LAX2CGKx5

Mileage Runs
Flights
Starting on February 11th I will do 5 back to back mileage runs between LAX to CGK. It will take two weeks and during that time I will not spend more than 8 hours in any one city. I will finish on February 25th.

The route of each mileage run is:
LAX->XXX (AA red-eye flights where XXX is an American Airlines Hub)
XXX->NRT (All AA coded, 8 AA operated, 2 JAL operated)
NRT->CGK (All AA coded, all JAL operated)
CGK->NRT (All AA coded, all JAL operated)
*Transfer from NRT to HND*
HND->LAX (New AA B787 service)

Each trip ends in LAX at 6:20 pm (18:20) and within 8 hours I depart on the next mileage run.

Logistics
I live in the Northeast and will travel to LAX on February 10th and return home on Feb 26th. From when I leave on the 10th and return home on the 26th, I will not stay at any hotels.

I will cross the Pacific 10 times (twice on JAL metal and eight times on AA metal). Currently, of the eight AA trans-pacific flights, seven have been upgraded to business class thanks to SWU's (system wide upgrades earned for being an Executive Platinum, EP, on AA).

In addition to EP status on AA, I am a Diamond Medallion on Delta (which comes with SkyClub membership) and a Priority Pass Select Member (thanks to a premium credit card). With lounge access and meals during flights, I do not need (or plan) to spend any money on food during the two weeks. In fact, since I will not be staying at any hotels, the only mandatory cost during the two weeks is on the NRT to HND transfers in Japan.

Live Blog
I will regularly update this thread throughout the two weeks and treat it as a "live blog." I hope to make it truly interactive and will do my best to answer questions and respond to posts. My focus will be on the travel experience, such as airline hard product/soft product, airport facilities, lounges, check-in and boarding procedures, etc.

I very much want to take people "along for the ride" and also want to rely on the collective knowledge of our community. I plan to post my own questions, seeking information and advice. This is why I am starting this thread now, several days before the start of my adventure. Concurrently I will be updating my twitter account, @LAX2CGKx5

I've done mileage runs before, such as YYZ-HKG three times back to back, but never thought of sharing the experience until I started following jona970318's mileage run adventure on FlyerTalk: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-giveaway.html

Which also inspired......

GIVE AWAYS
What
I will fill my carry-ons with as much airline swag as I can fit. Tentatively I am thinking at least 5 Delta Tumi amenity kits. However I have collected A LOT of airline stuff over the years and want to "spread the wealth" with people who will appreciate it. See attached photo of the swag. I had less room in my carry-on than I had hoped as I am bringing chocolates for the FA's on my trans-Pacific flights. On Feb 10th I will post a list, hopefully with pictures, of what I am bringing. During this adventure I will also be able to guest people into lounges!

Swag List
5 - Delta economy sleep mask kits (plan to give these out to seat neighbors on my two JAL trans-Pacific flights.
1 - Insulated Delta lunch bag
3 - Salt and Pepper shaker sets from Virgin Atlantic (they are cute plastic planes that say "knicked from Virgin Atlantic" on them.
1 - British Airways play card set. Each card has a historic airplane on it
1 - USAirways Envoy draw string amenity kit
1 - USAirways clear plastic pouch/bag amenity kit
3 - Delta TUMI amenity kits
1 - Delta beige amenity kit
1 - Delta red cylindrical amenity kit
1 - Cathay Pacific J amenity kit

How
Simple, FIND ME! Traveling for two weeks can be lonely. Looking back on my travels, what made the most memorable trips were the PEOPLE I met and the stories we shared. I will have yellow FlyerTalk tags on my back pack and rollaboard. By following this thread people will know where I am and we can try to pre-arrange times and places to meet in airports or on flights. This might even be the best way to allow me to guest people into lounges as my Priority Pass Select membership allows two guests. Once we cross paths, tell me a travel related story and receive some swag! Again, I will post what I am taking on Feb 10th, so you can even request specific items! I might try to ration the give aways, for instance giving away only one Delta amenity kit per trip, so that I don't run out of swag right away.

**EDIT - SCHEDULE**
I am just over half way through this adventure and I've only crossed paths with one other FlyerTalk member! To help facilitate meeting people here is my general schedule.

2/19 - LAX (evening)
2/20 - DFW (morning)
2/21 - NRT (short connection around 5 pm)
2/22 - CGK (1 am - 6 am)
2/22 - Tokyo (NRT to HND - 5 pm to midnight)
2/22 - LAX (evening)
2/23 - DFW (morning)
2/24 - NRT (connection around 5 pm)
2/25 - CGK (1 am - 6 am)
2/25 - Tokyo (NRT to HND - 5 pm to midnight)
2/25 - LAX (evening)

NEW EDIT - due to late flight and mis-connect
2/26 - ALL day in Tokyo
2/27 - HND 1:30 am departure on AA 26
2/26 - Arrive LAX around 6 PM, depart 11:55 PM for home.


Caveats/small print
If I am sleeping in a lounge or on a flight please don't wake me up (yes a fellow FlyerTalk member did that to me once!) If we do cross paths it would be great if you post to this thread about it! However, please don't post my photo. As I'll explain below I am trying to keep a little anonymity. Tentatively I'm excluding airline employees who have an ability to check the reservation systems and *really* track me and those whom I am going to see repeatedly (like Lounge Attendants).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION*
(* Am I crazy?)
Yes. But if there is any community that can understand this, it is y'all! For those who are still wondering....

The cost of this is actually pretty low. I could have booked trips with slightly lower CPM (cents per mile), but they would have required over nighting at CGK or doing an open jaw (into CGK out of SIN/PVG/KUL). After doing this I will re-qualify for Exec Plat on AA and will earn A LOT of miles. Thanks to AA miles I have already flown Cathay Pacific in F and J and on Etihad F (A380 apartment) TWICE. Thus I am confident that the miles I earn will be used for trips worth much more than what I am spending on this adventure. Also, people pay far FAR more for two week all inclusive cruises than what I am spending. Again I will not have to pay for hotel, meals, etc. For people like us, flying is a joy. I love planes, airports, the sights, the smells, and meeting people. I really do look at this as an adventure-vacation. Heck, people pay to live on farms and do farm work as a vacation, so why not this?!

As many of you know, AA is changing their program to revenue based earning later this year. Because I have the time and resources, it makes sense to do this traveling NOW.

Health Concerns
During the two weeks I plan to drink A LOT of water and greatly restrict my food intake. During layovers you'll find me doing a lot of walking. I hope to avoid this fate: Funny TV ad - Airplane pilots - YouTube

Anonymity
While you all "get it"...I have friends and family who would have me committed if they knew what I was up to. In addition I am not sure how a future employer would feel about someone willing to fly across the Pacific ten times in two weeks! So I created this FlyerTalk account and the @LAX2CGKx5 twitter account specifically for this adventure.

If you have read THIS far...you deserve a little personal information. I recently finished an advanced degree and have not started working yet. I also do not have a spouse/partner/children, which is why I can take the time to do this!

**CONCLUSION**
Now that the trip is all over I've posted a few concluding thoughts.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26260655-post214.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26260765-post215.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26260845-post216.html

LAX2CGKx5

Feb 13th

Trip #1 is now complete! I actually feel pretty good thanks to sleeping on planes, showering in lounges, WALKING every chance I get, and not eating much! So far the only negative health affect seems to be that my hands get dry very easily. I've been using amenity kit body/hand location to help!

When I got to LAX on Feb 10th I first went to the Qantas First Class lounge. This post shows what my bags look like so people can try to find me! Alas I didn't not run into ANY other FlyerTalk members on the trip.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26165401-post37.html

The food in the Qantas First Class lounge did NOT disappoint and the staff there were AWE. SOME. Even the shower attendant was friendly and welcoming. AA could learn A LOT from Qantas!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26166411-post39.html

The flight from LAX to DFW was unremarkable as I slept through it. The aircraft was really nice! At DFW I went to the Term A Admiral's Club and got in a good work out.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26167833-post41.html

The DFW to NRT flight was on AA in J and was very disappointing. Crew were not great and the 777-200 had old school J seats. The duck breast for lunch was really good!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26174394-post57.html

The NRT JAL First Class Lounge was nice, but didn't have much time there. Their philosophy is to have high quality food in VERY small quantities!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26172070-post47.html

The JAL flight from NRT to CGK was in economy but I got the JAL lounge agent to move me to the front row and had the two aisle-window seats to myself. JAL crew were excellent in pretty much every way!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26172256-post51.html

At CGK the head JAL representative who met the plane was very understanding of mileage running and doing the fast turn at CGK. He was very friendly and helpful. Alas CGK "closes" at night and passengers are not allowed airside during that time so I ended up waiting outside ticketing with many many other people. CGK does have air conditioning and very good free wifi in that area.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26174270-post53.html

I was able to get through at 4 am and went to the contract lounge that JAL uses at CGK. It was NOT great.... The flight from CGK to NRT was fine. I slept through most of it. I again had a window-aisle duo to myself but it was missing a window.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26177951-post67.html

Getting through NRT border control and customs was really simple and catching the bus from NRT to HND was pretty straight forward. I got to HND MANY hours before the AA flight. Despite the AA check-in not being open, I was able to go airside thanks to a kiosk (and no checked baggage to deal with) which gave me my boarding pass
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26178002-post68.html

The HND JAL First Class lounge is BEAUTIFUL and I really enjoyed my time there and look forward to going back again (and again and again and again). I got my shoes shined this time. Will get a massage or some spa treatment on a future visit.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26178002-post68.html

The HND to DFW flight was only AA's second flight from HND to DFW. It was on one of their 787's which has a unique J hard product.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26181820-post80.html

The Japanese meal on-board was very good. The crew working my part of J was really good, but as a whole the FA's were a mixed bunch. The pilots where actually very good as "ambassadors" for AA!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26181892-post81.html

Right now I am in the Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge in T2 of LAX, but I am going to include that visit as part of Trip #2.

Wish me luck!

LAX2CGKx5

I continued to feel fine through Trip #2. I did change thing ups a little bit in terms of places I went and airlines I flew. The big difference was flying JAL in Y from DFW to NRT.

Trip #2 started with visiting the newly remodeled T2 and appreciating the renovations! They really polished the heck out of that t**d...
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26189383-post90.html

I then went to the second floor of T2 to see the lounges and I visited the Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge thanks to my Priority Pass membership.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26189475-post91.html

I then flew from LAX to DFW on an AA red-eye flight which had the best AA FA I've seen so far on this adventure.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26189542-post93.html

At DFW I finally got to meet up with another FlyerTalk member!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26189605-post95.html

My JAL flight from DFW to NRT was on a 787 and I was really impressed with the interior!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26192584-post104.html

I had pre-ordered a Muslim meal which was pretty good and wasn't just a relabeled vegetarian meal!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26192615-post105.html

I was pretty impressed with the JAL FA's and the service on JAL, especially considering it was just economy!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26192660-post106.html

I only had a short time at NRT and visited the JAL F lounge in the satellite part of their NRT terminal. The flight from NRT to CGK was unremarkable as I slept most of it.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26192694-post107.html

At CGK I was able to check-in and get a better seat and then visit the "Premier Lounge" thanks to Priority Pass. I liked it better than the contract lounge JAL uses, except the shower was much smaller!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26192742-post108.html

From CGK to NRT on JAL I finally got around to watching some Japanese movies, they were DEPRESSING!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26192762-post109.html

On this trip I visited some of NRT airside before heading over to HND.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26192844-post110.html

Here is a picture of the "Friendly Limousine Bus" I've been using from NRT to HND.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26192869-post111.html

As much as I love the JAL F lounge at HND, their shower rooms are small and do not have toilets, those are separate.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26193450-post115.html

My AA flight from HND to LAX left A LOT to be desired. This is my longest post so far and covers (in A LOT of detail) my interaction with the FA over stowage space.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26205942-post127.html

Alas the business class Muslim meal (MOML) on the AA HND to LAX flight was just NASTY. Not only was it just the vegetarian meal re-labeled, but it was gross.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26205992-post128.html

LAX2CGKx5

At the start of Trip #3 I responded to a request about staying healthy while traveling!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26198032-post122.html

The trip started with my shortest layover at LAX yet so I went straight to the AA Flagship Lounge and showered. They have nice body lotion there which I took advantage of!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26206057-post129.html

Took a LAX to JFK red-eye and just missed out on the upgrade. Service from AA FA's continues to disappoint. This is especially sad as LAX to JFK is a very competitive market which AA has poured a lot of resources into. Hard product can only do so much to combat indifferent FA's
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26206107-post130.html

At JFK I had time to go to the Flagship lounge there and have a pretty nice breakfast!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26206176-post131.html

JAL flight from JFK to NRT was pretty nice. Even though I was in economy, JAL only has 8 across in Y (as opposed to AA and UA that does 9 across). The Y cabin was nice and the FA's were very friendly and attentive. It helped that the flight was light, the FA's didn't use it as an opportunity to slack off but to give even more personal attention!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26206221-post132.html

In NRT I had my longest layover there of all my trips and visited the AA Admiral's club there. It was pretty nice and had a decent food selection. The showers there are definitely better than the JAL F lounge showers!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26207331-post136.html

My JAL NRT to CGK flight was pretty routine and nice and quiet!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26207394-post137.html

At CGK I got caught up with posting and email. I finally posted some photos to show how unique the airport/gate area is!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26209808-post139.html

When I got back to Tokyo I finally visited the observation deck at Haneda, which is nicer than the one at Narita!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26209810-post140.html

Boarding AA 26 from HND to LAX was a mess, partly because the incoming AA 27 was late.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26220842-post150.html

Kosher meals on AA 26 from HND to LAX were interesting. FA's didn't let them defrost so made it hard to eat. FA's were not so bad on this flight, not great, but not the worst either. Flight arrived early and went to a TBIT gate, which was kinda nice!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26220906-post151.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26221026-post152.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26221121-post153.html

LAX2CGKx5

Still feeling good as Trip #4 started. Everything is feeling routine and normal now!

Started the trip with a nice long walk through several terminals that are connected airside at LAX!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26224361-post155.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26224398-post156.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26224414-post157.html

The flight from LAX to DFW was fine despite some dark nuts and crispy cookies
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26224438-post158.html

For the first time I ate at the Flagship dining at DFW
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26224465-post159.html

Despite some worries my upgrade cleared at the last second! Alas there was some drama over my seat assignment and I ended up in a dreaded middle seat in the business class cabin. NOTE TO AA: No business class cabin in the year 2016 should have a MIDDLE SEAT! (But it was still MUCH better than being stuck in a 10 across AA 777 economy cabin!)
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26224506-post160.html


The food was at least decent, alas I ended being trapped in the middle for much of the flight.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26224541-post161.html

The flight arrived pretty late and I had a really tight connect at NRT, which (being NRT!) ended up not being a problem.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26224574-post162.html

The flight from NRT to CGK was routine but I did get to talk to the pilots right after customs at CGK. That was pretty cool.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26224592-post163.html

The return flight, CGK to NRT, was also routine but I did get to see what exactly a "Chicken Hamburger" looks like!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26224610-post164.html

At HND I visited the Cathay Pacific lounge for the first time. It is really cool despite a limited food offering at night.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26229326-post165.html

AA 26 from HND to LAX was the best so far, but considering just how low the bar was set that might not be as impressive as it sounds.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26229418-post167.html

LAX2CGKx5

The final trip ended up being the most eventful of the five!

It started out nicely enough with my second visit of this adventure to the Qantas First Class lounge in TBIT!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26237722-post179.html

After that I headed to T4 to clear security where I first met one of the more "colorful" people I encountered on the trip...last name Street, first name Wall.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26237799-post180.html

I made it to DFW and had been looking forward to getting some exercise! It was during this visit that things started to go awry
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26237839-post182.html

Fortunately, if things DID have to go wrong...it was great that it happened on the LAST of 5 trips, if it had happened any earlier it would have been a bigger mess!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26238000-post183.html

The one upside to the IROP was that the business class cabin was pretty empty!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26238093-post184.html

So quite unexpectedly I actually had access to a hotel and proper bed, paid for by AA. I actually used the time to catch up on email and other online activity and did NOT sleep in the bed!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26238171-post185.html

While IROP sucks....it gives an airline a chance to really come through for their most loyal/valuable/elite fliers... Unsurprisingly DL came through and AA fell short.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26238254-post186.html

One of the great benefits of doing this trip report was having access to FlyerTalk's collective wisdom, which really came through for me!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26238277-post187.html
I got a lot of great tips/advice! Thanks again everyone!

There is a lot to love about NRT!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26239229-post192.html

Having a DAY TIME layover at CGK was a new experience!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26240914-post193.html

The JAL flight from CGK to NRT allowed me to try a JAL breakfast meal!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26243861-post194.html

Back in Japan I had a DAY to explore Tokyo a little. The IROP ended up being a small blessing in disguise and it was pretty nifty to have an "open" day just by myself to explore a little.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26246286-post198.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26246309-post199.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26246326-post200.html

In the evening I made my way to Haneda
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26246355-post201.html

My last trip on AA26 from HND to LAX turned out to be the most interesting in terms of meeting fellow FlyerTalker's! The lesson being that it sometimes helps to talk to your fellow PAX as you never know who you are going to meet!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26252313-post205.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/26252345-post206.html

view

Oh, 2 weeks continuously living on airplanes and in lounges? Planefood and lounge diet only? This could be a documentary.

Good luck, I guess you will be happy when Feb 26th comes and you get to sleep in a bed again

CosmosHuman

Safe travels to you.

AhogZ

Take care! I will be watching your progres for sure.

VictorSierra

Good luck! A pleasure chatting to you on VS a month back.

batmandds

Looking forward to following!

LAX2CGKx5

Hey! Thanks for posting. I hope to meet lots of cool people like you during this little adventure. On my connecting VS flight, after our shared flight, the cabin manager was the guy pouring the champagne in this article: http://www.joetheexplorer.com/virgin...-new-uniforms/

I have an unopened large VS sleeper suit that I am hoping to fit in my carry-on to give out as swag...

LAX2CGKx5

Thanks for the good wishes everyone!

My five AA 787 HND->LAX flights have already been upgraded, alas I don't seem to be able to pre-select a meal through aa.com

The phone agent on the Exec Plat line she said that her system also lacks the normal meal selection option. She said only the "normal" special meals options are available.

I was going to just select the "Japanese" meal for all five flights, but are people curious to see what a Muslim, Kosher, Gluten Free, and Diabetic meals catered at HND look like?

psychoandy

now that AA has EQM bonuses and eliminated EQP, do you regret booking this MR? not that you would have known that booking these trips in advance.

but anyways, good luck! after doing a BOS-HNL same day turn, i would recommend saline nasal spray so that you don't get nosebleeds. and i hope that Y load factors are low or you get opup'd; nrt-cgk and back is longer than a US transcon!

LAX2CGKx5

When they first announced EQM bonuses and no more EQP I was a little miffed as I know people who have found cheap J fares to earn EP status. When I looked into it though, it seems that discounted J fares only get a 50% bonus class of service bonus on base/redeemable miles. So I *think* I come out ahead on miles to use towards future award tickets by flying super cheap econ fares versus cheap business fares....

Thanks for the saline nasal spray suggestion, I'll keep that in mind!