Originally Posted by
355F1
My spend so far these 118k MQMs is only $3,600. I use the MRs for mini-vacations as my job is 100% flexible and I set my own schedule. I prefer to work 12hr days for a week at a time, then take 4 days off in a row.
I won't spend $12.5k on travel. I have the DL AMEX Reserve, which will hit that $25k spend next month exempting me from the MQDs.
I just got 6,500 MQMs last night on a PHX-....MIA run for $212. (I actually bought six of these and yesterday's was the first of these same-day turns.)
I'm a cheapskate..!!! Hah!!
The time/value equation just doesn't work for me. I value time with friends and family too much. SO travels globally 50%-60% of the time; I travel much less, mostly back to the East Coast, United States.
I just want my weekends to relax, and well, I do live in an awesome city.
I think the changes are very positive, for 2015. Since my average flight is around 2000€ to 3000€, with the occasional cheap trip thrown on (like a KLM AMS-BCN-AMS for 200€'ish all-in, I'm about to book, or a recent trip to OTP which was less than 250€).
I've looked at mileage runs; and I've looked at how I value my leisure time. It just doesn't compute.
I still don't think the gain is strong enough. I'd say if it was 3x or 4x RDMs perhaps, but at the current earn rate (even as a Diamond Medallion), I'd be losing money spending my time on those mileage runs.