factory81

The value of miles is rapidly decreasing with ultra low cost fares, especially in business/premium economy classes. The effort that goes into pulling in 60k or 100k miles, and then your ability to book the same flight for $1200, makes the idea of mileage running for status or miles in general - is a waste of money and time.

If you have to fly every week for work, and you hate being stuck in the back, it could make sense to do some mileage runs for status, but even then, you are definitely the sucker in the equation.

MikeShores

For some of us, we travel exclusively domestic trips within 2 weeks for booking. That’s my case. PQD is no issue. I connect always, so segments is how I usually earn status. Platinum is a piece of cake and platinum pro is within reach. This year, perhaps based on my travel schedule, I’m usually close if not upgraded. Not having to worry about how many stickers I have is a huge bonus. Honestly, now I wish they would just go by PQD or some algorithm of $ per mile spent. For me, a MR to HKG to solidify the PPro status with a couple of days in a great country after a long year of domestic travel is icing on the cake. Next year I am certain I will earn PPro with segments and PQD and challenge ExP. I had 4 months this year I didn’t travel and that hurt. That’s why I do it. I’m a grinder this year. Next year...maybe...to obtain ExP.

danbrew

Amen. I hit EQD very early in the year and still had a way to go on EQM & EQS due to lots of expensive short haul flights. I almost always end up in MCE, and I'm ok with that. As a PlatPro I probably have a 80% upgrade rate for those non-hub cities I fly to and fro. My upgrade success rate tanks when I go hub to hub and I'm lucky if I got 1 out of 10 this year. So, yeah, I'm doing a MR next weekend to go for EXP. We'll see if it's worth it. What's ironic, is I'd bet I spend as much time on airplanes as many EXPs and easily hit EQD. But the mileage and the segments? I gotta do something unusual to hit EXP. That blows.

I don't really have any evidence to "prove" this, but I kind of feel that I spend more time in the air than some of the EXPs that fly long haul exclusively. It doesn't take all that many Asia trips to make EXP, especially if you're not getting those smoken' fares that those of us looking at MRs seek.

It would be interesting to compare the # of hours in the air for an intl flier vs. guys that bang around the country on short flights. I'm guessing, but I'd bet that I will have spent about 300 flight hours in the air this year.

MountainGuy

My fiance is doing a SIN MR next week thanks to me finding the forum and finding that common DL run. She has current DL AMEX waiver and is Platinum organically this year, but we're looking to get her to DM to leverage (fingers crossed) GUC's for honeymoon flights. So another vote for the I'm sure common reason to top off status or get over a mileage barrier when dollar barrier has been reached.

On a similar, but stupid note, I just booked an ATL-SLC-SEA-FAI-SEA-ATL run in FC just to leverage to get more MQM to roll into next year. So I'm doing runs to leverage multipliers to wind up with more miles next year. Pre-planning so that between a couple of international trips and a possible international codeshare leveraging bonuses for MQM and percentage of miles flown MQD to make a huge leap in status for me next year.

Still lots of reasons to do mileage runs. While I don't fly on OPM really anymore, there are 2-3 reasons I would/still do book long flights or crazy combos specifically for mileage accrual for status. But, like most on here, I don't think I'll use RDM. Why fly for "free" when I can be earning *MORE* EQM lol.

I'm maybe addicted. Maybe.