As I sit here in the Vegas lounge waiting for a flight on my first end of year Mileage Run I figured that I’d document my flights and status and post a trip report. I am not the best writer – usually writing in a talking style, but I’ll give it a shot anyway. I’m not sure the best way to do this. Maybe keep a running total of each flight and a little report from the trip. We’ll see as it goes. Perhaps this can be a log more about how I mileage run and things I do as situations come up rather than a pure trip report. There will probably be no pics just my knowledge of mileage running and how it applies to my situation.
As a background, I am at 66235 EQMs and I’m going to push to 1k. I am currently scheduled for 100600 at year end. I have one work trip, one vacation and 4 mileage runs. The first mileage run is right now on a nice $170ish fare LAS-SLC. While it doesn’t sound like a lot of EQMs it is when routed through SFO/LAX and IAH. Thanks to a few beneficial schedule changes this first trip is actually, LAS-SFO-IAH-SLC-IAH-SAN-LAX-LAS. The SFO-IAH is on a 787 redeye. This run is netting 6828 EQMs. My LAS-SFO is currently on a 1.5 hour weather hold, but thanks to a 3h40m layover I should be fine. I’ve had the lounge attendant protect me on the 1250a LAS-IAH redeye if things become an issue getting to SFO.
My work trip is LAS-BWI and my vacation is out to RDU to see the UNLV-UNC basketball game. Of the mileage runs, 2 are SLC trips, one is a PHL trip and one is a BOS trip with a IAH-ORD leg on the 787. I am quickly learning that the 787 isn’t an easy upgrade after seeing myself in the 20s tonight on the upgrade list. My final flight of the year back from RDU is on Dec 30th, IAD-LAX on the int’l 777 (with my wife). When I earn my CR1s (or whatever they are called these days) I’m going to secure the upgrade for both of us on that return. In all I have 31 segments booked and a little over 34K EQMs.
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So I’m still sitting here 2 hours after scheduled departure for my LAS-SFO flight and it is becoming increasingly clear that I might not make my SFO-IAH flight (even though the IAH-SFO is about 3 hours late and probably won’t depart until 1230am). I have asked the lounge agent if I can reroute LAS-CLE-ORD-SLC arriving SLC with a very very tight connection time to my IAH flight. He is working the reroute right now. This increases my miles earned by about 250 which is better than having to beg for original routing credit.
Agent just came over to me with my new boarding passes. Looks like I should get the last upgrade seat on the ORD-SLC flight (fingers crossed) and I had the agent snag the middle exit row seat on the first exit row on the 319. He just told me when he called to reissue the ticket the lady on the phone said “he only has 20 minutes in SLC”, to which he said “haven’t you ever heard of a mileage run”… lol ^^^ to that! He is my new favorite agent at the Vegas club. Side note – I already have flight options lined up via ORD if I don’t make the IAH flight to get me to SAN for my last two flights in time.
Just heard over the PA that the SFO flight will be boarding at 920p. Should push back at 10p then. I would have probably made my IAH redeye, but after doing many many mileage runs involving redeyes the longer the redeye the better, which means LAS-CLE is better
. Side note – there goes the 787. Guess I’ll have to wait to see her next Friday when I have an IAH-ORD flight scheduled on it.
This is my 3000th post. Didn't think that would ever happen