5901 Miles till Platinum, is it worth it?
#16
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,820
For longer, more detailed help, start here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milea...ser-guide.html
that, plus a lot of Googling/reading, is where I started ~5 months ago...
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,309
yes it's easy to spend HOURS doing this, and I freely admit that I've done so ... but some of it, I think, just comes from familiarity with the big picture
OP said DTW-based; I know from 6+ years on this board (and many more than that of just being an airline/air-travel geek) that a lot of not-too-distant cities have much better fares than the hub; I know that OP needs ~6000 miles which is ~3000 miles each way (or a 2000-mile trip where a reasonable G/A/P fare might be available) ... FNT-ATL is ~600 miles, ATL-LAX is ~1900 miles, LAX-SAN/LAS/PHX/OAK/SJC/SMF gets the 500-mile minimum ... so doing a search with Flexible Dates (and again knowing that Tues & Wed are typically the best options) and a bit of scrolling thru the options I had that answer in less than 10 min
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: DTW Metro Detroit AKA The Motor City AKA Motown AKA BANKRUPT
Programs: Amex Plat, Amex Delta Reserve, Visa Black, Delta Plat FF, SPG Gold, HH Gold, TR Diamond
Posts: 68
I am going to go ahead and do a run.
Just need to find the least amount of time I can be gone for the most miles.
Cost isn't really a big issue.
Sure I don't want to spend 4K but under 2K and I am good.
Just need to find the least amount of time I can be gone for the most miles.
Cost isn't really a big issue.
Sure I don't want to spend 4K but under 2K and I am good.
#20
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM+(segs)/MM, UA Ag, Hilton DM, Marriott Ti (life Pt), TSA Opt-out Platinum
Posts: 3,218
#21
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: NYC
Posts: 937
XXX->hub->NRT->SIN->NRT->hub->XXX
i have an upcoming trip booked EWR->ATL->NRT->SIN->NRT->LAX->JFK. Cost $800 and should earn close to $800.
was going to fall 4,000 miles short of gold, so instead of paying $350 to go to LAX and back, i can spend just over double and earn 5x the miles, thus having a huge rollover for 2016.
#22
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CHS
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, Delta Skymiles PM, AA ExPlat, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 362
Try JFK-NRT-SIN-NRT-JFK on Sun - Tue and then JFK-SEA-NRT-SIN-NRT-DTW-JFK on that same Wed - Sat. None of my GUCs have cleared yet, but I'm still hopeful!
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22,931
No need to enter random destinations. Use Google Flights in map view (click Explore Destinations). Set your origin airport and leave destination black. Cheapest flights tend to be on Tue/Wed/Sat two weeks out or more. So it's generally best to search on those days. But it's pretty easy to advance the calendar day-by-day to see what opens up.
#25
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Washington, DC, Chapel Hill, NC (RDU)
Programs: DL Plat (won't hit DM again) 2MM (2.5), HH Gold, PC Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 5,624
#26
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BDU
Programs: DL:MM, Marriott:LTT
Posts: 8,779
I'm doing a 20K+ MR next week for $700.80, $600 of which was covered by a bump from last December. JFK-NRT-SIN, arrive very early Sat, leaving Wed morning, SIN-NRT-JFK. It did require positioning in JFK, which I was able to make happen. The thing is, I don't really want to stay in SIN, so I'm flying out Sat morning, going to the beach for a couple days, flying back and flying home. I'll do a half day in SIN at the end of the trip, which is enough.
#27
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,820
#28
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: DL MM, DL Plat
Posts: 26
Don't forget you get additional MQMs if you buy first class, so a shorter & quicker MR in FC might net the MQMs needed more easily. First Class has gotten pretty cheap on a lot of flights, too. Just have to balance the cost vs. miles vs. time.
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA
Programs: DL SM Plat, B6 TrueBlue, UA MP, AAdvantage
Posts: 10,008
Considering that the least expensive Y ticket at the time was about $500, the fare difference was definitely worth the cost, especially for the 50% MQM bonus.
#30
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: home airport RSW
Programs: Delta Plat, Marriott Life Gold, ***Princess Status***
Posts: 875
if OP is willing to drive from Detroit to Flint, there is a 24-hr turn departing Tues 8 Dec for $435, netting ~6200 miles
FNT-ATL lv 1205p ar 220p DL1767
ATL-LAX lv 305p ar 515p DL1755
LAX-SAN lv 700p ar 755p DL5811
SAN-LAX lv 825p ar 925p DL5811
LAX-ATL lv 1150p ar 654a DL1354
ATL-FNT lv 932a ar 1125a DL1767
enough time for a shower at the LAX SkyClub, and there are even some decent C+ seats available on 1354 (and only two of the 36 flat-bed J seats are showing occupied ...)ATL-LAX lv 305p ar 515p DL1755
LAX-SAN lv 700p ar 755p DL5811
SAN-LAX lv 825p ar 925p DL5811
LAX-ATL lv 1150p ar 654a DL1354
ATL-FNT lv 932a ar 1125a DL1767