Currently, the following United award (Newark to London, returning Paris to Newark) would cost 60k miles in economy.

Add in a stopover in Newark on the return, and a later one way trip to Jamaica and the price drops 2,500 miles to only 57,500 miles in economy!

Unfortunately, this deal I first wrote about last year dies in six weeks!

Delta miles, an already low value type of miles, are being devalued further in 2014. The current award chart is only for flights flown by January 31, 2014. There is a separate chart for flights flown February 1 - May 31, 2014, and a third chart for flights flown from June 1, 2014 on.

For full details, see Delta’s Double Devaluation (Devalues its Devaluation) with No Notice.

The big changes are for business class awards.

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

United and Delta have devalued their charts in the last few months, but American and US Airways, which close their merger tomorrow, have not devalued theirs recently.

I have made my own tables comparing the economy, business, and first class award prices on each of the big four US-based airlines' worst announced award chart.

For United, that is the chart for awards BOOKED February 1, 2014 and later. For Delta, that is the chart for awards FLOWN June 1, 2014 or later.

United massively devalued its award chart two weeks ago, especially for premium cabin international awards on partner airlines, which have been the bulk of my United awards.

I caught some flak because it didn't bother me too much.

Delta really is in a class of its own--and not in a good way!

Today it announced that it is devaluing its devaluation. August's devaluation wasn't kicking in quickly enough, so today there is a double devaluation.

In mid-August, 2013, Delta devalued its award chart effective immediately for flights that take place after June 1, 2014. Today Delta devalued that devaluation by putting in a new award chart for travel February 1 - May 31, 2014.

I believe the following only 20%, but it's a point of view to consider.

UA Insider posted news of the United miles devaluation on Halloween night. See my full coverage: United Massively Devalues Its Award Chart Starting February 1, 2014.

UA Insider stuck around to answer some follow up questions people posted, and in doing so illuminated three ways to beat the upcoming United Miles Devaluation.

What are the three ways to beat the United MileagePlus devaluation coming in February 2014? What one announcement surprised me as particularly customer friendly?

1.

The massive devaluation of United miles that I first reported earlier today is unambiguously bad news for miles collectors.

Don't flame the comments of this post by saying I am calling it a good thing. The devaluation and introduction of a second chart are bad things, very bad things.

But there are some pieces of good news or relative good news in the devaluation, and this post will focus on those.

What are the eight silver linings in today's disastrous United devaluation?

1.

Late last night, United massively devalued its award chart for redemptions from February 1, 2014 on.

United has split its one award chart into two new ones: one if all segments are on United planes, the other--far more expensive in some cases--if you use partner segments.

Some First Class redemptions will increase 130k miles per person roundtrip.