Originally Posted by
wxman22
Exactly.
I flew LAX-PVG-SGN in I and J and earned: 13,132 MQM, 3,275 MQD each way for a RT ticket that cost $2032 on MU. So I paid $0.077 per MQM. Anyone who would take DL up on their buy up offer has far more money than time.
You also happen to be starting in one of the most competitive markets in the USA, so J fares (for the comfort + the MQM bonus) are way more affordable than from much of the country. I regularly drive/fly to LAX on separate tickets to get better rates in business class (usually $1800+ cheaper to go LAX-EU than PHX-EU). And to really make my point, out of Knoxville, TN (where I just went for work and where I have friends), the cheapest Skyteam business class to Saigon is $4393 (many of the flights were over $6000 in my test search). Those 19,000 base miles -> 28,500 MQM or $0.154 each, which is
more than the same as the rate I was offered ($1599 for 12,500 MQM = $0.128). Yes the flight gets you a trip to Saigon and more MQD, but on a purely buy-up comparison sake it isn't the worst deal in markets where DL doesn't have to compete as hard.