a hotel in Sao Paulo.

Rooting for the Home Team (Poland) at the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup!

The cost?

125,000 US Airways miles
100,000 IHG Rewards points
$109

If you want to go see the biggest sporting event in the world in the world's best footballing (soccer) country, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The offers for the cards listed in this post have expired, so their links have been removed. Click here for the top current credit card sign up bonuses.

The 50k mile bonus offer is back on the Lufthansa card mentioned in this post until 6/30/14.

Update at 5:49 PM ET on 12/20/13: Many commenters are saying they've had problems with aa.com showing "phantom award space" on airberlin flights. I have never had that experience, so I was surprised by the reports, but I'm sure they're accurate. My advice changes in light of this info.

Update: My transfer took two days. I made the transfer on December 18 and received the miles on December 20. Yours may take more or less time.

Starpoints (or SPG points) are the points earned from the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express and Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express.

Starpoints are the most valuable mile or point in my opinion--worth about 2.5 cents each.

They can be used for free hotel nights, complete vacations, discounted hotel nights, or transferred to airline miles with over 30 airlines.

This review is a continuation of my huge US Airways redemption that I wrote about back in this post. I reviewed Swiss Business Class: Boston to Zurich, Thai First Class: Paris to Bangkok on an A380, and the Thai Royal Orchid Spa in Bangkok already.

After a relaxing night at the Park Hyatt Seoul (a great value at 15,000 Hyatt points/night), I took the coach bus from the Gangnam bus terminal to Incheon airport at 10:00 a.m.

United announced a massive devaluation of its miles on Halloween to take effect for awards booked February 1, 2014 or later. Until January 31, 2014, I’ll be running posts about the best ways to burn United miles.

Maybe I should have written this last week because I'm cutting it very close, and I might already be too late! But here goes...

It's your last chance to earn and burn United miles before the United miles devaluation kicks in February 1, 2014.