Best bang for the buck
 

As suggested by Vulcan, here's a thread for most status miles per dollar spent.

This year my best was EWR-SEA-EWR

4802 status miles for $209
or 22.98 smpd(status miles per dollar)

13413 total miles
4802 actual
2400 E-ticket bonus
6002 Platinum Bonus
209 Credit Card miles

or 66.18 tmpd(Total miles per dollar)

Here's mine -

DCA-SEA/LAX-DCA

6041 status miles fir $188
or 32.13 smpd

13041 total miles
6041 actual
1000 web reservation bonus
3000 AmEx bonus
3000 first trip bonus

or 69.37 tmpd

P.S. 188 Starwood Points http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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Dan
"It is not doing the things we like to do, but liking the things we have to do, that makes life blessed." - Goethe

Here is my wife's mileage run to SEA this weekend: EWR-IAH-SEA-IAH-EWR $268.

Total miles- 18,358

Actual miles- 6,578
E-tkt bonus 3,289
Platinum bonus 8,223
Cred Card miles 268

miles per dollar= 68.5

It looks like 70 is a barrier. Can anyone top it?

Thats like waving a red flag in front of a herd of bulls http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I think arturo wonz clame he get sevintee my-els pur dolluh.

Then again, maybe he got 17.

dilbert: what is "first trip bonus"?

I enrolled to OnePass in April to collection MCI bonus miles, and I received a postcard from OnePass challenging me to take 3 RTs for 6000 bonus miles. 3000 miles after 1st trip and 1500 miles for 2nd and 3rd trips. I think this might be targeted promotion...

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Dan
"It is not doing the things we like to do, but liking the things we have to do, that makes life blessed." - Goethe

My best current deal is PHX-EWR-RDU @ $204 RT for 5,264 status miles, 11,634 with 125% bonus.

A few years ago after Southwest started service from TUS to SAN it was possible to get a $17.00 OW fare on America West, the connection through PHX gave 1,000 status miles, 1,516 total miles with the 125% bonus! That worked out to 89 total miles per dollar. The return trip cost $20 due to the $3 airport fee, or 75 miles per dollar. Needless to say I took a few day trips to San Diego that year.

Here's an attempt to compete. Please keep in mind this was with one day notice.

Continental is matching fare out of Miami with United and American on Latin Routes.

MIA-IAH-CCS
One day notice, $460.00.

18,192 total miles

6448 actual rt
3224 e-ticket
8060 platinum bonus
460 chase card

39.5 with no time to plan.
First Class confirmed both directions.

Fantastic Argentinian red wine. Does anyone know name? Forgot where I wrote it down.

I'm close to attaining Silver status and would like to book one of these mega-segment trips to put me over the top. I am curious as to how you find these incredible deals with all these connecting flights? Do you use the Continental website? Anothe website? Or a travel agent? Every connecting flight I've ever tried to obtain via Continental's website has been very expensive, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Matt:

itn is nice since it shows you the fare breakdown by leg.

The other thing is to look at the last minute cool secials, or just try combinations.

If just trying combos, the best is to try major cities connecting thru the hubs that are far apart.

Like west coast to florida, via newark
or Northeast to Northwest thru houston.

mrichmond, check out http://www.bestfares.com/travel_cent...s/newsdesk.asp for Snooze Alarm deals.

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Dan
"It is not doing the things we like to do, but liking the things we have to do, that makes life blessed." - Goethe

COOL has a great "mileage run" special this weekend. EWR-SAN for $209.

You get 4850 status miles, plus any elite bonus.

No online booking bonus. Last time I booked a cool special, I did get the 50% e-ticket bonus. I don't know if this still in effect for cool specials. If it is, then for another 20 dollars, you'd get 2425 bonus miles.

Matt:
Boomer is right. I fly out of EWR and my favorite mileage run is EWR-IAH-SEA, about 6,600 Actual miles. When there is a sale between EWR and SEA, got to the CO site. You may have to go to the section that allows you to pick out the flights. Typically, the site will give you non-stops. By trying different combos, it will generally allow a routing through IAH. I believe that the rule is they will give you the fare on any routing that is less that 150% of the non-stop mileage. My favorite last year for about $280 was PHL-CLE-IAH-SEA-IAH-CLE-PHL.

PHL-CLE-IAH-SEA-IAH-CLE-PHL?

Whats the matter you couldn't get PHL-DTW-IAH-EWR-SEA-MSP-EWR-IAH-PHL? http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Seriously, time starts to factor in here.

EWR-IAH-SEA at 6600 miles over EWR-SEA at 4800 miles, will add 7 or 8 hrs to your trip.

Maybe someone can come up with an all day trip t9o nowhere, just connecting hubs to get segments. Maybe we could have a contest. Quickest time to platinum, without regard to cost.

I wonder if you could you somehow do 75000 actual miles in 10 days. Kind of get the platinum thing done by Jan 10th? http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif