Dec 27, 2016, 5:57 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

Last edit by: Pat89339

For each request, please include the following information:

Departure Airport:
Miles Needed:
Required Spend or Maximum Budget (choose one, and state the value):
Available Travel Dates:
Required Metal or Codeshares Okay:
Route(s) You've Already Searched:
Do you have a Chinese Visa (Yes/No)?

For each response. Please quote the original request. DO NOT START A NEW THREAD.
There are many good fares to China (PEK or PVG). If you have a Chinese visa, these options will be provided.

If your requested PQM is in a few thousand, please give a more accurate amount. You will get fewer options with a roundup number (eg, 5000 instead of 4830; IAD-SFO nonstop will work for the latter.)

UA/Star Alliance: 2017-2018 Consolidated Mileage/Status/Challenge Runs help needed

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Sep 21, 2017, 1:35 pm

#466

phatozzy

Join Date: Dec 2010

Location: California

Programs: HH-Diamond, UA-1K, Marriott-Gold

Posts: 28

Departure Airport: LAX, SNA, ONT, SAN, SFO
Miles Needed: 20,000
Required Spend or Budget: up to $900
Available Travel Dates: Dec 23 - Dec 31
Required Metal or Codeshares okay: Any Star Alliance as long as I get full PQM

I realize this is a tough one - any help will be appreciated - thank you

Last edited by phatozzy; Sep 21, 2017 at 1:43 pm

Sep 21, 2017, 3:10 pm

#467

Magic Noodles

Join Date: Sep 2017

Programs: United

Posts: 7

Hi everyone, been a long time lurker, but second time posting in this thread. Need the following to get gold for next year!

Departure Airport: SFO
Miles Needed: 24,300
Required Spend or Budget: Under 1.5k
Available Travel Dates: Any date through 12/24, would prefer for it to be on weekends
Required Metal or Codeshares okay: Codeshares ok if I can get the PQM

Thanks!

Sep 21, 2017, 4:21 pm

#468

ITMonkey

Join Date: Sep 2017

Location: DEN

Programs: United

Posts: 6

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magic Noodles

I think you are going to need to make a couple runs to get that many miles, but someone else may have an option. Do you have a PQD minimum of $1,500? Or is your budget around $1,500? Previously you mentioned miles were not needed, but need $1,500 PQD.

Here is an option that you'd have to do twice different weekends.
SFO-YVR-NRT-PVG-SFO $590 for 12,219 PQM
https://goo.gl/flights/qYbk

I realize you wanted to shoot for a weekend, but that bumps the price over $1k each trip.

Magic Noodles likes this.

Sep 21, 2017, 5:08 pm

#469

Magic Noodles

Join Date: Sep 2017

Programs: United

Posts: 7

Quote:

Originally Posted by ITMonkey

I think you are going to need to make a couple runs to get that many miles, but someone else may have an option. Do you have a PQD minimum of $1,500? Or is your budget around $1,500? Previously you mentioned miles were not needed, but need $1,500 PQD.

Here is an option that you'd have to do twice different weekends.
SFO-YVR-NRT-PVG-SFO $590 for 12,219 PQM

I realize you wanted to shoot for a weekend, but that bumps the price over $1k each trip.

Hey ITMonkey! Thanks for your response, I really appreciate it.

It turns out I don't really need to meet a PQD minimum anymore, so I'm just trying to spend as little as possible (I set a personal limit of 1.5k for these runs). I also figured I'd have to do at least two runs, if not more, so that's no biggie!!

Those weekday options look really enticing.. I could probably take a day off work or two to do these.. heh.

Thank you so much, again!

Last edited by Magic Noodles; Sep 22, 2017 at 1:14 pm

Sep 21, 2017, 5:08 pm

#470

justsawaufo

Join Date: Jun 2013

Posts: 630

Departure Airport: PHX and I need to get to WAS (One Way), preferbly on F
Miles Needed: 13000
Required Spend or Budget: $800
Available Travel Dates: 9/28
Required Metal or Codeshares okay: UA

Sep 21, 2017, 9:41 pm

#471

ITMonkey

Join Date: Sep 2017

Location: DEN

Programs: United

Posts: 6

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magic Noodles

Hey ITMonkey! Thanks fsor your response, I really appreciate it.

It turns out I don't really need to meet a PQD minimum anymore, so I'm just trying to spend as little as possible (I set a personal limit of 1.5k for these runs). I also figured I'd have to do at least two runs, if not more, so that's no biggie!!

Those weekday options look really enticing.. I could probably take a day off work or two to do these.. heh.

Thank you so much, again!

No problem, hope it works out!

Sep 21, 2017, 9:46 pm

#472

ITMonkey

Join Date: Sep 2017

Location: DEN

Programs: United

Posts: 6

Quote:

Originally Posted by justsawaufo

Departure Airport: PHX and I need to get to WAS (One Way), preferbly on F
Miles Needed: 13000
Required Spend or Budget: $800
Available Travel Dates: 9/28
Required Metal or Codeshares okay: UA

Not sure if the $800 is minimum spend, or your budget. I wasn't able to find anything under $800 for 13,000 miles from PHX to DC in first.

I did find a flight to BQN for $980, but it seems pretty risky with the hurricane and the airport may not be open next week.

https://goo.gl/flights/AwN9 14,604 EQM

Anything else I found in first either didn't get enough miles, or was over $1,500 for those dates.

Sep 22, 2017, 4:54 am

#473

wh6cto

Join Date: Nov 2013

Location: IAD/DCA/BWI

Programs: Hyatt Globalist (2020:Exp), United Gold

Posts: 1,525

UA:$619 LAX-CTU rt 14740PQM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phatozzy

This is about 3/4 of the miles you need:

UA:$619 LAX-CTU rt 14740PQM
Wed 27 Dec LAX-SFO-CTU
Fri 29 Dec CTU-SFO-LAX
https://goo.gl/flights/vCXC

Available on multiple dates. Will require a China visa, unfortunately. And an overnight at CTU.

I haven't spotted a good price on the remaining 5300PQM, though. Sorry for the incomplete solution.

UPDATE: Can you make a quick transcon trip over the weekend? Maybe:

UA:$281 LAX-BWI rt 5286PQM
Fri 01 Dec
UA2020 LAX-BWI 2137-0535(+1day) B739
Sat 02 Dec
UA753 BWI-SFO 0655-1005 A319
UA1651 SFO-LAX 1054-1237 A320
Link: https://goo.gl/flights/K4G5

Total would be $900 for 20026PQM. Sorry, I don't see anything cheaper.

Last edited by wh6cto; Sep 23, 2017 at 1:57 am Reason: Added LAX-BWI for remaining milage

Sep 22, 2017, 11:32 am

#474

lostnomad47

Join Date: Oct 2015

Posts: 18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magic Noodles

First time trying this, can any experts here lmk if positioning like this is a no-no in airline's eyes?

2 roundtrip tickets:

12/2: SFO-EWR: UA212 0600-1425hr
12/4: EWR-SFO: UA 1116 2135-0115(12/5)hr
$336.40

12/2: EWR-LAX-SIN (UA751-UA37)
12/4: SIN-SFO-EWR (UA2-UA1070)
$640

If this is ok, it would net 27363 PQD $976.40 total
Noodles, you would need to take Monday off

techdarko likes this.

Sep 22, 2017, 11:43 am

#475

Preds Fan AJ

Join Date: Sep 2017

Posts: 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pat89339

In order to organize the end-of-year crush of Mileage/Status/Challenge Run threads, the Moderators have decided to create a consolidated thread for the airlines with the most frequent requests. This is the thread for United Airlines.

For each request, please include the following information:

Departure Airport: IAD
Miles Needed:20,000
Required Spend or Budget:$750
Available Travel Dates: Any October Dates
Required Metal or Codeshares okay: All UA

For each response. Please quote the original request.

Sep 22, 2017, 11:57 am

#476

jbeckett

Join Date: Mar 2009

Programs: Hilton credit card Diamond, Hyatt Globalist

Posts: 2,653

Quote:

Originally Posted by Preds Fan AJ

Departure Airport: IAD
Miles Needed:20,000
Required Spend or Budget:$750
Available Travel Dates: Any October Dates
Required Metal or Codeshares okay: All UA

IAD-NRT-BKK-NRT-SFO-IAD out 10/25 return 10/27 is $647, 20070 miles.
https://www.google.com/flights/#sear...;a=UA,-AA;eo=e

Sep 22, 2017, 1:07 pm

#477

mpiotrow

Join Date: Oct 2013

Location: DEN

Programs: UA 1K 0.7MM (trying to get to 1MM!)

Posts: 1,272

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbeckett

IAD-NRT-BKK-NRT-SFO-IAD out 10/25 return 10/27 is $647, 20070 miles.
https://www.google.com/flights/#sear...;a=UA,-AA;eo=e

If Preds Fan AJ needs "All UA", that route won't work since NRT-BKK-NRT is on NH.

Sep 22, 2017, 1:36 pm

#478

Magic Noodles

Join Date: Sep 2017

Programs: United

Posts: 7

Quote:

Originally Posted by lostnomad47

This actually looks really nice.. I will mull over it for a few hours... thank you!!

Sep 23, 2017, 4:56 pm

#479

sidharth134

Join Date: Mar 2014

Location: MIAMI

Programs: Amex Plat, SPG Plat, Hertz Gold, Avis First, UA Plat, Hilton Diamond

Posts: 65

Departure Airport: FLL / MIA / PBI (South Florida)
Miles Needed: 13000
Required Spend or Budget: 500-600 approx
Available Travel Dates: October, December (Preferably between Friday and Monday)
Required Metal or Codeshares okay: United

Sep 23, 2017, 6:43 pm

#480

techdarko

Join Date: Oct 2016

Location: San Francisco

Programs: UA Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott/SPG Gold

Posts: 12

Departure Airport: SFO/OAK/SJC (NYC 12/19-12/31)
Miles Needed: 18,625 PQM
Required Spend or Budget: ~$600 (<$0.035/mi)(Spend met)
Available Travel Dates: All except the following:
9/12-9/16, 10/17-11/4, 11/9-11/23, 12/24-12/26
Required Metal or Codeshares okay: Codeshares OK

So I missed the deal someone found due to my boss jerking me around about a day off (also messed up my calculations and need 800 more miles than I thought). Anyone have ideas for me? Ideally over weekends if possible.

Thanks all for the help!