Mileage runs as a percent of total travel.
Dec 3, 2000, 3:47 pm
#16
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: BOS
Programs: JetBlue Mosaic, WN A List Preferred, Hyatt Globalest, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, IHG Spire
Posts: 3,966
I've flown at least about 15 segments on DL, CO, and US this year...so to figure out the percentage of trips for mileage runs at this point would take some real work. However...
This summer I went to DCA maybe 8 weekends to visit friends, and to get DL miles and SPG points. This helped me get the Free Weekends offer, and I got two free weekends. I purposely tried to use these at expensive properties....a W in NYC and one in MSY. So these trips were part leisure and part mileage run.
I would say in total (approximation here) I probably take about 30% to 50% of trips solely for the miles. I just flew twice BOS-YUL for about $187 each in order to get the DL online booking international bonus. This is about 12,000 miles for each $187 round-trip.
I was considering flying the US shuttle, 16 segments, for $640 to get Gold status under a promotion. Unfortunately, the inexpensive fares have expired.
I'm taking a trip on the Acela in about a week and then will probably fly DL or US back. This is to check out the Acela service, get miles and points, and lastly to spend a day/night in New York.
So I'm one of those people with a hih mileage run percent? Why?
*I can use miles and system wide type certs to fly internationally in premium classes. If I were to buy these tickets, (J or C class) it would cost substantially more than the mileage runs;
*I enjoy the domestic upgrades whether on a "real trip," or a mileage run;
*I think the airline is more likely to treat an elite pax better, e.g. waive rules, provide extra upgrades, etc.;
*I enjoy the game and the challenge of getting the miles, or finding a way to get lots of miles for a small investment;
*I like to observe the goings-on in airports, the passengers, the agents, and the interactions between people;
*One of my hobbies is weather, and ATC. I nearly always bring my hand scanner, and can listen to ATC in the terminal, or if staying at an airport hotel. I find it interesting to listen to the interaction between pilots and ATC, to listen to airline radio frequencies where employees converse, etc. I think it gives me a real inside glimpse of the system, and the ways it works or does not work. I get to listen to things most people perhaps don't even know about, etc. I'll never forget the night I was on a CO flight EWR-BOS on the plane from about 10PM to 4AM, and the pilot let me use my scanner when we were at the gate. I mainly listened to the frequency the pilots used to talk to operations about de-icing, etc. I've actually thought of switching to UA to better satisfy this hobbey, e.g. Channel 9.
*I like the bumping game, picking flights that might be overbooked, etc. I've only gotten bumped once in the last two years though, and it was on a non mileage run trip.
*I enjoy writing trip reports, reading others, and comparing experiences.
Well, maybe we should all get jobs as secret shoppers for the airlines. Or for some other group interested in aviation service, etc.
This summer I went to DCA maybe 8 weekends to visit friends, and to get DL miles and SPG points. This helped me get the Free Weekends offer, and I got two free weekends. I purposely tried to use these at expensive properties....a W in NYC and one in MSY. So these trips were part leisure and part mileage run.
I would say in total (approximation here) I probably take about 30% to 50% of trips solely for the miles. I just flew twice BOS-YUL for about $187 each in order to get the DL online booking international bonus. This is about 12,000 miles for each $187 round-trip.
I was considering flying the US shuttle, 16 segments, for $640 to get Gold status under a promotion. Unfortunately, the inexpensive fares have expired.
I'm taking a trip on the Acela in about a week and then will probably fly DL or US back. This is to check out the Acela service, get miles and points, and lastly to spend a day/night in New York.
So I'm one of those people with a hih mileage run percent? Why?
*I can use miles and system wide type certs to fly internationally in premium classes. If I were to buy these tickets, (J or C class) it would cost substantially more than the mileage runs;
*I enjoy the domestic upgrades whether on a "real trip," or a mileage run;
*I think the airline is more likely to treat an elite pax better, e.g. waive rules, provide extra upgrades, etc.;
*I enjoy the game and the challenge of getting the miles, or finding a way to get lots of miles for a small investment;
*I like to observe the goings-on in airports, the passengers, the agents, and the interactions between people;
*One of my hobbies is weather, and ATC. I nearly always bring my hand scanner, and can listen to ATC in the terminal, or if staying at an airport hotel. I find it interesting to listen to the interaction between pilots and ATC, to listen to airline radio frequencies where employees converse, etc. I think it gives me a real inside glimpse of the system, and the ways it works or does not work. I get to listen to things most people perhaps don't even know about, etc. I'll never forget the night I was on a CO flight EWR-BOS on the plane from about 10PM to 4AM, and the pilot let me use my scanner when we were at the gate. I mainly listened to the frequency the pilots used to talk to operations about de-icing, etc. I've actually thought of switching to UA to better satisfy this hobbey, e.g. Channel 9.
*I like the bumping game, picking flights that might be overbooked, etc. I've only gotten bumped once in the last two years though, and it was on a non mileage run trip.
*I enjoy writing trip reports, reading others, and comparing experiences.
Well, maybe we should all get jobs as secret shoppers for the airlines. Or for some other group interested in aviation service, etc.
