How do US Airways representatives view mileage runs?
For those who do mileage runs - I am just wondering if in your dealings with US Airways representatives you are quite open that this is the purpose of your flights that day - and how the representatives react to you. From the tidbits that I have gleaned they seem to be non-plussed/ amused - but I am wondering if this is generally the case?
Specifically, I am doing a red-eye 24hr transcon MR today and I haven't been upgraded on the return. But there are some earlier flights that I could make that have 1st class availability - so I am thinking of asking to move up at the check-in / after the first leg in the am to see if snag a 1st class seat.
But personally, I feel a bit embarrassed about the whole thing - like I am trying to cheat the system and prefer to keep my head down - instead of drawing attention to what I am doing. Which potentially will prevent me giving it a go - or at least until my turn-around destination - when of course the seats might have been taken...
Am I having my own little trip - and no-one else minds?
(I haven't found prior discussion about this topic - but please link if it has been discussed before.)
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I don't believe anyone cares (and, they shouldn't).
You are a paying passenger, and are entitled to the same benefits as any other passenger. I do a lot of day trips for work, and sometimes fly with the same crews, see the same gate agents, etc, and all works well for me.
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In the limited runs I've done, I've only seen amusement. After all, you're still generating revenue for them.
Sometimes, gate agents have mistaken my day trips as MRs. Earlier this year, I flew to SAN for meeting. During my PHX-SAN segment the meeting cancelled, so the amused agent put me back on the same aircraft to PHX and moved me up to an earlier connecting flight as well. As I'd only booked 4 hr on the ground in SAN, he asked if it was an MR and wanted to know what was wrong with his fine airport, but alas that wasn't the reason I was looking to go home sooner :-)
People have all sorts of reasons for flying. There are couriers who fly across the country just to get a document signed. There are businesspeople who have clients or other business relationships that are important enough to make a trip no matter the cost. There are people who had vouchers or certificates expiring and would rather use them to no purpose than let them expire. And nobody knows when you bought your tickets or why or when you changed them. Maybe you left for a trip and then had a family emergency and you had to get home right away.
My wife is a schoolteacher. She used to fly YYZ-RDU almost every weekend, a flight that normally cost $800 round-trip. Nobody ever asked how a schoolteacher could afford to pay her whole salary for plane tickets. It was nobody's business that she had a (relatively) rich boyfriend who was a Flyertalker and knew all the angles to get her cheap tickets. They just said "Welcome again to Air Canada."
Unless you "cheated" the system to sell you a ticket at a discounted price... I'd say no. If you paid for it through the normal purchasing outlets, I'd have no problem at all.
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It's funny you asked the question because I was thinking the same thing. I'm going to need just over 3,000 miles to get to 95K PQMs and then I plan on buying up to CP. I only have 1 more work trip that I am really just planning for this purpose.
I need to go from PHX to SAN and I am planning on booking a PHX-SFO-DEN-SAN just to get the miles. Seems crazy when you think about it as it will likely take me a day. Unfortunately, I have to book on United because I can't seem to find anything that will help me get there on US.
Thanks for your answers every one. So it looks like it is my little trip... (I still haven't decided though whether I would fib and say it was a work thing - in one of my imaginary little conversations in my head...)
WiscAZ Yuk having to go United. I haven't done it - but I sort of think those little segment run hops would be quite fun with first class/ club access. But, since I imagine you don't have status on UA, all of the lining up to board and presumably lack of preferred seating won't be much fun.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cloudwanderer
Thanks for your answers every one. So it looks like it is my little trip... (I still haven't decided though whether I would fib and say it was a work thing - in one of my imaginary little conversations in my head...)
WiscAZ Yuk having to go United. I haven't done it - but I sort of think those little segment run hops would be quite fun with first class/ club access. But, since I imagine you don't have status on UA, all of the lining up to board and presumably lack of preferred seating won't be much fun.
United isn't fun but I am star gold which gets me early boarding and the occasional economy plus seat if you get a friendly gate agent. I have club access as well.
Often1 It might be something that would come up if I change my flights.
Eg. Say I am doing I'm doing a SEA-CLT-FLL-CLT-SEA mileage run - with a red-eye on the 1st SEA-CLT leg. And say I am not upgraded on the FLL-CLT-SEA return - but I see that there is 1st class space for an earlier return FLL-PHX-SEA
Well normally I would have no problem asking to move up to the PHX connection flight and try my chance on getting the upgrade. And my best bet on doing it would be when I arrive in CLT after my red-eye for SEA. and before continuing to FLL. But I think that the US rep. will reasonably wonder what I am doing. And often, IME, they will try to make things "easier" for me by reducing the journey. So that it where I would either give the honest answer of doing a mileage run. Or mumble something about work blah blah.
So I guess my simple question would be, have you ever told a US representative that you were doing a mileage run, and did you notice any difference in the level of assistance you received?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Often1
Why would you ever discuss the purpose of a trip with anyone? It's a business transaction. You give them money, they fly you somewhere.
Oh, I don't know -- maybe because they ask you?
I've not done many mileage runs, but I've certainly done a turn that involves the same crew and been asked by the confused FA, "Didn't I fly over here with you?"
It's a reasonable question that I'm at least inclined to answer.
For those who do mileage runs - I am just wondering if in your dealings with US Airways representatives you are quite open that this is the purpose of your flights that day - and how the representatives react to you. From the tidbits that I have gleaned they seem to be non-plussed/ amused - but I am wondering if this is generally the case?
