12,000 miles needed in December for SE - worth doing a Mileage Run?
 

Hello All:

I need some advice and wisdom from the experts and enthusiasts here on the forum.

For the last 12 years, I've wound up as either Elite or Super-Elite each year. The only difference I have noticed between the two levels is that getting an upgrade using a certificate is a "sure bet" when SE, but only successful about 75% of the time when plain old E.

As of December 1 this year, I'll be at 88,500 status miles for the year. Do you think it would be worthwhile to do a mileage run of some kind to pick up the missing 11,500 miles? If so, what route would you suggest to a Victoria BC based person?

I have very limited time available to do such a run (3 days total at the very most), and I don't care where the plane would go. When I get into a plane, I just fall asleep until it lands, no matter where I am sitting. Note that I have a couple of the 'Special System Wide' upgrade certificates still remaining, so, I suppose I could use them on such a mileage run to improve the quality of the sleep.

Your opinions would be greatly appreciated.

What about a world tour on YVR-CDG-NRT-YVR route ? You will get a total of 15671 status miles.

Or YYJ-YVR-PVG - leave Sunday, return Tuesday, and have most of the day in Shanghai! - under $1100
12,230 miles

Even cheaper with discount code F4P8J4Y1 - http://www.aircanada.com/en/offers/a...adiscount.html

;)

That's a good promo! I should've waited some more time...instead I bought my ticket by end of Oct for a flight (YUL-YYZ-NRT-YVR-YUL) on Dec 26 - Jan 10. I would save at least 50$...
If AC keeps releasing such promos in mid-Nov, then I should look at these promos a lot more.

Argonaut:

Wow, thanks so much for that fantastic suggestion. I have made a reservation and put this booking on hold till tomorrow.

Believe it or not, the fare each way from Victoria to Shanghai is $270 (two hundred and seventy dollars) before the taxes - heck, it would cost me more than that to fly from Victoria up to the north end of Vancouver Island!

How do you determine the mileage accumulated on this voyage? That might sound like a dumb question coming from me (I am an aircraft pilot by profession... :p) - when I entered the route into normal flight planning software, it shows 4909 nautical miles between Victoria and China. That's 9818 nautical miles round trip, plus (I presume) 500 miles each way from Victoria to Vancouver, making a total of 10818 miles for the voyage. You wrote that it was 12,230 miles - how can I make a similar calculation? Are Aeroplan miles statute miles, rather than nautical miles?

Michael

thanks sooo much for the info.

My husband and I are both SE's needing last minute 15-20K runs (based in Ottawa). Any advice for us?

Max Power--it's totally worth it for SE in my opinion. The concierge service alone is priceless :-)

Just google great circle mapper and use the first result, I find the tool pretty accurate. 5615 miles one way YVR-PVG. 5615 X 2 = 11230 + 500 X 2 (YYJ-YVR) = 12230.

Did you use the discount code?

Ah, OK, then it must be statute miles. That seems kind of funny, because nautical miles are used for everything in aviation...

Yes I did. Round-trip fare was CAD $580, add in all the taxes and fees and the gross cost was $1020... about what I usually pay for a Victoria to Calgary round-trip.

For the benefit of Diana C., the same fare appears to be available on the Toronto to Shanghai route, but instead of $270 net each way, it is $540 net each way. So you could do YOW - YYZ - PVG and return, and get (approximately) 16,000+ miles for that run. Click directly on the 'discount' link that Argonaut provided above.

Michael

Short answer, yes.

Long answer, Air Canada often gives ever-so-slightly fewer miles than the statute mileage indicated by most mileage calculators.
1 AEmi ≈ 1.005 mi = .87332 NM

I did this in July (for work, not a MR). 5612 miles posted for the YVR-PVG, 500 for the YYJ-YVR.
Use the coupons! It was my first time in a pod and I loved it, newb that I am.

Yeah, those pods are nice, they are awesome for sleeping in. I do Victoria to Zurich a lot (in fact, will be leaving on 878 again tonight), and it is nice to be able to book an inexpensive Tango Plus fare and then present a coupon and get a pod - hence my interest in making SE this year.

Thanks very much for confirming the Aeroplan mileage accumulation - that flight will put me at 101,000 miles for the year.

Michael

.

Warning: Chinese entry visa required. Not sure if you can pick one up in Victoria.

Thanks for the advice about the Chinese visa. I'll fill in the application and send my passport off to Ottawa - it appears that the visa only costs $50.

Then again - maybe I should knowingly travel without a visa. After all, if the Chinese immigration folks don't let me in, they'll just put me back on the plane I arrived on, and I'll still get the miles I'm after, plus the bonus of only being away from home for 29 hours, instead of 53 hours. :cool:

Michael

It is my understanding that you can stay in PVG for less than 48 hours without a visa (but not PEK). But don't bet on travelling without the visa - AC may not accept you on the flight without proper documentation. Can anyone confirm how closely they check ?

I have flights booked to both and plan to get a multiple entry visa. And this weekend's codes may drive me to do more - do I feel an urge to try for SE in 2011?