Rookie to airline Status - need 680 MQMs to hit Gold
 

I have nearly 14k MQD's, but am short on MQMs.

I am sure there is likely a simple answer to this, but is the best way to achieve this to simply look for the cheapest flight I can find? I believe every segment gets 500 MQM minimum so a round trip ticket gets me what I need?

Any websites that are helpful? Also, if anyone is familiar with best routes out of DTW, that is likely where I would fly from.

Do you have any upcoming trips? If so, you could upgrade to First and get 50% bonus MQMs. Otherwise, I'm seeing same day roundtrips from DTW to STL/RDU for $111 (Basic Economy) on Tue/Wed/Sat next month. I find Google Flights the easiest to use (leave the destination field empty, filter by Skyteam and price).

Thank you.

I have no travel booked before the end of the year.

Is my understanding that 500 mqm per segment is minimum? Is there a way to check this before booking?

Tks for the advice on google flights - that is pretty handy.

minimum 500 MQM per segment yes. In the booking screen (before you pay) it should show you what you’d earn on the flight as well.

If you're going to do this, plan a fun weekend someplace (warm?) or perhaps try to maximize the number of MQMs earned for roughly what you're spending, in order to go into next year with some rollover.

DTW-ORD is usually pretty cheap.
Can do a same day RT in December for ~$150, maybe cheaper, I didn't look hard

Check out flights to Denver; you can do a same day trip for well under $200 and will enjoy a bit of rollover MQMs to start 2020. Google flights is showing options at $131 for Basic Economy and $178 for Main Cabin. This is what I used 2 years ago to keep my Platinum status and it was well worth the expense.

If you're going for just a day from DTW, I'd be tempted to go to LGA just after Thanksgiving to see the new terminal and to visit the AmEx PlatCard (drinks, food, and swag) event that seems to be happening near Union Square. NYC is always fun and pretty around the holidays, so to see the Christmas lights a better plan might be to spend a night. NYC hotels in some neighborhoods can be cheap on weekends, although probably nothing near Fifith Avenue/CentralPark/Upper East Side during the shopping season. IIRC Union Square has a Hyatt Centric and a W.

I like the concept of fitting something enjoyable into a mileage run, so you aren’t just spending all the time on a plane or in airports. My “mileage run” in December has turned into eight days in Paris! It’s easier to expand a mileage run when you’re retired.

Two approaches emerge:

• Use the trip as a little indulgence where you actually do something fun (NYC,LAS,FLL) and the price is not as critical because of other benefits. Can use Google flights to look at options
• Cheapest possible trip to anywhere to get the miles. You could think about using Skyscanner and looking for the cheapest flights from DTW to "Everywhere". You would get a list of locations where DL might try to compete with cheap flights (e.g. Spirit) and you can use Google flight to look at those cheap markets. Problem would be avoiding overnight stays. You could also possibly find a one way that got you the necessary miles and you could return one way on a different carrier with a cheaper return option. Example could be fly Spirit to ATL for $44 and return DL for $119. You would need a location farther away than ATL to get the 680 miles, but that is the thinking.

It's a good problem to have, so good luck. And, welcome to Flyertalk!

Concur with second poster that DTW-RDU/STL look to be the cheapest at $111 roundtrip. I would not involve another airline (particularly Spirit) for positioning as you won't be protected on return in the case of irregular operations. DTW-AUS can be had for $131 sameday roundtrip on a number of Tue. and Wed. dates in December and will goose your rollover a bit (earns around 2300 MQM's total).

a lot of the DL amex cards have a MQM bonus after you hit a certain amount of spend. Since it's already mid-november that might be difficult to do depending on your spend habits