newcomer would like some advice for first MR
Feb 8, 2006, 3:49 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 2
newcomer would like some advice for first MR
Hello all,
Any help would be very much appreciated, I got a new job where I travel 10 days a month. I heard about this site today from a friend and after reading about routing and spending 6 hours on different websites confusing myself, I was not able to find a fair from SLC to PDX for under $350.00 that would give over 5k miles, I need to land in Portland Oregon Sunday feb 26th and leave tuesday feb 28th. Can someone who understands Delta, point me in the right direction I am willing to fly 20+ hours if nessesary. What is the most points I can get on this one flight? Thanks in advance
Andrew
Any help would be very much appreciated, I got a new job where I travel 10 days a month. I heard about this site today from a friend and after reading about routing and spending 6 hours on different websites confusing myself, I was not able to find a fair from SLC to PDX for under $350.00 that would give over 5k miles, I need to land in Portland Oregon Sunday feb 26th and leave tuesday feb 28th. Can someone who understands Delta, point me in the right direction I am willing to fly 20+ hours if nessesary. What is the most points I can get on this one flight? Thanks in advance
Andrew
Feb 8, 2006, 5:17 pm
#3
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 25,000
Originally Posted by silverforest
Hello all,
Any help would be very much appreciated, I got a new job where I travel 10 days a month. I heard about this site today from a friend and after reading about routing and spending 6 hours on different websites confusing myself, I was not able to find a fair from SLC to PDX for under $350.00 that would give over 5k miles, I need to land in Portland Oregon Sunday feb 26th and leave tuesday feb 28th. Can someone who understands Delta, point me in the right direction I am willing to fly 20+ hours if nessesary. What is the most points I can get on this one flight? Thanks in advance
Andrew
Any help would be very much appreciated, I got a new job where I travel 10 days a month. I heard about this site today from a friend and after reading about routing and spending 6 hours on different websites confusing myself, I was not able to find a fair from SLC to PDX for under $350.00 that would give over 5k miles, I need to land in Portland Oregon Sunday feb 26th and leave tuesday feb 28th. Can someone who understands Delta, point me in the right direction I am willing to fly 20+ hours if nessesary. What is the most points I can get on this one flight? Thanks in advance
Andrew
You probably are wondering why I moved this thread to the Mileage Run forum instead of leaving it in the Delta forum. I can understand if you are puzzled.
The fact of the matter is that Delta Air Lines is far from the only airline where one can earn SkyMiles and Medallion Qualification Miles. They can also be earned on such airlines as Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, Air France, and other Delta Air Lines and SkyTeam partners. Often, you may find less expensive fares while flying more miles due to stops in hub cities that are out of the way on certain airlines.
Of course, to get the necessary valuable information on how to maximize your SkyMiles earnings on other airlines, you need to reach all of the experts, many of whom you will find in the Mileage Run forum.
Also, there are some valuable tools one can find in the Mileage Run forum to get the most out of a mileage run. Please see the Mileage Run Tools, Part 2 sticky thread for further details.
Finally, a re-direct is in place in the Delta forum for those Delta forum FlyerTalk members who wish to follow this thread to assist you.
Good luck to you, silverforest, and travel safely!
Regards,
Canarsie
Co-Moderator, Delta forum
Feb 8, 2006, 8:38 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Greener Pastures
Posts: 10,515
Hi silverforest,
Welcome to the Mileage Run Forum!
Before anyone can help you - please let us know what concepts you are not understand. Canarsie provided a link to the Mileage Run Tools thread. There, you can find several links such as the archived Mileage Run Primer & another thread on how to plan & book a mileage run. There are various tools & informative threads that may help you out. After reading those, please share any specific questions you may. Also, feel free to utilize the search function to see if others have had the same question - which I'm sure others have - we were all newbies once!
bhatnasx
Mileage Run Moderator
Welcome to the Mileage Run Forum!
Before anyone can help you - please let us know what concepts you are not understand. Canarsie provided a link to the Mileage Run Tools thread. There, you can find several links such as the archived Mileage Run Primer & another thread on how to plan & book a mileage run. There are various tools & informative threads that may help you out. After reading those, please share any specific questions you may. Also, feel free to utilize the search function to see if others have had the same question - which I'm sure others have - we were all newbies once!
bhatnasx
Mileage Run Moderator
Feb 9, 2006, 7:22 am
#5
Used to be "PortalGuy"
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: BTV, RUT,YUL, DAY
Programs: BEA, Piedmont, ValuJet, Braniff, People Express, JetsGo, Capitol, TWA, Eastern, Allegheny, Ozark
Posts: 238
Well Come !!!
A few weeks ago I was a newbie. As a yellowbelt I can't offer much besides a virual beer... however I'm in the same situation as you, usually not paying out-of-pocket for travel but wanting to maximise mileage nonetheless.
Tops is the FlyerTalk search functionality. Note that you can search across forums or just within the forum. You can usually find answers that way; but sometimes you get TOO many conflicting answers, or old answers from 2003 that may not apply today. In that case one has to ask anew, and risk annoying the greenbelts and brownbelts. In that case I make it clear in the message that I've searched & browsed but didn't find a proper answer...
So to our situation; presumably you have the same sort of finance department with a 'policy' to get us on the cheapest possible flights, even if it:
A. makes us late to a customer site and honks off the client;
B. leaves us with a long layover on the way home so that we get home after midnight instead if in time for dinner.
That said, I've been successful in getting an executive override on 'A', the first case. American companies don't care about case 'B'. They don't care about burning you out and replacing you with somebody who has no family and no life. They can send your entire project to Bangalore. So I'll concentrate on case 'A'.
Instead of flying early Monday morning, I leave late Sunday night, bouncing West and then back East on the redeye (Vegas is handy and cheap, but there may be other cities good for this). I have found that the 'multiple cities' booking feature on most airline web sites gives me a price that is in the same ball park as the more expensive round trips within the East Coast. Instead of a four-leg trip that is 2000 MQMs, I now have a five-leg trip that is about 5000 MQMs.
Now, Finance argued that I should leave Sunday at about noon and that would get me there Monday morning early as well for $300 instead of $486 (I could drive in less time than that!). My comeback was that leaving Sunday at noon saved hotel charges for one night. Their responce was that hotel charges were under seperate accounts and they couldn't consider that. Understanding bean counters helps one understand the National Debt.
Anyway, I got the Executive Override because $486 Sunday night was the same as $486 Monday morning early. Leaving on the first flight early Monday morning is more expensive, because of demand.
Even Jiminy Cricket would be OK with that. The caveat is that I sleep very well on airplanes. How about you?
Be well.
Cheers,
Rob in CSG
Tops is the FlyerTalk search functionality. Note that you can search across forums or just within the forum. You can usually find answers that way; but sometimes you get TOO many conflicting answers, or old answers from 2003 that may not apply today. In that case one has to ask anew, and risk annoying the greenbelts and brownbelts. In that case I make it clear in the message that I've searched & browsed but didn't find a proper answer...
So to our situation; presumably you have the same sort of finance department with a 'policy' to get us on the cheapest possible flights, even if it:
A. makes us late to a customer site and honks off the client;
B. leaves us with a long layover on the way home so that we get home after midnight instead if in time for dinner.
That said, I've been successful in getting an executive override on 'A', the first case. American companies don't care about case 'B'. They don't care about burning you out and replacing you with somebody who has no family and no life. They can send your entire project to Bangalore. So I'll concentrate on case 'A'.
Instead of flying early Monday morning, I leave late Sunday night, bouncing West and then back East on the redeye (Vegas is handy and cheap, but there may be other cities good for this). I have found that the 'multiple cities' booking feature on most airline web sites gives me a price that is in the same ball park as the more expensive round trips within the East Coast. Instead of a four-leg trip that is 2000 MQMs, I now have a five-leg trip that is about 5000 MQMs.
Now, Finance argued that I should leave Sunday at about noon and that would get me there Monday morning early as well for $300 instead of $486 (I could drive in less time than that!). My comeback was that leaving Sunday at noon saved hotel charges for one night. Their responce was that hotel charges were under seperate accounts and they couldn't consider that. Understanding bean counters helps one understand the National Debt.
Anyway, I got the Executive Override because $486 Sunday night was the same as $486 Monday morning early. Leaving on the first flight early Monday morning is more expensive, because of demand.
Even Jiminy Cricket would be OK with that. The caveat is that I sleep very well on airplanes. How about you?
Be well.
Cheers,
Rob in CSG
Feb 10, 2006, 8:43 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 2
Originally Posted by PortalGuy
A few weeks ago I was a newbie. As a yellowbelt I can't offer much besides a virual beer... however I'm in the same situation as you, usually not paying out-of-pocket for travel but wanting to maximise mileage nonetheless.
Tops is the FlyerTalk search functionality. Note that you can search across forums or just within the forum. You can usually find answers that way; but sometimes you get TOO many conflicting answers, or old answers from 2003 that may not apply today. In that case one has to ask anew, and risk annoying the greenbelts and brownbelts. In that case I make it clear in the message that I've searched & browsed but didn't find a proper answer...
So to our situation; presumably you have the same sort of finance department with a 'policy' to get us on the cheapest possible flights, even if it:
A. makes us late to a customer site and honks off the client;
B. leaves us with a long layover on the way home so that we get home after midnight instead if in time for dinner.
That said, I've been successful in getting an executive override on 'A', the first case. American companies don't care about case 'B'. They don't care about burning you out and replacing you with somebody who has no family and no life. They can send your entire project to Bangalore. So I'll concentrate on case 'A'.
Instead of flying early Monday morning, I leave late Sunday night, bouncing West and then back East on the redeye (Vegas is handy and cheap, but there may be other cities good for this). I have found that the 'multiple cities' booking feature on most airline web sites gives me a price that is in the same ball park as the more expensive round trips within the East Coast. Instead of a four-leg trip that is 2000 MQMs, I now have a five-leg trip that is about 5000 MQMs.
Now, Finance argued that I should leave Sunday at about noon and that would get me there Monday morning early as well for $300 instead of $486 (I could drive in less time than that!). My comeback was that leaving Sunday at noon saved hotel charges for one night. Their responce was that hotel charges were under seperate accounts and they couldn't consider that. Understanding bean counters helps one understand the National Debt.
Anyway, I got the Executive Override because $486 Sunday night was the same as $486 Monday morning early. Leaving on the first flight early Monday morning is more expensive, because of demand.
Even Jiminy Cricket would be OK with that. The caveat is that I sleep very well on airplanes. How about you?
Be well.
Cheers,
Rob in CSG
Tops is the FlyerTalk search functionality. Note that you can search across forums or just within the forum. You can usually find answers that way; but sometimes you get TOO many conflicting answers, or old answers from 2003 that may not apply today. In that case one has to ask anew, and risk annoying the greenbelts and brownbelts. In that case I make it clear in the message that I've searched & browsed but didn't find a proper answer...
So to our situation; presumably you have the same sort of finance department with a 'policy' to get us on the cheapest possible flights, even if it:
A. makes us late to a customer site and honks off the client;
B. leaves us with a long layover on the way home so that we get home after midnight instead if in time for dinner.
That said, I've been successful in getting an executive override on 'A', the first case. American companies don't care about case 'B'. They don't care about burning you out and replacing you with somebody who has no family and no life. They can send your entire project to Bangalore. So I'll concentrate on case 'A'.
Instead of flying early Monday morning, I leave late Sunday night, bouncing West and then back East on the redeye (Vegas is handy and cheap, but there may be other cities good for this). I have found that the 'multiple cities' booking feature on most airline web sites gives me a price that is in the same ball park as the more expensive round trips within the East Coast. Instead of a four-leg trip that is 2000 MQMs, I now have a five-leg trip that is about 5000 MQMs.
Now, Finance argued that I should leave Sunday at about noon and that would get me there Monday morning early as well for $300 instead of $486 (I could drive in less time than that!). My comeback was that leaving Sunday at noon saved hotel charges for one night. Their responce was that hotel charges were under seperate accounts and they couldn't consider that. Understanding bean counters helps one understand the National Debt.
Anyway, I got the Executive Override because $486 Sunday night was the same as $486 Monday morning early. Leaving on the first flight early Monday morning is more expensive, because of demand.
Even Jiminy Cricket would be OK with that. The caveat is that I sleep very well on airplanes. How about you?
Be well.
Cheers,
Rob in CSG
Rob,
Thanks for responding, I sleep very well on the plane. My expenses are a little different than yours, I can purchase plane tickets in the 300 dollar range with no problems as they look at the monthly total rather than transaction by transaction. I was checking out las vegas flights but didn't find the right routes.
can you give me an example of the exact flight you take on Sundays.
I.e. SLC-LAS-JFK?????? - SEA for example.
If I can see which flights you are taking I can modify your strategy to fit my needs.
Thanks again for responding. For any greenbelts or brownbelts reading this thread, I don't expect FT to plan every single trip for me just would love some guidance in the beginning so I can learn to do it myself.
Thanks,
Andrew
Feb 10, 2006, 12:46 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: STL
Programs: AA 2MM, AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,966
Originally Posted by silverforest
Rob,
Thanks for responding, I sleep very well on the plane. My expenses are a little different than yours, I can purchase plane tickets in the 300 dollar range with no problems as they look at the monthly total rather than transaction by transaction. I was checking out las vegas flights but didn't find the right routes.
can you give me an example of the exact flight you take on Sundays.
I.e. SLC-LAS-JFK?????? - SEA for example.
If I can see which flights you are taking I can modify your strategy to fit my needs.
Thanks again for responding. For any greenbelts or brownbelts reading this thread, I don't expect FT to plan every single trip for me just would love some guidance in the beginning so I can learn to do it myself.
Thanks,
Andrew
Thanks for responding, I sleep very well on the plane. My expenses are a little different than yours, I can purchase plane tickets in the 300 dollar range with no problems as they look at the monthly total rather than transaction by transaction. I was checking out las vegas flights but didn't find the right routes.
can you give me an example of the exact flight you take on Sundays.
I.e. SLC-LAS-JFK?????? - SEA for example.
If I can see which flights you are taking I can modify your strategy to fit my needs.
Thanks again for responding. For any greenbelts or brownbelts reading this thread, I don't expect FT to plan every single trip for me just would love some guidance in the beginning so I can learn to do it myself.
Thanks,
Andrew
Try this as a starting point:
1. Make sure you understand which airlines you can use to get what you want.
2. Go to Expedia and plug in your dates and cities. Note the flights where the pricing is attractive on your airlines.
3. Click into the fare rules for those flights. You will find the permitted routings there. Note the routings of interest. Pick the one you like best and try to book it, both on Expedia and the airline's own website.
4. Any difficulty, report back here.