Super Elite for ~ 8000 USD
Jan 22, 2007, 1:40 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Programs: ex AC SE100K now 75k :-( / Bonvoy Titanium / All Accor Gold/ Avis Presidents Club / National EE
Posts: 164
Super Elite for ~ 8000 USD
I was just thinking that if one wanted to cheat the system, and had the time to dedicate to doing 50 short roundtrips in the states one could ear SE status in a short span of time and for little expense. I am not advocating this, as this would encourage AP/AC to dilute benefits even more! US carriers make it easy to earn elite status. As the shuttles between NYC and BOS or PHL or Washington DC are roughly 150USD round trip if booked at the right time one could nest segments and easily do 50 round trips in the span of a week to two weeks. Now I see why the US airliners are in the dumps and FFP programs are being diluted further and further. For this plan one would earn 50k EQM and 100 segments. Not the type of traveller that they are intending to get SE status!
Just a thought!
Happy travels!
Just a thought!
Happy travels!
Jan 22, 2007, 2:55 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: YVR
Posts: 9,999
That's not "cheating" the system at all. Rather, it is working the system. And it's also what this board use to be all about.
You could probably do it for even less, if you pick itineraries with lots of connections. In fact with the purchase of the 'right' passes, you could probably do it all within Canada and mostly in J class, perhaps for even less than $8K USD.
You could probably do it for even less, if you pick itineraries with lots of connections. In fact with the purchase of the 'right' passes, you could probably do it all within Canada and mostly in J class, perhaps for even less than $8K USD.
Jan 22, 2007, 2:57 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Programs: ex AC SE100K now 75k :-( / Bonvoy Titanium / All Accor Gold/ Avis Presidents Club / National EE
Posts: 164
good point about "working" the system! i think it would be interesting to figure out what the cheapest way was to aquire SE status in the shortest amount of time!?
Jan 22, 2007, 9:15 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programs: OWEmerald; STARGold; BonvoyPlat; IHGPlat/Amb; HiltonGold; A|ClubPat; AirMilesPlat
Posts: 38,186
Oh these callow newbies...never heard of the Baht Run so of course they'd think they've just invented the wheel!
The cheapest/fastest way to SE is to book a UA Sin Run ex-ORD or points further east when the fare reaches U$900. Fly it five times, nesting your tickets so you do quick turnarounds -- sleep for a few hours at the SIN Transit hotel -- or spend a day or two before heading back to NAmerica. New fare rules require 7-day stay rather than the old rules that only required 2-/3-day stay. But it's all a matter of endurance and how quickly one wanted to complete the circuits... Even with hotels it can be done for less than OP's plan.
The cheapest/fastest way to SE is to book a UA Sin Run ex-ORD or points further east when the fare reaches U$900. Fly it five times, nesting your tickets so you do quick turnarounds -- sleep for a few hours at the SIN Transit hotel -- or spend a day or two before heading back to NAmerica. New fare rules require 7-day stay rather than the old rules that only required 2-/3-day stay. But it's all a matter of endurance and how quickly one wanted to complete the circuits... Even with hotels it can be done for less than OP's plan.
Jan 22, 2007, 9:26 am
#5
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 8,564
One of the nice things about the OP's plan is that it could be done on weekends or otherwise without missing work (much like the old 150 segments YYJ-YVR or YOW-YUL on a RTW ticket idea). The SIN run does mean less time in airports, waiting areas, and on tarmacs.
=aw
=aw
Jan 22, 2007, 9:39 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programs: AC, AA, SPG, Hilton
Posts: 1,788
You can get a North American unlimited 6-month pass in Latitude for 6100 Cdn plus taxes. All segments flown are upgradeable automatically within 24 hours of flight. For each month of the pass, the passenger will learn 15,000 status miles (does not matter whether actual miles were flown) - that's 90,000 status miles without doing any work.
Jan 22, 2007, 9:45 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2001
Programs: AC SEMM
Posts: 724
You can get a North American unlimited 6-month pass in Latitude for 6100 Cdn plus taxes. All segments flown are upgradeable automatically within 24 hours of flight. For each month of the pass, the passenger will learn 15,000 status miles (does not matter whether actual miles were flown) - that's 90,000 status miles without doing any work.
Jan 22, 2007, 10:05 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: DUB/YHZ/PVD
Programs: AF Plat, SPG Titanium
Posts: 534
While I have actualy thought about your plan, I know a couple of guys who commute BOS - NYC twice a week, and wouldn't even consider it "working" the system. They certainly feel as if they're earning their status all right. One of them, once he has top tier on US each year, flips over and goes Amtrak to top off his status on Continental.
Jan 22, 2007, 10:51 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: WinterPeg
Programs: AC Elite, Asia Miles, HH
Posts: 298
Okay.... I'm really interested in this possiblity. You can get SE for under 3K? Wow! And can you do it from YWG? LOL. I might have to add $500 just to get to YYZ or YVR!
Anyhow... that's nuts! I'd really like to know.
Jan 22, 2007, 12:08 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Ontario, CAN
Posts: 5,813
I was just thinking that if one wanted to cheat the system, and had the time to dedicate to doing 50 short roundtrips in the states one could ear SE status in a short span of time and for little expense. I am not advocating this, as this would encourage AP/AC to dilute benefits even more! US carriers make it easy to earn elite status. As the shuttles between NYC and BOS or PHL or Washington DC
Just a thought!
Happy travels!
Just a thought!
Happy travels!
Jan 22, 2007, 2:20 pm
#15
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: FRA
Programs: AC SE 1MM, UA PP, Hilton LT Diamond, Marriott Gold Elite, Avis PC
Posts: 2,948
