I realize that in its purest sense, a Mileage Run is just that: a run for the miles which maximizes the dollars spent and distance flown.

But doesn't it seem somewhat absurd to fly across an ocean or continent, only to never leave the airport and actually experience the destination city for even a day?

I know all the cost:benefit arguments which can be used to rationalize flying from SEA to LHR and getting back on the same plane two hours later to return to SEA. [Without even getting your passport stamped in some destinatons!] But surely, an argument can be made for taking advantage of pricing anomolies to actually discover distant parts of the world, even for a day?

Now, it is not that I haven't done this myself: I have several times now. But at least I had been to those turnaround cities before and spent some time, thus knowing there was little reason to be leaving the airport.

In fact, is it even a Mileage Run if you don't return on the very next flight to your origination point?