mileage run planning to reach 100K
 

Well its that time of the year to start looking at re-qualifications for next year's status.

Unfortunately (or maybe its fortunate), my travel patterns this past year was less than in the past, and had a few work from home weeks. Thus, I am currently sitting at around 60K and 60 segments. My travel plans for work next year is probably more of the same, hopefully continue the pattern of less and less travel and more work from 'home'. Mostly travel within Canada/US and mostly in Y for work. On top of that, we do have 1 big vacation trip every year during Dec/Jan holiday season usually for 2-4 weeks in length. If the air travel for the vacation is with Air Canada, it'll be in J.

However, i've been a SE/100K for the last 15 or so years, so kinda 'worry' about what travel will be like without 100K. So got me thinking, do I have enough time to do a mileage run before the year end. I am taking a 3 weeks vacation to Spain/Portugal starting late Dec, on AC J using miles.
So the run will have to be before Dec 19th.
Work wise, I probably have 2-3 more trips to make from YYZ to LAX.

Questions for the group, is it worth while to go for the mileage run? And can I realistically get to 100K for this year, with a reasonable mileage run(less than $5K?)

Seems like you'll be hard pressed just to make E75K with your 2-3 YYZ-LAX flights, yet your still considering a 25K+ mileage run?

What is your AQD at this point?

I've never had an issue with reaching the AQD, just nature of tickets. I am at $25,500 right now.

Was thinking maybe doing an overnight flight to HNL at the tail end of my YYZ-LAX trips. that may help with the miles.

I worry about the day that I no longer qualify for SE and how that will affect my family.

YYZ-LAX-YYZ will net you 4400AQM each trip. 3 trips will put you at 73.2KAQM (assuming you are right at 60K currently)

LAX-HNL-LAX will net you 5100AQM each trip (assuming UA credits 100% AQM). 3 trips will put you at 88.5K AQM (assuming you are at 60K currently + the YYZ-LAX segments).

Still leaves you 10K+ AQM short. I'd say the gap is too big and I'd even go as far as saying trying to reach E75K isn't worth it after the YYZ-LAX flights.

You can do 2 YYZ-AKL (via SYD)

that is 9665 + 1200 x4

That will net you the 40,000 miles you need. Do it over a few weekends and you are set for next year.

Surely a nice P fare (at least from W. Canada) to a secondary Europe destination will yield over 12k miles.

This said, rather than mileage run, I would plan a nice vacation somewhere. Even five days at destination should be nice. We went to Sicily last Feb, shrimp was real and wonderful. Southern Spain or Portugal (either LIS or the Douro valley) will do. Still Portugal, Madeira or the Azores.

A trip to Chile or Argentina maybe?

I also have to question why you would want to do such an extended mileage run for SE when you indicate that your travel pattern is going to decline further next year.

Your questionably going to make E75K this year and based on anticipated travel patter next year, definitely won't make E75K, so what temporary benefits do you want to extract from SE next year?

The wife and I are already going to Spain and Portugal from Dec 23 to Jan 12. If I had plan this better, would definitely have done another vacation during the summer.

Good question. Guess more of being a SE/100K for so many years, just the fear of not having it? But like I mention, I am at a stage in my career where I can somewhat pick and choose what projects I work on, and my priority is to stay at home more and be with the family. So I definitely see the travel pattern being less going forward.
The only noticeable benefit I have with SE/100K over the years have been the IKK and surcharge waivers on reward travel. I have a lot of Aeroplan miles, and I use them a lot of reward travels, and having SE over the years have made it easier to book trips in J.
Other than that, I don't think I personally will lose much from going to SE/100K to 50K.

Make t two trips and come home for New Year. :D

We had a trip planned to Tuscany Nov. 8-15. Then to Germany and Belgium Dec. 20-Jan 3. Ten days ago I hurt my need. Had surgery October 26. Currently right leg in a brace immobilizing the knee. Soon became very apparent we would need to cancel the Nov. trip, throwing a wrench in my plan to renew SE status. In the meantime, an OPM trip to Waterloo came up early Dec. I figured switching the return in Jan. from Jan 3 to Dec. 31, plus booking the Dec. trip one way in P, other in B (they supposedly only pay economy; I'll cover the difference to P; not sure if they'll like the latitude leg), still would get me barely over 100k. Unfortunately my wife will only get to 35k instead of 50k. But eh, we'll stop overnight in Toronto and take our Toronto grandkids (and their parents of course) for dinner.

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Earning ~40k AQM for <$5000 is entirely possible (even $3500 is quite doable).

But as other members have mentioned, it may make sense to look at the value proposition rationally:

- what's the added value of miles earnt (assuming you usually choose the bonus miles in bundle 1) from having SE status vs. E50K/E75K status?
- what's the value of IKK to you?
- what's the value of no YQ on AC awards?
- what's the value of e-upgrades?
- what's the value of other benefits such as concierge service etc.?

Especially when booking awards over the holidays for a family of four every year, spending >$3k on a MR could indeed be a good investment.

There are regularly 5cpm paid-J fares available.

40k AQM for $5000 is ridiculous.

I bet you can do it for under $2500.

But that's still a lot of money for benefits that may not be worth anything. Could you invest the MR money into upfaring next year's trips either to P, or to a fare class that would require fewer eUps, such that you always sit in J?

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