Programs: DL GM/1MM, AA Gold; IC Platinum, Hilton, SPG, Marriott low tier elite; National Car Executive
Posts: 11,091
Mileage runs as a percent of total travel.
I'm kind of fascinated by the whole concept of mileage runs. I've never done one, even when a single trip would have put me on the next elite level.
It seems to make a certain amount of sense to take one if you have 96K miles, to get to a 100K status.
But reading some posts, it seems there are a number of FT's where mileage runs make up a significant amount of their total travel. I'm not sure why anyone would do this (except maybe they'll get upgraded on next year's mileage runs!)
So, using a this definition of a mileage run:
Any trip that would have not been taken if frequent flyer programs did not exist,
what percentage of your elite status miles were by mileage runs? (For example, if 20K were mileage runs, and you have a 25K status level, the percentage is 20/25=.8 = 80%)
I am interested in hearing from those of you with high percentages. A few lines about why you do it would satisfy my curiosity.
[This message has been edited by opus17 (edited 11-30-2000).]
% of trips taken solely for miles: 0%
% of trips where the choice of airline is determined by mileage considerations: 85.2% (based on the number of flights)
[This message has been edited by silver (edited 11-29-2000).]
I just got hooked on mileage runs this year (although I did a tiny one at the end of 1998 -- Chicago to Kansas City and back). This year, just under 50% of my total miles on United will be from two mileage runs from Chicago to Singapore. I will end up with about 88,000 on United and about 40,000 of those will be from the mileage runs. Those two runs, which cost me $1600 total (less than a penny a mile with bonuses included) will earn me literally tens of thousands of dollars of free travel benefits. The trips were well worth it.
% of trips taken solely for miles this year: 0% (I have only done a total of 2 since 1986)
% of trips where the choice of airline is determined by mileage considerations: 87.5% (based on the number of flights)
/Pete
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No flights to gain status this year, though I've made them in the past when I've been really close to a level in December.
However, I did get about 17,000 AA miles while going for the oneWorld Continents bonus this past summer. The cost of the flights was fully justified by the 100,000-mile bonus. The fact that they also got me within shouting distance of EXP (I'll have it by Dec. 18th on flights now booked) was an added benefit, but these weren't mileage runs for that purpose. They were mileage runs within your definition - I wouldn't have gone if FF programs didn't exist - but they're in a separate category.
I will, schedule and air fares permitting, generally maximize mileage on a given trip.
Objectively, you can often justify a mileage run if it takes you to a higher bonus level for the coming year. If getting over 50,000 miles takes you from a 25 to a 100 percent bonus, as is typical of the largest US airlines, that's another 37,500 miles in your account if you fly the same amount next year. Those miles are worth about US$750 at 2¢ per mile. (Your figure may vary.) If you can take a trip for $350 to get over that number, it's a smart move. The other benefits are gravy.
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I have to explain this quite frequently to colleagues and friends. As an elementary school teacher I have no business travel on airlines. I do have 16 weeks vacation a year, most of that during the high priced flying season of the summer months. I can take four Star Alliance trips to Europe between November and March for $1600 or so. Sometimes I fly over for just a couple of days. Actually with auction fares lately it is more like $1200. Those four trips give me enough miles for two award tickets to Europe during the summer months. The award tckets have more flexibility with open-jaw itineraries and more remote destinations, and they would easily cost $1600-2000 to buy for July and August travel. I get 6 tickets to Europe for the same price I would spend for two if I paid for just my summer travel. That is why I do mileage runs.
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Haven't yet taken a pure mileage run. But I have four weekend trips this fall that would not have occurred if not for the mileage and the chance to move from Platinum to Executive Platinum on AA.
Now, I'm still a few miles short thanks to work stupidity, so I will likely take a couple of pure mileage runs in the next three weeks. It'll probably be about 4000 miles out of 100,000, done as a pair of 4-segment trips on either coast.
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I did a mileage run for 1K. I was at 96K or so and I wanted to get it done with so I did BWI-LAX-LAS-DEN-BWI all in one day. Mostly in F, for about $200 (I used certs to upgrade and I must say, UA couldn't have been nicer.)
I had great fun on this trip, got a lot of thinking and personal quiet time. It was great.
Now I'd consider mileage runs if I need to keep 1K next year and don't have enough miles.
Reason: As a 1K, I can upgrade on cheap fares and have an excellent chance of getting the upgrade. Here in the Washington DC area, a major UA hub, it is hard to get consistent upgrades on popular markets as anything less than a 1K.
Also, I expect better treatment and if you are travelling a lot and need to be at meetings on a tight schedule, you need all the help you can get.
Third, the SWUs are very, very important to me. It is the only way realistically I am going to be able to go internationally in C using cheap fares.
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I found that a mileage run is particularly important in the context of the incremental benefits and proximity to (next) elite level for each traveler and there's no easy answer.
Using DL for example, closing in on gold (50K/year) with the likelihood of increased travel for the upcoming year, the incremental benefit of gold (100% mileage bonus) v. silver (25%) for the upcoming year is up to a 37,500 mile differential and the ability to use the 800-mile segment upgrades 72 hours prior to flight time. However, if the upcoming travel pattern is to decrease substantially for the upcoming year, then the benefits materially decrease. Therefore, the cost for the run should consider the current status (eg, gold v. silver) and the likelihood of earnings (100% v. 25%) for the upcoming year. Now, at the silver level, the benefit would be early boarding and the 800-mile segment upgrades only 24 hours prior to flight time (and usually getting closed out of the long haul flights). At the platinum level, its the unlimited 800-mile segment upgrades (don't get us started on system-wide upgrades [see )]www.saveskymiles.com ]) and the complimentary membership to the Crown Room. For road warriors who are likely to get to Platinum (and obviously prefer to travel F/C or B/E), achieving Platinum consistently may require those many weekend trips over the pond (on their own) during the fare wars to assure that they do not have to purchase F/C tickets for the balance of the year.
What are these incremental benefits worth in the context of each traveler and future travel plans?
I've made gold comfortably every year for the last 8, so I've not had to take a trip to make it to the next level because the 25-45K differential is not worth the time (I've had a 70% hit rate on F/C travel and I am a member of the Crown Room out of pocket). I have taken 1 unneeded trip because of "fly-one-more-than-last-year" spiff during the class action resolution year (so it was triple miles, cross country during a fare war and easily met DRTRAVELS cost per mile standard). However, my effort to concentrate miles on a single airline (without increasing cost to the business, or I pay for the differential out of pocket) is fundamental to the way I travel and my acceptance of the travel demands. If I had to spread my 60K over 3 airlines, then it would damper my enthusiasm for it.
[This message has been edited by BravoZulu (edited 12-03-2000).]
I've flown at least about 15 segments on DL, CO, and US this year...so to figure out the percentage of trips for mileage runs at this point would take some real work. However...
This summer I went to DCA maybe 8 weekends to visit friends, and to get DL miles and SPG points. This helped me get the Free Weekends offer, and I got two free weekends. I purposely tried to use these at expensive properties....a W in NYC and one in MSY. So these trips were part leisure and part mileage run.
I would say in total (approximation here) I probably take about 30% to 50% of trips solely for the miles. I just flew twice BOS-YUL for about $187 each in order to get the DL online booking international bonus. This is about 12,000 miles for each $187 round-trip.
I was considering flying the US shuttle, 16 segments, for $640 to get Gold status under a promotion. Unfortunately, the inexpensive fares have expired.
I'm taking a trip on the Acela in about a week and then will probably fly DL or US back. This is to check out the Acela service, get miles and points, and lastly to spend a day/night in New York.
So I'm one of those people with a hih mileage run percent? Why?
*I can use miles and system wide type certs to fly internationally in premium classes. If I were to buy these tickets, (J or C class) it would cost substantially more than the mileage runs;
*I enjoy the domestic upgrades whether on a "real trip," or a mileage run;
*I think the airline is more likely to treat an elite pax better, e.g. waive rules, provide extra upgrades, etc.;
*I enjoy the game and the challenge of getting the miles, or finding a way to get lots of miles for a small investment;
*I like to observe the goings-on in airports, the passengers, the agents, and the interactions between people;
*One of my hobbies is weather, and ATC. I nearly always bring my hand scanner, and can listen to ATC in the terminal, or if staying at an airport hotel. I find it interesting to listen to the interaction between pilots and ATC, to listen to airline radio frequencies where employees converse, etc. I think it gives me a real inside glimpse of the system, and the ways it works or does not work. I get to listen to things most people perhaps don't even know about, etc. I'll never forget the night I was on a CO flight EWR-BOS on the plane from about 10PM to 4AM, and the pilot let me use my scanner when we were at the gate. I mainly listened to the frequency the pilots used to talk to operations about de-icing, etc. I've actually thought of switching to UA to better satisfy this hobbey, e.g. Channel 9.
*I like the bumping game, picking flights that might be overbooked, etc. I've only gotten bumped once in the last two years though, and it was on a non mileage run trip.
*I enjoy writing trip reports, reading others, and comparing experiences.
Well, maybe we should all get jobs as secret shoppers for the airlines. Or for some other group interested in aviation service, etc.
