roadtripman

My business is going to bring me to Hays, Kansas at the end of Feb. Just for fun, I looked for some mileage run opportunities in the area on puddle jumper prop planes.

I found fares from Hays to Great Bend, KS for around $17 all-in. This route would earn the minimum 500 United Mileage Plus miles (or US Airways miles) per segment (58 miles or so in distance). Is it worth doing a bunch of these runs (they're only 20 min each way) and rack up my miles?

Expert advice is appreciated!

sts603

you could have some real fun with what's considered a valid routing.....

1. HYS-GBD
2. HYS*-GBD
3. HYS-MKC-OMA-GRI-MCK/IRK-COU-STL/MKC-OMA-CLT-STL/MKC-CLT-
CHI-COU-MCK/IRK-GRI-OMA-MKC-HYS-GBD
4. HYS*-GBD-HYS-MKC-OMA-GRI-MCK/IRK-COU-STL/MKC-OMA-CLT-STL/
MKC-CLT-CHI-COU-MCK/IRK-GRI-OMA-MKC-HYS-GBD
5. HYS-MKC-OMA-GRI-MCK/IRK-COU-CHI-CLT-STL/MKC-CLT-OMA-STL/
MKC-COU-MCK/IRK-GRI-OMA-MKC-HYS-GBD
6. HYS*-GBD-HYS-MKC-OMA-GRI-MCK/IRK-COU-CHI-CLT-STL/MKC-CLT-
OMA-STL/MKC-COU-MCK/IRK-GRI-OMA-MKC-HYS-GBD

mlatuchie

sounds like a great deal for segments - about $0.034/EQM, so, not great, but $17/segment is a nice deal. ^

roadtripman

Are those available for the same price?! how can I check this?

AvalancheZ71

The F fare will kill you though. I can think of several others places to travel to than HYS-GBD on a F fare.

US Airways USD 7379.00+ F

The Y fare is not that bad though.

US Airways USD 83.00+ Y6

roadtripman

What would be the advantage of flying in F class on a 16 seat one-class prop plane? I remember flying one a year or so ago, and I was literally right behind the pilot's chair...

AvalancheZ71

They don't off F, but they do offer an F fare. I am sure that would be to go to CLT from MKC and back just to get to GBD or HYS.

roadtripman

This just might work! It's a 45 min drive from HYS to GBD, so I'll drive down to GBD, fly the return to HYS, back to GBD, and drive back to HYS. Easy as pie. Not a bad way to earn 1000 miles and 2 segments for only around 2 hours of my day wasted.

I'm wondering if there are any other small town combinations with OW fares in the $20 range all-in. Especially those with wider schedules than the once-per-day GBD-HYS run on US Airways. I fly MKC-HYS regularly, which is around $100 for the RT, but I've never thought about the GBD-HYS portion of that flight until today!!

Considering how boring Kansas is, the ability to do a mileage run while there is turning out to be very nice

MCI777

I would do this if I could maximize the routing. Has anyone been able to find a multi-stop itin, maybe hys-mci-clt-gbd. ITA said it couldnt pull it up.

roadtripman

I tried pulling that routing up in US Airways' multi-city itin search, and it keeps giving me an error. I do have the exact fare rules below. I'm not very versed in what it all means, but if any of you know how to milk this routing and maximize mileage, let me know!!!

From: Great Bend, KS, United States (GBD)
To: Hays, KS, United States (HYS)
Fare Basis Code: VA0N1

GBDHYS-US 20JAN07 *RULE DISPLAY* TARIFF 0011 RULE 2023
-FARE BASIS USD TAX TOTAL PTC FT
VA0N1 16.28 1.22 17.50 ADT NL
VA0N1/IN00 0.00 0.00 0.00 INF NL
BOOKING CODES V
FIRST TRAVEL - 1DEC06 FIRST TICKETING - 1JAN07
SEASONS - NO RESTRICTION
PENALTIES - CANCEL-NON REF
CHANGE-100.00 USD
SEE TEXT RULE
FOR ALL CONDITIONS SEE TEXT RULE
DAY/TIME - NO RESTRICTION
ADV RES/TKT - TKTG WITHIN 1 DAY
AFTER RESERVATIONS OR AT LEAST 30
MINUTES BEFORE DEPART WHICHEVER IS EARLIER
WAITLISTING NOT PERMITTED ALL SEGMENTS
MIN STAY - NO RESTRICTION
MAX STAY - NO RESTRICTION
BLACKOUTS - NO RESTRICTION
SURCHARGES - NONE
STOPOVERS - NOT PERMITTED
TRANSFERS - 6 PERMITTED OUTBOUND 3 INBOUND 3
FLT APPLIC - NO RESTRICTION
CHILD DISC - 1ST INF UNDER 2 YRS FREE NO SEAT
OTHER DISC - SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNTS DO NOT APPLY.
OTHER/GROUP DISCOUNTS ARE PERMITTED - CHECK
CARRIER FOR DETAILS.
COMBINABLTY - SEE TEXT RULE
ELIGIBILITY - NO RESTRICTION
ACCOM PSGR - NO RESTRICTION
TRVL RESTR - NO RESTRICTION
SALES RESTR - NO RESTRICTION
NEGOTIATED - NO RESTRICTION
TKT ENDORSE - ORIGINAL/REISSUED TKT -
STNDBY/CHG FEE/NO RFND/ MUST APPEAR IN
ENDORSEMENT BOX ORIGINAL/REISSUED TKT -
CXL BY FLT DT/ MUST APPEAR IN ENDORSEMENT BOX
APPLICATION - SEE TEXT RULE
TOUR DISC - SEE TEXT RULE
MISC TAGS - SEE TEXT RULE
INDUSTRY FARE TYPE - SIP - INSTANT PURCHASE
PFCS MAY VARY BY RTG
ROUTING 800 FROM-TO GBD-US-MKC-US-OMA-US-GRI-US-
IRK/MCK-US-COU-US-MKC/STL-US-OMA-US-
CLT-US-MKC/STL-US-CLT-US-CHI-US-COU-US-
IRK/MCK-US-GRI-US-OMA-US-MKC-US-HYS*
FROM-TO GBD-US-MKC-US-OMA-US-GRI-US-
MCK/IRK-US-COU-US-CHI-US-CLT-US-STL/
MKC-US-CLT-US-OMA-US-STL/MKC-US-COU-US-
MCK/IRK-US-GRI-US-OMA-US-MKC-US-HYS*

sts603

In theory - it's the valid routing out of the $17 fare rules on EF. Whether you can actually figure out a way to ticket it is ove rmy head.

isdoo

shame their aren't similar on oneworld LOL - could be fun

USEast1

good find there! that seems like a good value for segments and the minimum 500 miles.

any more of these small trip routes out there, very interested to know. i'm been searching around, kinda fun to find fares that are $17 each.

roadtripman

Definitely keep me posted if find a way to book this. I would love to do three back to back MR's on this routing for $60

fastair

Keep your eyes open for the "Hays, you mean the world to us" promotion.