kevincrumbs

Not yet.

I've only done two but found them enjoyable as I generally love flying and airports. I got to do things like have my first lobster roll (at BOS) and see New York for about four hours, where I had never previously visited.

However, I have a feeling that the more MRs I do, the more they'll start feeling dull and such. It helps right now that I am a single young man with no dependents, so I can do as I please.

AlohaDaveKennedy

I don't do MRs but I am known to do CRs (country runs). Can't say as I have regretted visiting any of my 110, but some are just not repeatworthy.

mridley2

I first started MR's in Nov 2009. Just needed one flight to hit Silver on DL. Did not regret Silver status though upgrades on delta are few and far between. Mostly only got the UG if travelling on very off peak (sat AM or mid day departures Tues/Wed).

In 2010 I did 3 mileage runes to hit Gold and it has made a big difference. UG's are still very tough on DL's direct routes (ATL-LGA is impossible) but the customer service for a GM increases dramatically especially if you have flight delays, cancels, etc.

So I've been GM for 2011/2012. This year I've already completed 1 MR, have another one scheduled in September (10.5K @ JFK-SAN-ATL-ICT-ATL-SAN-ATL-LGA). If I do 1 more MR i'll hit PLatinium for 2013.

Absolutely NO REGRETS. I advise you to book MR's early once you know what the rest of your business/personal travel will be for the year so you know what you need.

Go for it!!

CMK10

At the end of 2007 I spent a couple thousand dollars on AA to regain Platinum even though my flying on them had been way down that year. The next year again I found them not competitive on price or schedule and no longer fitting my needs and I dropped down to Gold. I didn't travel internationally and I made maybe one or two upgrades as a Plat I wouldn't have as a Gold.

After that I made a rule for myself: no turn and burn mileage runs, they had to be trips with actual purposes only.

fenx

I have a feeling I may have some regret after the PHX-XXX-XXX-CLT flights on US air supermax prison's later this year.

Perhaps seeing the 48th, 49th and 50th states in 48hrs wasn't the best of ideas. Even if at 2cpm.

Antonio8069

No regrets, yet at least.
I have done 2 MR's this year:
YOW-EWR-CPH-AMS-ORD-YOW on UA
EWR-DEN-TUS-LAX-EWR also on UA.
My sole purpose is to qualify for G* next year.
I did some mattress runs in 2010-2011, but SP PLAT is now a lot closer since reward stays count towards the 25 nights!

bthotugigem05

I regretted a big one I did from DFW-STT via LAX-ORD-LGA-MIA-SJU last year. I got stuck in STT for a night and had to front the cash for a hotel, which destroyed my cpm.

The worst part is it turned out to be unnecessary, as I would've qualified anyway. But there's no way I could've known that at the time I booked my run.

Also, on AA the difference from nothing to Gold status is significant, as is the difference from Platinum, but the difference from Gold to Platinum isn't worth running for, in my opinion.

That said, I did a nasty run during triple eqm days in January that got me started out right for the year. Currently sitting at 65,301 eqm with 20,000 eqm booked between now and the end of August, I'm on track and will meet my goal. Excited about the unwritten benefit of being EXP with AA: getting to slap the nonsense out of TSA agents. At least I hope that's an unwritten benefit.

PV_Premier

don't like em but they are part of the game if you feel you "need" status. i did one last year, PHL-DEN direct, overpaid for it at 7cpm but it only took a day and it put me over the hump for *G which means things to me (free bags - plural, and free E+ at booking). i never get upgraded anymore post-3/3 even as a gold. i have been upgraded twice post 3/3 - once ORD-CID and once IAH-PHL and gave that one to my better half.

my general rule is know confidently whether or not you need it to qualify, know what qualifying will actually get you, try to turn it into a trip, and if you can't and have to turn and burn, under 5cpm only and preferably under 4. i just booked my first one this year and got it for 3.7cpm so it was worth it. it will put me safely into gold status again next year and for the number of paid trans-cons that i do in Y the E+ benefit at booking is worth it on its own. if silvers could still get E+ at booking i'd never do MRs.

mikelat

I've only done one true MR in the past 4 years of pursuing status. It was a SEA-ORD-FLL same day turn. When I arrived in ORD they had cancelled the ORD-FLL flight and the next available would have caused me to miss my return flight. I called up AA (only was Plat a the time) and they put me on the next flight back to SEA and still gave me ORC for SEA-ORD-FLL-ORD-SEA and a refund of my fare. Not regretting that one at all.

Since then, I haven't done any pure MRs. I go to BOS or FLL for a short time only if I'm picking up Lobster or Stone Crabs to bring back home for friends. I mostly do overnights in BOS as taking the SEA-DFW red-eye on AA works well to get in to BOS mid-morning and have the day before returning to SEA next day. Same with NYC & FLL/MIA there too: I usually stay overnight.

Sprezzatura

Good timing you should ask this because as I headed to the airport Sunday night to begin a DEQM AA SFO-DFW-BOS run I was overwhelmed with the feeling of, "why the h*** am I doing this?"

I hit 50K (Gold) on UA last year without any MRs needed. This year, with less travel on the work calendar and a jump over to AA mid-year, I'll need to MR to keep status for 2013. I'm trying to decide if Gold or Plat on AA is the appropriate target to work towards. I'll make AA Gold without additional MRs needed but will have to work for AA Plat.

Jaimito Cartero

Only when I'm doing them. I've pretty much stopped doing real MR's. I'll stay at least 2 days, and usually more. I once did SJO-IAH-PHX-IAH-LGW-IAH-PHX within a day or so, and swore I'd never do it again.

MrHalliday

I did a lot of MR-ing, none totally regrettable.

Now....
with elite-based upgrades more difficult,
and credit card signup bonii much more generous,
I just fly on premium reward tickets.

They provide most of the elite benefits that matter to me.
Except the free redeposit, which I miss very much.

saltytheseagull

Don't the promos end the 30th or have they been extended?

TGflyergirl

I ALWAYS regret MRs.

The balance in the FF accounts give me some pleasure, but when the shiny card arrives - it's always accompanied by a brief moment of euphoria followed by a prolonged period of wondering if it was worth it for what is essentially a piece of plastic and a promise of priviledge IF you spend even more.

Sprezzatura

They end on the 30th, my travel was on the 25th.