How do you avoid minimum one night stays?
 

I did a search on this board first. Whatever is here must be buried deep because I couldn't find the answer. So I am asking for you seasoned mileage runners to give me some tips.

There are some great fares out of San Antonio right now (like Tampa $112 or SAN $158). On Travelocity I read the rules and they all seem to say a one night stay is required.

Yet on this board I often read about you guys taking your trips and returning same day.

I am going to try to travel 12,000 extra miles to make Delta Gold. My husband thinks this is foolish. So if I could get back in the same day I think he would object less. Any help would be appreciated. I have learned so much from you all!

I think most of us actually have the one night stay in there, just that we're staying on an airplane. Seriously, if you take a late night flight and arrive at your destination in the morning (and then fly right back) you meet the requirement for the one night stay.

I'm flying to Florida tonight, and I'll be back in early evening Saturday (I will actually spend about 5 hours on the ground in Orlando, enough to get out for a nice lunch, some shopping, and then back to the airport). I see thunderstorms are expected, something we don't see in the Bay Area http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Don't let your husband talk you out of doing the run to get gold. It is so worth it! Does he spend half his life on an airplane? I don't think so, or he would understand completely why you want to do this. Good Luck!

I use late night Saturday departures for those fares requiring a Saturday stay and make the turn sunday when I get there. International allow for a bit more flexibility and routing to get the Saturday stay.

It is a lot easier for the westcoasters to do an out and back trip without an overnight because many of the flights are timed to leave shortly before midnight to allow landing in the east after 6AM. For us in the midwest, it is easier to book two trips on one intinerary to get the first trip same day and then return for the second trip sometime later usually after a Saturday night. Sometimes, you can find a return flight on the west coast that leaves between midnight and 1AM that gives you a next day departure to get the best fares.

------------------

If you're working two airlines (while I wouldn't do this on one, but others have), you can nest trips without trepidation unless there are schedule irregularities:

Day X from A to B on Q
Day X from B to A on R

Day Y from A to B on R
Day Y from B to A on Q

Tom, so what you are saying is that a night's stay is almost always a requirement for these low fares? I know that sometimes it is specifically a Sat. night. I never realized that you were all usually spending a night every time. I guess it is just understood by anyone with experience.

Hope your run to Florida went smoothly!

Does anyone ever figure out a way to do it all in a day? If so how?

Bravozulu, thanks for the idea about nesting. I did find a thread on that in the archives. Interesting!

Lele, thanks for the encouragement! My husband does travel alot, tho not so much as me. It is my careful planning that has allowed him to enjoy the upgrades he has had. He just doesn't fully understand the benefits (not that I am an expert yet)

I would love to hear any more input and THANKS again!

[This message has been edited by paradocs (edited 07-27-2001).]

FOOLISHRUNNER: (Or anyone else) Would you please explain the part about booking two trips on one itinerary? I feel like I am learning a whole new language and it just doesn't sink in that easily. Thanks for your post and any future replies!

paradocs-

I did this on the 4th of July sales on AA. I purchased one ticket ORD-SJC with a departure early AM to SJC on 7/4 and a late return to ORD on July 5. I then boaught a different ticket SJC-xORD-MIA the afternoon of July 4th and then a morning MIA-xLAX-SJC on July %th that would get me to SJC in time to catch my SJC-ORD flight from ticket #1. I earned about 9,500 qualifying miles and (with my PLT bonus, double mile bonus for the ORD/SJC legs, booking online and using the Self Service Kiosks to check-in) almost 28,000 total miles!

Some airline systems will allow you to book what ORDPLATAA suggested in one ticket with low prices such as ORD-SJC-ORD-MIA-LAX-SJC-ORD. I just booked a trip BUF-DTW-SJC-DTW-JAX-IAH-PHX-SJC-DTW-BUF leaving 3PM, Sept 4 and landing back in BUF at 8AM. Sept 6 for $330 on one ticket with CO. Two redeyes from SJC-DTW so I eliminate the hotels, but it is hard on the body. What we do for over 10,000 flight miles before bonuses!

------------------

Every trip I've done has always required a one night stay, though not always a Saturday. The one I'm on right now (I'm at Dulles between flights) allowed any day of the week for the one night stay. This is usually not the norm, though, as most sales require a Saturday night stay.

I think what others are suggesting is called "nesting", where you combine several trips into one. I tend not to do that so can't comment on it directly.

Although uncommon on the west coast, there are sometimes heavily discounted fares with no minimum stay requirement. Those are the ones people are using for same-day travel.

I have found that these deep discount, no minimum stay tickets appear infrequently, but are a great way to do a mileage run. It pays to diligently check Travelocity, Expedia etc because they don't last long.

I recently booked runs LGA-PIT and LGA-RSW on the cheap with UA for no minimum stay and traveling on a weekday. I have also seen some fares for JFK-SIN with no minimum stay, although JFK to other Asian destinations did have a Sunday or 3 day minimum (e.g. TPE, NRT, BKK, HKG). I am by no means an expert on how the whole fare "thing" works, but by watching them regularly and over time I think I'm getting at least a superficial feel for it.

One of the first things I do at work each day is check out Travelocity to see what pops up.



------------------
Who is John Galt?
------------------

I posted an eight-segment California run that can be done in one day for about $176. It's about $30 cheaper if you stay overnight and find the right booking class on all the segments.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...ML/000894.html

The Southwest factor is very important.

Charles

You can also do a one-airline variation of what Bravo Zulu wrote.

On a Saturday:
A to B on carrier X
B to C on carrier X

On Sunday:
C to B on carrier X
B to A on carrier X

Perfectly legal and all on the same airline.