Originally Posted by
ssullivan
RDMs are decent enough, I guess – right around 5,615. I'm more interested in the massive EQMs I can rack up thanks to UA's overly generous routing rules concerning connections.
NW (but not DL) has similar rules. While status miles are indeed critical, the RDMs and cost savings have been far easier to explain to my family and friends than upgrade instruments.
For instance, I'm earning ~55,000 rdms on this trip for just over $300 - I get a Y trip to ZRH
and an F trip to AUA (60,000 miles) for less than half the cheapest BNA-AUA Y fare. Family understands and doesn't question this. My ATL-KOA trip via DTW, CVG, LAX, etc. during 3.5*MQM days didn't make sense to them at all.