Any brilliant ideas for a cheap mileage run from ANC?
Dec 10, 2012, 12:00 pm
#16
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,994
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$75 per reschedule means you'd have to do 80 reschedules in one year to cover the $1200 cost of your MR. Hardly seems worth it.
Neil
80 re-schedules at $75 each equates to $6,000.
Originally Posted by missamo80
Thanks all for the suggestions... I am actually out in Bethel so it actually makes the costs even higher. I was hoping to use miles to ANC then fly from there but it doesn't seem to be all that great of a plan. It looks like I'm going to have to suck it if I want to keep gold. I go back and forth if it's actually worth it. Spending 1200-1500 for the rescheduling flexibility... blah. I definitely wouldn't spend that kind of money just for the F upgrades and the free drinks.
Neil
Dec 10, 2012, 2:59 pm
#19
Moderator Communications Coordinator, Signatures
Join Date: Apr 2001
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I would consider ANC-Hawaii.
If you can leave tomorrow or Wednesday, you can do it for under $1000. And there is good award availability between BET and ANC. You can do it pretty much anytime if you are willing to spend up to $1500.
If you have more miles than you know what to do with, you can use the AS50 to bring the cost of the purchased ticket down further.
You can also use your intrastate award to get you somewhere like JNU and try to get a ticket out of there for a little cheaper, but you're looking at much more time involved (like overnights in JNU both directions, etc)
If you can leave tomorrow or Wednesday, you can do it for under $1000. And there is good award availability between BET and ANC. You can do it pretty much anytime if you are willing to spend up to $1500.
If you have more miles than you know what to do with, you can use the AS50 to bring the cost of the purchased ticket down further.
You can also use your intrastate award to get you somewhere like JNU and try to get a ticket out of there for a little cheaper, but you're looking at much more time involved (like overnights in JNU both directions, etc)
Dec 10, 2012, 5:16 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,195
It's not a mileage run when you're paying 37 cents per mile! 
I did some checking and found ANC-ONT for $566.49 round-trip as an overnight turn 12/17-12/18. It can be done in less than 24 hours (1pm on Monday and back by noon on Tuesday), so if you can convince your boss to let you leave early Monday and come in late Tuesday, that's probably the cheapest way to get the 3,000 miles needed. If you're limited to weekends, you're looking at $700+ or redeeming an award to SEA/PDX/LAX and doing a transcon mileage run for about $550.
I did some checking and found ANC-ONT for $566.49 round-trip as an overnight turn 12/17-12/18. It can be done in less than 24 hours (1pm on Monday and back by noon on Tuesday), so if you can convince your boss to let you leave early Monday and come in late Tuesday, that's probably the cheapest way to get the 3,000 miles needed. If you're limited to weekends, you're looking at $700+ or redeeming an award to SEA/PDX/LAX and doing a transcon mileage run for about $550.
Other options (all prices round-trip):
$385 SEA-MCO-SEA, 12/15-12/18
$457 SAN-OGG-SEA, 12/12-12/12 (slightly higher 12/12-12/13)
$469 SEA-KOA-SEA 12/16-12/18
$475 SEA-LIH-SEA, 12/11-12/12
$485 SEA-KOA-SEA, 12/14-12/15 or 12/12-12/14
$505 SEA-LIH-SEA, 12/13-12/14
And to save 10,000 miles on your award (15,000 intrastate rather than 25,000 interstate), you can do:
$737 ANC-SEA-MCI-SEA-ANC (12/11-12/12)
$755 ANC-SEA-BLI-HNL-ANC (12/11-12/12)
And to book a revenue flight out of Bethel and not redeem any awards:
$969 BET-ANC-SEA-OAK-HNL-ANC-BET (12/11-12/12)
Dec 10, 2012, 5:32 pm
#23
Moderator Communications Coordinator, Signatures
Join Date: Apr 2001
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Saver Award Space ANC-SEA is pretty non existent during those time frames...
Dec 12, 2012, 7:16 pm
#24
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: SEA
Programs: No status anywhere :(
Posts: 867
If you're a Club 49 member, you could use your "Travel Now" 30%-off discount codes. I'm too lazy to do the math to see how the CPM of 70% of a full flex fare + bonus miles compares to prevailing discount fares with no bonus but I thought I'd throw the idea out there.
Dec 17, 2012, 7:02 pm
#25
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Portland, OR
Programs: AS MVPG, Hyatt Platinum, Hilton Silver, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 129
Tell me more....
Ive been Gold since 2005, easily hitting it in miles. The first year of 75k, I flew 68k. My job changed and last year I fell short on mileage but got the 8 segment offer and hit that in January. though my miles are way down this year (I have 28k), my segments are way up for me (45). Im really hoping they again offer me a chance for the challenge again. Whats everyone else's experience with this? Where were you miles/segments wise and got an offer? How long were you Gold before?
Dec 17, 2012, 7:37 pm
#26
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: AS MVPG, CO, NW(now DL), Flying Blue
Posts: 6,554
Ive been Gold since 2005, easily hitting it in miles. The first year of 75k, I flew 68k. My job changed and last year I fell short on mileage but got the 8 segment offer and hit that in January. though my miles are way down this year (I have 28k), my segments are way up for me (45). Im really hoping they again offer me a chance for the challenge again. Whats everyone else's experience with this? Where were you miles/segments wise and got an offer? How long were you Gold before?