Guanacox

Looking to learn how to book and take advantage of the Miles Run to built my Delta Skymiles Status.

Trips starting and ending in NYC

want to learn best routes and lower possible airfare options.

all your recommendations and suggestions will be appreciated.

vp

KDCAflyer

Use Google flights.

Zorak

Google flights is adequate in a lot of cases, so I second that suggestion.

If you want to learn more about finding/planning MRs on your own, I suggest starting with the sticky threads at the top of the Mileage Run and Mileage Run Discussion forums:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mileage-run-deals-372/

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milea...iscussion-627/

If you want to be lazy and have other people find MRs for you then you can post a request in this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milea...lp-needed.html

but you'll want to be a bit more specific if you have any date restrictions etc.

DLDiamond2013

Are you looking for domestic or international MRs or both? I go for the biggest bang I can at once and use SIN for my MRs. Only requires one day off from work (zero if it's a long weekend already) and nets me about 22,000 MQMs in one trip. It is an entire weekend in a plane with six legs total for me (four being long-haul), so you have to be mentally and physically prepared for that. It does, however, make all my regular domestic flying feel like nothing.

Mileage Lover

Have to agree that creative routing to SIN can really rack up the MQMs. I try to buy mine long in advance as sked changes allow me to generally add a segment or two. It's a tough run so be prepared but with advance planning you can grab decent seats and it'll be worth it racking up serious MQMs.

dinanm3atl

Echo this.

mot29

If NYC is your base, I'd also suggest looking at AF/KL Canada -- YYZ/YUL to Asia or DEL/BOM. Often find good fares in Business or Premium Econ on AF flights. PE on AF in W, S, and even A earns a 50% MQM bonus. Tickets booked on AF stock earn MQDs based on distance, not spend.
For example, check this thread -- http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/premi...340-pe-rt.html
For me, easiest to book on airfrance.us.
Depending on your schedule there is also this available now -- PRG to "lesser" cities in China (although Hangzhou is only 90 minutes or so by train from PVG). http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/premi...1166-euro.html also bookable on AF.
Note that true PE is only available on AF metal.

jimrpa

I'm sure this is a stupid question that has been answered elsewhere, so profuse apologies in advance, but what does the following mean:Does this mean that if I book an AF flight on AF stock that has a round-trip distance of 10,000 miles, I'll get 10,000 MQDs, even if I only paid, say, $600 for it?

Grouchy

Keep in mind there is a modifier. Maximum is 60% MQD's and that's for first. $600 sounds more like economy and then is 5-20% modifier applicable

Zorak

The table for AF can be found at:

https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...ir-france.html

There are similar pages for other partners.

mot29

Thanks to Zorak for posting the chart; I should have posted it when I gave the example. But for a specific example -- last summer I flew to Japan for two weeks, taking advantage of a KL/AF business fare from Canada.

YYZ-JFK-AMS-KIX/HND-CDG-AMS-YYZ, mostly Z -- MQMs-30,531; total miles-34,014; base miles-14,869; MQDs-$3278. Actual ticket price was US$2668. I made the mistake of purchasing this on KL stock rather than AF, so the transatlantic legs earned on DL's basis, using 11 base miles per dollar and actual spend and the EU to Japan legs earned on the "other KLM marketed flights...." table of the KL chart -- https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...-airlines.html

jimrpa

So, when doing mileage runs and looking to optimize for MQDs, there are instances where it might make sense to look at partners instead of DL, particularly if you're looking at a mid-price fare?

bgriff

When booking on partners, both MQDs and earned miles can be different, sometimes even very different, from what you would earn booking a similarly-priced itinerary through Delta. So yes, can be worth checking.

Keep in mind with some partners (not AF and KL, but some others) you may also earn fewer MQMs if booking through the partner than you would get through Delta. For most people it wouldn't be worthwhile to trade more MQDs for fewer MQMs, but it's possible someone may like that outcome. And of course some fares are only going to be available booking through a particular source.

mot29

Absolutely -- I booked LHR-Oz for this fall on VN. I actually run numbers when I book this way and figure out what works best. That trip cost me about US$2300 in business including a stopover in Vietnam. VN is a group 3 partner and I booked in D class. 25% base miles bonus, but only 75% of MQMs and 25% of base miles flown converted to MQDs. Even with flying to LHR (either with a mileage award of buying a ticket with an ECV and using GUCs) this was a good deal for me.

But you need to work every one out!

LAXRuss

Recently I flew USA-India in Z class on Air France for two weeks. The Z fare when I booked last November was about half the cost for twice the distance to India than if I had flown only to CDG. This is the first time in a while I flew on AF ticket stock, but it appears to me that the if the MQD is based on a percentage of mileage flown, it will be higher than if DL had simply calculated with the ticket price. The only challenge I had was that I chose to buy up to "La Premiere" First Class on the first flight segment ex USA to CDG. Now that the flight is completed, all the flight segments except the first class flight have credited and DL tells me the flight segment is "pending processing" and could take up to a month to credit. (Perhaps it needs verification that it is a revenue segment because I think La Premiere credits at 300% in medallion award miles (still the 150% MQM for the fare class I purchased.) I planned my rollover last year to drop to Silver as I knew this itinerary would kick me back to Gold with about 25K MQM, but now I am short the mileage until the segment credits. Until I return to Gold status, I am back to booking tickets through a travel agent because it has been two decades since I was last at a low enough DL/NW status where I am told I will be on hold for two hours when I call the medallion phone number.