flyingeph12

Not really a MR, but couldn't pass up a $475 fare to HKG over Christmas (upgrades have all cleared, including DFW-HKG(!), but then again it's Christmas). A great deal (I'd say almost a steal) at the LMO sealed the deal.

I did book a couple of AAVacation packages earlier this year to get my EQD up (one to PVG for $0.27/EQD another to HAM for ~$0.34/EQD), with two nights in each city. HAM is such a great city (I really want to go back for longer); PVG I've been to many times but always happy to go back.

RichVan

I love Hamburg. It's such a great place. I think next year I'll look at doing some AAVacation fares in order to find a different EQD earning.


Yeah, I got an op-up on DXB-LHR a couple weeks ago, and they offered me a $400 paid upgrade to J on the final leg, which I took.
Best part about buying AUP with BA is that the ticket gets posted as an I fare and you net the extra little bit of RDM and EQD.
I just found the 11+ hours in a W seat a little too much to handle. Although being able to drink as much Blue Label as I wanted before leaving LHR did help with sleeping.

PaulInTheSky

+1. I have moved most of the business to other OneWorld partners with far better customer service, elite treatment, and lounge services. AA is done. There is no way I spend extra EQDs on AA just to chase the status.

foxtrotlima1

I did a BWI-DFW-NRT-CGK-NRT-ORD-BWI run last weekend then followed that up with a BWI-PHX-LAX-DFW-BWI run on Tuesday. End result was supposed to get me to 150k EQM and 12k EQD. I scored on the EQM’s but ended up a dollar short on EQD’s. Currently sitting at 11,999 EQD’s for the year.

I had a long layover in NRT, so decided to go into town. Had an interesting exchange with the customs officer who just could not get over why I only spent a day in CGK. He must have asked me 5 different ways why. Fun times.

matrixwalker2012

So me spending $150 to go on a Transcon run to get the extra EQMs so I can hit the 150K EQM mark to get the extra SWUs is not money well spent?

Considering that I blow through SWUs on international long haul flights pretty quickly, I'm saving quite a lot versus buying J fares.

Reetmafreen

I did a SAN-LAX-HNL mileage run last month to make sure I kept Plat for next year. Was on the ground for 3.5hrs but did manage to squeeze in a few beers with a colleague from work who is based in Oahu

apeortdz

I map out all of my flying a year in advance, all personal no business. I have no trouble meeting the EQD but I am usually a bit short on EQM for making EXP. So I did my only needed MR this year back in March PHL-LAS-PHL with a connection time of 90 minutes. My outbound was an hour late taking off and I had to run from gate to gate in LAS to make the return. Still all worth it for the SWUs!

Dad to Rei

I found a MR for a fantastic deal, but am now dreading it due to the redeye return. ~$160 AI for PHL-CLT-LAX-SLC-PHL

Just over 3CPM and will just barely get me over the line for EQM to EXP

LINDEGR

I am not sure how they could forbid it? If one purchases in coach and expenses coach fare, an upfare is allowable.

rjw242

In some companies, not all.

skydve1

Last year I needed a few thousand miles to keep Platinum, and my wife needed to do her Global Entry interview. I found out that the Anchorage CBP had tons of availability, when every other CBP office had a several month backlog. So we flew to Anchorage for a few days and used miles to upgrade to F. My wife did her GE interview in Anchorage, we did a 2hr glacier tour in a Cessna 182, and drove around to observe and photograph the wildlife. On the overnight flight home from Anchorage , we got to see the northern lights for over an hour, which looked really cool from the sky.

This year I needed 7k miles to hit EXP, so I flew a one day trip RIC-CLT-DEN-CLT-RIC in F last Saturday.
I've got an Amex platinum card which gets me a Priority Pass membership, so when I landed in Denver, I visited Timberline Steaks & Grille and had dinner and a few drinks for free using the $28 credit. Then I hit the Admirals Club, had a few cookies, and flew home.

Last year was definately more fun.

arlflyer

LINDEGR, I generally agree with you. The only caveats I was making are that 1) with some funky booking/expense systems the fare change might feed back through and do screwy things, 2) if the company books flexible Y under policy and you upfare to to discount biz, you lose that flexibility and if things change you're on the hook for it and, 3) company travel depts are generally sadistic and like to make up rules simply to make life more difficult.

Linda Walker

LAX-HND next weekend for some sushi.

LINDEGR

Do these mythical companies forbid sticker upgrades too? What about op-ups?

LINDEGR

I think #2 is fair to both parties.
#3 - Sounds like where I work!!!!