acysb87

Am requesting some help for a MHD we are planning for end November this year.I believe this to be the 1st spousal (as in 2 persons) MHD.Am in YSB and would like to go to Ixtapa.(5-7 days).The YSB departure seems to be a problem.Any help and suggestions would be appreciated.
My agent has looked into this,with some guidance from me on codes.She came up with $5800.00 and got it to $1600.00 when she plugged in a YOW departure. Her words were "this is wild"
Thanks to all in advance for your guidance.

BlondeBomber

the key is to get to the start of a cheap/flexible fare routing. YOW is good.

exAC

Does it qualify as an MHD if you actually want to go to Mexico and spend a lot of time there????

BlondeBomber

Yes but we are not sure about the direct from Canada without stopping in the US or Canada.

After all you are just going to Mexico then No dance at all!

Shareholder

Yes, at least make this craziness an extra special thing for your partner by jetting off to Vancouver for dinner, then head down to MEX. That's really what it's all about. The savings are one thing, but the hop-scotching across the continent is an equal part of the madness. (Might we have to enforce a minimum 5 city, 6 segment rule on MHDs?)

BlondeBomber

Ken hAAmer

I concur that there should be some qualifying factors, but time should not be one of them, as avoiding time restrictions like advance purchase requirements, Saturday stayovers, and day of week restrictions is a major purpose of the MHD. Besides, I'm aware of a 4 segment, 3 country MHD that can be done in under 17 hours, probably for as little as CAD$600 and would garner about 6000 miles. (And if you are an AC*E or SE then with minimal planning and foresight, you could probably ride in J all the way, although you wouldn't get the 25%/50% COS bonuses on the MX segments.)

No, I think there only needs to be one restriction. I thought landing in all three countries (Canada, US, Mexico) might be a qualifyer, but I think stopping or connecting somewhere in the US is pretty much mandatory to meet the fare and routing rules. Segments might also be a requirement, but on almost any MHD you're probably going to have to do at least 4 segments, and again, segments are a benefit of the MHD rather than the purpose of.

No, I think the only requirement is that you stopover or turn around in a city that is not your intended destination. If you're going to ORD, YYZ, or YYC then probably any city in Mexico would qualify. If you're going somewhere in Mexico then YYC, YVR, or LAX might qualify. ORD might not, as simply looking for the best price to MEX might require a stop in ORD, so it would hardly be an extra step or effort. But perhaps trips to Mexico might be considered Honourary MHDs.

And face it, being able to honestly and casually say, "Yeah, we took the jet to Vancouver for lunch" is kinda cool, no matter whose company you travel in.

All those in favour, say aye...

exAC

Ah but remember now, you are running a reward program [spiffy hat and certificate if I judge by my reading]. So now you need to think like a FF manager.

Place enough rules and fences to make it a challenge, but, make the "prize" attainable. Make sure that the integrity of the program is not broken, but, that compassion is used in order to retain loyalty. Try to have a program that recognizes achievement and may be used as a status symbol. Also, what do you do about equivalencies to other route structures and their award schemes. Do you allow a comp???
Will there be a multi-layered program with different levels?? What else do you need to include. Definetly a discontinue date that keeps on being pushed later.....

Ken hAAmer

You're hired. When can you start?

acysb87

My plan ,originally,was to stop in LAX. Dinner and dance(American or Mexican)was the order of the day.I have a brother in YVR,a stop there is also a possibility.
A two day run there,and return via Cancun and Miami.
My real test is in having my spouse pack
for 5 days,carry-on only.

SkinnyJ

We're on the topic here of MHD rules and just what should constitute a true MHD.

On my trips back to Canada, each and every one consists of a brief trip to Edmonton to check on my tiny storage unit which holds what few personal possessions I didn't bring to Kazakhstan.

Thanks to those on this board, a decent bonus, and some brief vacation time, I was able to make my trip to Edmonton, but return to YYZ via Cancun (AND have lunch with my boss in Calgary in the process):

YOW-YYZ-YEG on day 1 - stay two days in YEG
YEG-YYC-(lunch with boss)-YVR-LAX-MEX-CUN - stay in Cancun two days
CUN-MEX-LAX-YVR-YYC-YYZ-YOW

I think that this would certainly qualify under the new rules??

Shareholder

I hope my remarks were not misread to be construed as a "dissing" of acysb87's or anyone else's planned use of the MHD. There are lots of reasons to make use of this fare, all of them valid in one way or another.

I suppose the bottom line is that the primary intent of the MHD trip should not be a Mexican vacation, in and of itself. In its purest sense, the MHD involves the absurd and seemingly pointless maximization of flying in two other countries when the primary objective is to do a simple trip to either a Canadian or American destination for valid business or other purposes, on a full fare ticket that legally circumvents all the "normal" rules, and also saves a bundle over the regular full fare economy, business or first class to that city inwhich the valid purpose takes place.

Basically a MHD combines a very rational rationale for doing an extremely rediculous and absurd bit of travel.

AC*SE

Rational folks need not apply

airbus320

For a few of us, it is a pure and simple mileage run in the comfort of J class. It is much cheaper than trying for an upgrade to SJ when you are Elite. And yes, a mileage run sometimes is not rational. But passion has its excess.

Dorian

I always assumed the MHD was simply an "absurd" way to get to another point (and back) in Canada...ie: via MEX?

D