Mileage Run Discussion - Without MRs, would you be an elite??

Im curious as I never done a proper MR although have done week-end in TYO bcs of a good cheap AA fare, quite different some say. Im trying to gage how many folks that have Elite Status actually gain it aside from MRing.

Yes, I would still be elite on both CO and UA though maybe only top tier in one program.

I would still be an elite on United, but not the highest level (1K) without MRs. I take MRs to make sure I get to 1K status as opposed to just 1P.

I would still be a UA Premier Executive without MR's, but a MR earlier in the year allowed me to reach status more quickly ;)

Ditto for me, Dole.

In previous years, I'd only be a Premier on United for non-MR flying.

This year, I would've dropped to a general member had I not been doing so many MRs... I'll be a 1K next month. This is the first year I've done so many MRs (partially thanks to the PL-trick, partially due to my addiction to flying).

I am LH SEN and AA PLT without MRs. Next year I will l probably only make AA Gold, but won't do any MRs for PLT as I mostly fly *A.

Yes, I'd still be a 1K on UA even without MRs. This year, the few MRs I have done will allow me to reach 150K and earn two addl SWUs.

Yes. Over 300k a year flown miles (sometimes much more) means getting status is easily achieved.

This year I would only be a 2P without MRs. In years past, I would have no status.

Not really... I travel mostly for pleasure, and may hit AS MVP based on my regular level of travel... but due to convoluted routings & independent MR's I maintain AS MVPG...

I'd make GE w/o MRs, but usually go the extra miles for PE or eventually LTPE.

I would have probably made it to gold on CO this year w/o runs. But for the past two years I've been plat.

Seriously regretting the long haul I could have done on AA - I would have been Explat right now with minimal mrs.. yes.. I am kicking myself.

I would be a KF silver without MR, would be getting my Gold after MR.

Without MRs, my wife and my dogs would consider me Elite.

AA would not. LOL!

Bob

Nope! :cool:

Thanks to many MR's in the past I've made gold for life! If I stopped all MR's now I would fall from Executive Platinum to gold (over 2 years).

I started flying AA summer of '07, and was about 10k miles short of ExP, so I went to HEL for a day. Best $498 I ever spent.

Thanks to many MR's in the past I've made gold for life! If I stopped all MR's now I would fall from Executive Platinum to gold (over 2 years).

Seeing I have never done a pure MR in my life (i.e. there and back without business or personal matters on the other end for a few days), Yes I would still be 1K.

Used to get mid tier on AA and DL and even US (stopped that along time ago) w/o MR.

Now that I am semi retired and Gold for Life on AA and usually make FO on DL, I look for occasional MR's but only have done one to Panama City Panama in my life.

Cheers

No 1K, probably no 1P without MRs.

The problem is that 1K is so addictive, the thought of no CR1s nor SWUs is to terrifying to dwell on.

I would be close every year. Thanks to FT, I just do a couple upfront mileage runs (like US-Germany on AA this year for <400). Now I am at 94k in September, with the finish line in clear sight.

In 2005 and 2006 i used mileage runs to acheive higher status. In 2007 i used a mileage run to get to 2p.

So, the answer to your question is sometimes.

I wouldn't -- almost no business travel to speak of, so it's a combination of leisure flying and MRs that get me my elite table scraps (UA 2P). :D

Another question - would life be worth living without MRs?

I need my airport fix at least every month!

Another question - would life be worth living without MRs?

I need my airport fix at least every month!


I feel the same way! If I go more than a couple of weeks without traveling, I start yearning for it! (we're totally insane)


On topic: I definitely would have status without doing MRs, but it would be a very low status. MRs are what get me to EXP each year.

In my current employment situation, I would be a WN A-Lister (potentially CP) or US Silver. With my previous employmer, I would have earned Gold on *A + ST.

I enjoy the benefits of elite status immensely and do not consider it a chore to requalify. The benefits on my personal vacations and work travels outweigh the boring nature of mileage runs.

My initial thought was that the OP was effectively asking how many us of do mileage runs, since the main reason for doing such runs is to gain or improve status. In other words - of course none of us who do MR's would reach their level of status, otherwise why do them?

An obvious exception is those who having failed to reach their desired status level the previous year embark on a quest to reach that level early in the year.

It did get me wondering how many people actually do MR's for reasons other than for gaining status e.g. for RDM accumulation or perhaps even an addiction to MR's or flying.

My travel patterns here are probably different than most everyone else's.


All of my travel is on my own dime
All of my travel is for leisure
Darn near all of my travel is international


Because of this, I look out for "MR fares" that I would take as vacations, so my MR threshold is a little higher than most. Then if this doesn't get me up to 1P (and lounge access, which is probably my number one benefit of being 1P), I follow my trips up with "true MRs". This year, without MRs, I would be a little shy of 2P, even after having 3 international trips. With MRs, I'll clear 1P for the second consecutive year.

Chris

Im trying to gage how many folks that have Elite Status actually gain it aside from MRing.

I do. I would have made AA PLT this year w/o MR's or AADER, but needed the AADER and 3 transcon MR's (the second of which, SFO-DFW-FLL-DFW-SFO, is this Tuesday) to make EXP by the end of the year.

I feel the same way! If I go more than a couple of weeks without traveling, I start yearning for it! (we're totally insane)

Yes we are, though I'm less insane than you are apparently :p. I get wanderlust about every 6-8 weeks, then I have to just get on a plane.

My travel patterns here are probably different than most everyone else's.


All of my travel is on my own dime
All of my travel is for leisure
Darn near all of my travel is international


Ditto. 52K of my 84K BIS miles this year will come from int'l travel, all leisure, all my own dime.

This year I would only be a 2P without MRs. In years past, I would have no status.

co-sign on that one....although this coming year will be different since I'll be able to make a lot of my trips more business oriented and thus deductible