Mileage Runs- Is Anyone Still Getting Hassled??
 

I have booked two mileage runs on DL aand one on US Airways. Ive had schedule changes come up lately and the agents that I have talked to with both airlines have been very understanding of the mileage run concept and have even been very patient in keeping my itineraries as mileage runs. No more excuses on why I have a TUL-SLC-ATL-DFW ticket, I just stated that I wanted to make Silver again this year and the agent said "no problem".

One agent for US in particular was very accommodating when I had a schedule change and spent a good 30 minutes with me and even routed me to an alternate city and added a segment onto my MR.

So what have others experiences with agents and at the airport been like??

Really, it's nobody's business. I don't bother going into such details. It's just asking for trouble.

Have you ever been confronted about a mileage run??

in what way ? "Are you on a mileage run?!?!" -- is that what you mean ?

Yeah, pretty much. I mean fare rules list valid routings and the number transfers allowed so I don't really see what they could possibly do about it as long as you are within the rules of the fare.

In that case, no. Nobody has ever confronted me about whether I was on a "mileage run". Nor do I volunteer such information to strangers.

Fair enough. I guess it never hurts to stay under the radar.

I think it's best to stay under the radar but you should be prepared to say something if you need to reroute and really need your segs/miles.

I did a 24-hr MR for Great Offer segments and ran into mechanical difficulties. I spoke with the GA who was amused with my itinerary - when it looked as though I might have to miss out on a segment, (I had three segs left), he double-booked me on two segments that would get me home, but in Y booking code so I could get 1.5 segs for each of the two flights. Turned out that the plane got fixed and I stayed with my original itin, but without explaining my intentions to the GA, I doubt he would have been so helpful.

Of course, I'm sure that things might have been different for any of you ART or LEB runners.

Actually I have received full service on my LEB runs and every agent that I have encountered through the schedule changes has been nothing but helpful and polite. One agent actually added a segment at my request and provided me with an alternate destination (PWM) when my LEB flight changed where I wouldnt be able to make a same day turn around.

Service in ART has been GREAT and the staff has been very understanding... even though they know their company is getting NOTHING for the flights (since they got a percentage of the $2).

We have an odd hobby. Some are amused. Some are appalled. It doesn't matter. Just go and enjoy it!

Glad to hear the ART and LEB runners were treated well. I recall some discussions about pax getting grilled about their intentions at LEB but those were probably just isolated incidents.

It only gets intersting on immediate turn around international trips, like IAD-MUC-IAD in 18 hours. The customs agent at IAD just thought I was nuts after stating I was only there for 3 hours. He of course was right, but being nuts is well within my rights.
The only issue you have to worry about is that quick turn around MR trips could be confused with drug smuggling runs. NEVER LIE. What you are actually doing is legal. Stick to the facts and short answers.

I agree that International trips are definitely different. I was grilled in Manchester, UK by the immigration agent who flatly told me "people dont come to Manchester for vacation". I was doing a EWR-MAN-EWR trip with a 1 day turn around.

After lots of questions and they took my passport back to a supervisor they finally let me in.

As an ex-Brit Manchester born and bred (as they say) I can whole-heartedly agree. If it wasn't for the fact my 85 year old mum still lives there, I would never go back. Except to watch Manchester United :D

I was born and bred half an hour from MAN and I do go back to visit mum/sis etc. So I would have a good excuse too.
Pam