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The Mileage Run That Went so Wrong It’s Going to Be a Movie

American Airlines Mileage Run Movie

The mileage run is a time-honored way of maintaining premium airline status without forking over big bucks. But, for film producer Andrew Kimmel, the cost of making an end-of-the-year mileage run to Cabo was a night in a Mexican jail, a seized passport and lingering regrets.

Related: FlyerTalk’s MileageRun Forum

Close Only Counts in Hand Grenades and Horseshoes

Kimmel’s epic @AmericanAir tweet-storm began with an explanation of the infuriating reason he found himself making an unexpected flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) in the first place: he had just received the news that he was $275 Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) short of retaining his status for the year and would need to spend $1875 cash to keep it.

So Far So Good

Rather than make a sizable donation to American, Kimmel booked last-minute, $400 tickets to Mexico for a quick 24-hour vacation (daycation?)/mileage run to earn enough EQD to maintain his status.

“I managed to find a cheap hotel room and rented a car for $35,” Kimmel wrote in his now-famous Twitter thread. “I went out for a nice dinner and met a family who surprised me and paid for my bill (perhaps I should eat alone more often!). I then decided to hit some bars. And this is where my 24-hour mileage run got interesting.”

La Mordida

Frequent travelers to Mexico may be familiar with a local con known as “la mordida” or “the bite.” If you’re not, it’s pretty simple to explain: serve an unsuspecting tourist a meal or drinks at your establishment. Then present that tourist with an outrageously high bill. Should that tourist refuse to pay the tab, alert the police, who are in on the con and will advise the tourist that they can pay the bill, pay “bail” (a bribe) or spend the night in jail.

This is just about exactly what happened to Kimmel when he was presented with a $300 bill for a single beer at an establishment called The Urban Bar. He opted for a night in jail and wound up “somewhere outside of Cabo” after being forced to leave his credit card and passport with the bar manager.

Fortunately, Kimmel met another tourist in jail for the same thing. That tourist paid his bail and Kimmel was out in time to make his 3:36 pm flight home to Los Angeles to attend a New Year’s Eve party. Unfortunately, he still didn’t have his passport and was unlikely to get it unless he paid his $300 extortion.

“I have no f—— clue what I’m going to do,” Kimmel wrote in a later post. “I call passport control in the States to report a stolen passport. They tell me to call the local embassy. I call and they’re closed. I ask my new friend to wait in the car at the airport as I run to the airline desk. It’s now 3:00pm.”

All’s Well-ish that Ends Well-ish

Amazingly, the ticket agent at the airport was able to get approval for him to board his flight without a passport. It perhaps helped that Kimmel presented his Homeland Security-approved REAL ID driver’s license.

“MADE IT BACK TO LA!!!” Kimmel wrote in a final live-tweet to those following his saga on New Year’s Eve. “Time to change out of my two-day outfit and celebrate. Have fun out there tonight.”

Kimmel made it to his party, retained his American Airlines status, and wound up with a story that’s so over-the-top it’s now been optioned as a possible movie script with one film project “already in the works.”

American Airlines, for it’s part, after reading the story in Kimmel’s Tweet thread responded: “Reaching Executive Platinum status isn’t easy. For those who make it, the benefits are amazing! We’re happy you’ll make your goal!”

But Kimmel hadn’t reached Executive Platinum status.

The Final Twist

After contacting Kimmel and American Airlines officials, popular travel blogger Gary Leff of View from the Wing was able to confirm a number of Kimmel’s nearly unbelievable claims. He also reported a nugget of stunning new information: the ill-fated mileage run to a Mexican jail and back was conceived to avoid losing AAdvantage Platinum Pro status, which makes the whole affair even more awful somehow.

Looking to avoid the adventure that befell Andrew Kimmel? Check out this exhaustive list of scams, dangers, and annoyances A quick reference of the Flyertalk Consolidated Current scams, danger, and annoyance to beware of in Mexico might help to keep the predators at bay while enjoying fun in the sun while south of the border.

26 Comments
M
mhrb March 2, 2020

lol so many idiots who've never been to Mexico in these comments...

K
kirkwoodj January 29, 2020

Either complete BS or he's a total idiot. Based on his friend's comment above, I guess idiot is the correct choice.

F
fish3d January 29, 2020

Shame to see so many negative posts about Mexico. I've been going to the Yucatan and other parts of Mexico for over 40 years at least twice a year for weeks or sometimes longer. Even considered living there. I have paid off a couple of speeding tickets. The Mexican people are extremely hard working and honest . Only in the last two years have I picked up any negative vibes ...since Trump started attacking the Mexican people.

P
psusaver January 28, 2020

I'll take 'Things that did not happen" for $ 300.

G
GlobalMatt January 28, 2020

I personally know this guy. I went to undergrad with him. Really nice guy. Could not have happened to a nicer guy. I can tell you that everything/every claim that happened here is entirely true.