The Segments Should be the focus!!!
 

For those of you new to this Medallion stuff I would recomend that you look into segments.

I was surpised to read post from so called experts saying this "I need 15 domestic flight to reach silver Medallion".

Unless you live in ATL - DTW - MSP it's more likely that you will need a connection flight. This makes it a 4 segment trip....

Even if you do live in a Hub I'm sure you can find a flight with a stop. If you reallyyyyyy want status like some people on the board want then sacrifice a bit.

I only travel about once a month for 8 months then bottom part of the tear it turns into constant road warrior travel.

But if you travel every week or even 2-3 times a week you can make Silver in 3 months tops for the next two years.

My question is why don't segments get more post when it's allot eassier and faster to attain status in this form.

I would never pay for status or go on runs. At one point I did think about it but it's pretty silly. I will take what I earned on my companies coin and be happy for getting it for free.

For those of you running or making it your mission it's allot eassier than you think.

Huh ?

He thinks one size fits all, and his size is the right size.

Your honor, thanks for sharing your thoughts, but not everyone flies 500 miles segments. If you are flying international, or transcon, it is much easier to earn any status in three months (let's calculate, each week is 5K miles, or 4 segments, and it takes 8 weeks to earn gold with segments, but only 5 weeks with miles, and you can rollover the miles, but not segments)..

OP is advocating book multi-leg trips as much as possible to qualify on MQS instead of MQM. If you live outside a hub, you only need 8 trips (all with a layover) to make FO.

Also assuming you can afford to add days onto your travel schedule (and the 1-segment vs a direct flight isn't always cheaper, in fact it can be 10x more expensive).

As a Segment qualifier, the OP is partially correct. If you have flexible travel, you can probably net FO for >$2,500 with 30 segments if your strategic with your bookings.

the sky is blue.

Please OP, please tell me how i can fly ATL-IAH and add on extra segments for the same price.

Sounds like you don't live in a hub. Again, your experience is not the same as others. I would say the vast majority of flyertalk disagrees with you on just about everything you said.

Not many segments can be added LHR-east coast when I'm headed to JFK or ATL...of course, at 3600+ miles each way, segments do not do me much good for qualification...

Delta is also the worst for qualifying with segments. This is the major reason I'm switching to AA: I could have platinum on Delta or EXP on AA. Easy choice.

The advantages of the West Coast -- I get twice as many segments as you on my TATL trips :)

Still barely make to FO on MQS.

How many of those AA segments are on RJs without FC? OTOH, AA gives upgrade priority to those with connections, so it might work for you.

Flying trans-cons or even west coast to the mid-west, you will get status much faster on miles than on segments. A typically round trip with a stop in each direction is about 5k-6k miles and 4 segments. 5 round trips gets you silver on MQM's, but it would take 7-8 round trips to get there on segments.

Also, segments don't roll over. Qualifying on miles and going over means you get to keep the MQM's to give you a head start next year.

I would say welcome to FT -- except you've been around for FIVE years and have posted a grand total of FIVE messages.

For people in the DTW area, its no big deal to drive up to FNT and make the first segment FNT-DTW and often very cost effective and hardly newsworthy.

Bob H

Probably about twice as many MQMs on those TATL trips too, unless you're going way into Eastern Europe.

It's possible to earn FO with only two segments.

It's clear that qualifying on segments allows more time to drink in flight!