Mileage Run Deals - Desperate times for UA in SFO drove me to this...

FT is my confessional for this one... A year or two ago, I would have scoffed at such a high cpm, but the high prices for most 1-day turnarounds out of SFO (especially on all UA metal) led me to this run :o. I didn't have any trips planned for early May, and time was running out, so please don't flame me.

SFO-ORD-PBI-ORD-SNA-SFO on 5/1-2 (~21hrs)
6360 BIS miles
$221 all-in, 7-day adv

could route through PHL for a few more mile, with SFO-PHL on UA metal, but flight schedules and availability would not have allowed a one-day turnaround with UA metal on the return. also possible to route via SNA/LAX on the outbound, but united.bomb could only pull-up the PBI-ORD segment if i did it this way. also had to use CHI instead of ORD on the mult-segment search, even though these flights via ORD.

[sigh]

time was running out? in may?

SFO-ORD-PBI-ORD-SNA-SFO on 5/1-2 (~21hrs)
6360 BIS miles
$221 all-in, 7-day adv

[sigh]
I'm not going to flame you. :D I will add my confession here as well:

SFO-IAD-TPA-IAD-SFO on 5/16 11:25 PM redeye out - 5/18 12:22 AM back in SFO (~25 hrs)
6458 BIS miles
$229 all-in (T fare, availability of cheapest fares appears mostly on Tue/Wed flights)

So, $229/6458 = 3.55 cents per EQM (but under 1.775 cents per RDM for those of us getting 100% bonus+).

(Interestingly, I flew the exact same route a year ago -- early May 2005 -- and it cost only $190 then!)

Looks like, after taking the #30 bus from TPA airport and then another bus, I'll have a couple of hours in the afternoon of 5/17 to walk around Ybor City and grab some lunch! :D

Anyhow, these transcon to Florida deals are still far superior to the very limited $295 LAX-JFK and SFO-JFK Mother's Day sale runs being touted in other threads. ;) The SFO-JFK route, for example, is 5172 miles RT, so 5.7 cents per EQM for that one (p.s. service comes at a premium!).

SFO-ORD-PBI-ORD-SNA-SFO on 5/1-2 (~21hrs)
6360 BIS miles
$221 all-in, 7-day adv

You could add a SEA segment (SFO-SEA-ORD.....) for $3 more - you'd get another 550 miles and it would cost you another couple of hours.]

time was running out? in may?

You all need to catch up with me. I passed 100K last week on a MR to Philadelphia ($130 base fares on AA...hard to resist for building miles) :D

You can never have too many miles.

Thank you for posting some great MRs out of SFO here! Was looking at some fares, but just can't seem to get SFO-TPA for the dates I want. :(

me neither :(

Managed to get OAK - DEN for $213 (using $75 discount) which I'd never do just to go to DEN, but it's worth a double R/T, and once in DEN, hellooooo PHX :D Not rackin' up a ton of BIS miles Memorial Day weekend (butt enough to put me into 1P) but the redeemable miles I'll accrue. ^

You all need to catch up with me. I passed 100K last week on a MR to Philadelphia ($130 base fares on AA...hard to resist for building miles) :D

You can never have too many miles.

First, do you mean you have flown 100K already this year?! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Second, "You can never have too many miles." Oh how right you are! ^ ^ ^ ^ :D

100,529 already, and another mileage building trip to PHL this week (the DFW-SFO segment on this one doesn't look good for an upgrade). I spend the miles pretty quickly, though, having done SFO-AKL and NRT-SIN this year, and SFO-SYD-BNE next month. I get a very good return for what I spend.

It's nice to be retired :)

100,529 already, and another mileage building trip to PHL this week (the DFW-SFO segment on this one doesn't look good for an upgrade). I spend the miles pretty quickly, though, having done SFO-AKL and NRT-SIN this year, and SFO-SYD-BNE next month. I get a very good return for what I spend.

It's nice to be retired :)


:eek: :eek: :eek:

I hope my retirement is like this! I plan on saving the miles, except for sending my mom to LHR/CDG in either business or first when I graduate (it is a graduation present for her -- considering everything I have put her through -- and she does not like to travel much, so I want her to travel in style the first time she goes to Europe).

SFO-IAD-TPA-IAD-SFO on 5/16 11:25 PM redeye out - 5/18 12:22 AM back in SFO (~25 hrs)
(Interestingly, I flew the exact same route a year ago -- early May 2005 -- and it cost only $190 then!)


Kathy, I remember that fare--in fact we were on the same set of SFO-IAD-TPA flights last may... Mrs. cap'n adventure and I met you in the SFO security line. It was 5/6 according to my mileage summary. :D

Kathy, I remember that fare--in fact we were on the same set of SFO-IAD-TPA flights last may... Mrs. cap'n adventure and I met you in the SFO security line. It was 5/6 according to my mileage summary. :D
Right you are! :cool:

So true. :( Not much joy SFO-BOS or SFO-TPA.

Was the OP being facetious when he expressed concern about getting flamed for a UA MR of some length at less the 4 cpm for EQM? :confused: I would be delighted to find opportunities like that ex-WAS.

You all need to catch up with me. I passed 100K last week on a MR to Philadelphia ($130 base fares on AA...hard to resist for building miles)


Really? I haven't been able to find any good fares SFO-PHL. My best friend lives there and has been bugging me to spend a few nights... he doesn't necessarily have to know that I'm running home to SF during the day while he's at work... :D

Those $130 base AA SFO-PHL fares were out there around the first of the year, and have not made a return (I bought 5 of them). I bought a couple SFO-DCA's at the same price in late 2005 for 2006 travel, too, that I flew back in Jan-Feb. I don't think UA matched either of these. Haven't been able to find anything decent for the summer months, so may have to be content with Seattle and Victoria trips in August, and enjoy life here in the Bay Area during June and July.

I will admit to once taking the following to be PLAT, sjc-bos-sjc, turn within 45 minutes, on a 757 in coach, for $400. I didn't have time and had to be back in SJC at a decent time and was 8 day's out so had no selection of cheap buckets. Of course, this was in 2004, and kept me PLAT until the end of 2005. It was worth it, to me. I qualified for PLAT on the outbound, and it was still a pathetic 3.5 cpm.

I thought the OP was talking about UA flights. Has this been taken over by AAers? It seems that AAers have reasonable MR possibilities now, it is us UA MPers who are hurting for opportunities.

It's in the Mileage Run forum. Anyone is free to post :)

It's in the Mileage Run forum. Anyone is free to post :)

Yes, it is the Mileage Run forum and anyone is free to post. Bu the title of this thread is "Desperate times for UA," and while the OP seems to have been talking about a UA itinerary, others may be talking about AA ones. So that this conversation will be a useful one, can we get straight which posts relate to UA itineraries/possibilities and which to AA ones?

It's all a part of AA's grand scheme to take over the world. :D


Seriously, it is deperate times for all in regards to airlines.

...the title of this thread is "Desperate times for UA," and while the OP seems to have been talking about a UA itinerary, others may be talking about AA ones. So that this conversation will be a useful one, can we get straight which posts relate to UA itineraries/possibilities and which to AA ones?
Mine (SFO-IAD-TPA and back for $229 all-in in May) is also a UA itinerary. Like you, I was assuming that since the thread title refers to UA....

Anyhow, one look at my profile to the left, where it says UA 1K (with no mention of status on other airlines), would tend to suggest that my MR is on UA, doncha think? ;)

I thought the OP was talking about UA flights. Has this been taken over by AAers? It seems that AAers have reasonable MR possibilities now, it is us UA MPers who are hurting for opportunities.


I'm new here and trying to build a MR out of MIA or FLL. So far the best deal I'm finding is a UA one: MIA-ORD-SFO-SEA-ORD-MIA for $290. I can't find anything semi-decent on AA (which is where I need the miles). I need AAers to take over so I can get help! :p

Was the OP being facetious when he expressed concern about getting flamed for a UA MR of some length at less the 4 cpm for EQM?

I wasn't being faceitious about getting flamed. I was just feeling a little self-conscious because the MR I posted was at least 20% more expensive than what previously could be found with ease. Also, I'm not any sort of master of MRs, there have been lower priced MRs out of the bay area on other carriers, and I've seen plenty of other MRs flamed in the past, so I was a little cautious. But it's all good, and thanks everyone for the feedback and commiserating! :)