kawanku

To clarify - I got the offer after having 12250 in the account so I must find 5000 MQM by Oct 15 to get a Siver until Feb 2005. Miro, I saw you are in Duluth. I reside in Atl.

miro

You can kill two birds with one stone and take the First Class (class A) ATL to HNL for $1,369.80 for 19,044 MQMs. The seats are available and beautiful Hawai`i awaits you That flight combined with your current MQMs would qualify you for Silver Medallion status until Feb 2006 and satisfy challenge requirements.

If that's expensive you can fly Air France ATL-IST (AF class T earns full MQMs) for $780.06 giving you 11,524 MQMs. Then you would need to take just one domestic flight by the end of the year to put you over 25,000 MQMs.

Please note that similarly priced DL flight on that route is in class L, so it would earn you only half MQMs.

hfly

You can do IST-HNL in M for appx $1400-2500 RT. If you really wanted to may the MQM's you could do some strange connections and get about 32,000 MQM's for under 4.4c per MQM.

nkdge

Anyone have any good ideas originating from BNA?

sammy343

While people are making requests, any good ones from BOS too?

kawanku

Thanks for the suggestion Miro. It is kind of expensive but quite tempting (the one to go to Hawaii) ^ . Istambul doesn't really appeal to me. Is there a way to find the information where to go, how many MQM we will get and the ticket price? I haven't read through this board so it might as well is here and if it is I apologize for my ignorance.

Anybody else have suggestions for travel from ATL?

Fletcher921

Any suggestions for me? I am in San Diego and have 13923 Medallion® Qualification Miles so far this year. I've never even thought of flying just to get the status perks, but?

Anything good out of San Diego?

And what would the 25,000 threshold really mean? Which perks does that give?

Thank you! Babs

miro

I am just picking places at random, price them through ITA Software and check the class of service against MQM chart.

kawanku: I got your message, but you are refusing mails in your forum configuration, so I would answer here. Here is your sample Hawai`i itinerary:
ATL-CVG-HNL 10/8 DL968->DL511
HNL-CVG-ATL 10/10 DL256->DL686
total of 9592 miles and 19,184 MQMs for $1,366.70.
I picked CVG as a connecting city, because it gives max miles for the same price. Many more dates and connecting cities are available.

miles addict

For perks, see: http://www.delta.com/skymiles/about/...ance/index.jsp

In reality, if you aren't a "true" frequent flyer then there is little reason to spend money just to qualify for Medallion.

SaveDelta

Just did this routing a few weeks ago...not bad flights at all, plus you get the Sundae!!

platbrownguy

Great how we change our flying patterns for the sake of a bowl of ice cream isn't it?

If you happen to be in Asia and either want a quick Hawaii mileage run from the other direction or need a cheap luxurious way to get back:

DL Flight: 9878 (Operated by China Airlines)
Departs Taipei (TPE) October 3 2:30 pm
Arrives Honolulu (HNL) October 3 5:55 am

DL Flight: 9879 (Operated by China Airlines)
Departs Honolulu (HNL) October 3 7:25 am
Arrives Taipei (TPE) October 4 (Next day) 12:15 pm

5069 miles each segment, 9h25 on the outbound, 10h50 on the return.

Total MQM 20,276 for $1500.90 including taxes, booked in "D" Restricted Business Class. I looked at the fare information but there are no actual restrictions as far as advance purchase/minimum stay. The aircraft makes a 90-minute turn at HNL so you could conceivably do a turn if you were up to it - AMEX/ITN will ticket a turnaround. Fare allows for open return, too. 18-hour time change.

You must book on the DL codeshare to get MQMs. A fare of pretty much exactly half this is available for the TPE-HNL segment only, however the one-way and return fares out of HNL are about 60% more.

I used CI a while back TPE-HNL only, and the service is quite nice - this (along with SEA, NYC, FCO, and FRA) is one of their DynastySupreme class (2-class) flights - the seat is the exact same seat as Delta's BusinessElite 777 seat. Not just similar - exact same brand of seat, same recline, same cabin layout (better colors).

Food service is very good and cabin crew is miles more attentive than DL (pretty much up there with the rest of the Asian carriers). Also, your TV screen is huge like no other. 11" I believe. Audio/video on demand and huge entertainment library. All told, it knocks the socks off a 764 from ATL to HNL, and the total mileage is higher .

If you can trade in your ice cream sundae for some dim sum, I'd take this MR any day.

It is 7.4c/MQM compared to 7.12c for the HI MR, but with 25,345 SkyMiles for a GM or PM (a free domestic ticket), it's a heck of a deal.

SaveDelta

Agreed on the 764-ER. Its a decent run from ATL-HNL. Wish they would have had to substitute a 763-ER for it...oh well.

kawanku

Miro: sorry about my setting. I fixed it already and thanks for your insight. Boy, you guys are GOOD!! I am amazed on how good you guys are.. TPE-HNL... Man... I can't never even imagine the travel starts from TPE.
Anyway, I do not travel too much (just enough to get only about 11000 MQM a year) so I am still in limbo. Should I do the "RUN" or not?

miro

Even better - the fare allows connection in ICN for ~500 miles, 1000 MQMs more each way As an added bonus you get to try Korean Business Class

miro

I usually do about 40-50k air miles of travel every year (mostly on LUT fares - company policy), so for me it makes sense to make gold because of 100% mileage bonus. Those miles really stack up then. By qualifying for silver, you get only 25% bonus mileage, so I am not quite sure it's worth the expense/trouble.

It really depends on an individual. One of the perks I get as an elite member is a dedicated security line at ATL, and that is worth alot to me (in time saved). I think that is one of the reasons I still stick with DL. Otherwise I would fly *A (UA & LH)., as they serve the same destinations I usually fly.