Dec 31, 2018, 10:40 pm
Last edit by: Pat89339
For each request, please include the following information:
Departure Airport:
Miles Needed:
Required Spend or Budget:
Available Travel Dates:
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*:
For each response. Please quote the original request. DO NOT START A SEPARATE THREAD.
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NOTE: You will have greater chances of success if you have greater flexibility on travel dates and cost. If you need a lot of MQMs on weekends only for < 5 cpm it probably won't happen.
Other creative possibilities depending how many MQMs you need:
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*"Required Metal or Codeshares" is, approximately, asking whether you need a flight operated specifically by Delta or if partner flights are ok. If you are just looking for MQMs to hit a Medallion tier the normal way, then the answer is yes. If you are doing a status challenge, the answer is also probably yes, but read the T&C of your challenge carefully to be sure (for the regular status challenge the answer is also "yes")
NOTE: some partner flights earn MQMs at reduced rates. See this chart for more info.
Newcomers may also be interested in the FlyerTalk Glossary
Departure Airport:
Miles Needed:
Required Spend or Budget:
Available Travel Dates:
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*:
For each response. Please quote the original request. DO NOT START A SEPARATE THREAD.
----
NOTE: You will have greater chances of success if you have greater flexibility on travel dates and cost. If you need a lot of MQMs on weekends only for < 5 cpm it probably won't happen.
Other creative possibilities depending how many MQMs you need:
- signup bonuses for various DL-branded AMEX cards (usually have a spend requirement)
- if you already have planned travel, consider buying up (in advance, not at check in) for 50% MQM bonus and more flexible same-day-confirmed options which are another way to increase MQMs
- Hilton 250 MQMs per stay of 2 nights or more
- if you are close to a threshold Delta often will offer a buy-up (at exorbitant prices). 2016 thread, and speculation/anticipation thread for 2017
----
*"Required Metal or Codeshares" is, approximately, asking whether you need a flight operated specifically by Delta or if partner flights are ok. If you are just looking for MQMs to hit a Medallion tier the normal way, then the answer is yes. If you are doing a status challenge, the answer is also probably yes, but read the T&C of your challenge carefully to be sure (for the regular status challenge the answer is also "yes")
NOTE: some partner flights earn MQMs at reduced rates. See this chart for more info.
Newcomers may also be interested in the FlyerTalk Glossary
DL/Sky Team: 2019 Consolidated Mileage/Status/Challenge Runs help needed
Nov 25, 2019, 2:57 pm
#976
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 2
HI All. TIA.
Departure Airport: CAK or CLE
Miles Needed: 1 silly segment to make GOLD for 2020
Required Spend or Budget: cheapest (can we get to $100 one way or $200 round trip? You all would be awesome!)
Available Travel Dates: prefer Dec 21 to Dec 30 but could do earlier if significantly cheaper.
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: yes
If a roundtrip isn't cheap enough, I'd even be willing to do a one way and spend miles to get home. Just trying to figure out the cheapest airport/date to fly into. (I'm assuming it's ATL, but maybe there's another?)
Departure Airport: CAK or CLE
Miles Needed: 1 silly segment to make GOLD for 2020
Required Spend or Budget: cheapest (can we get to $100 one way or $200 round trip? You all would be awesome!)
Available Travel Dates: prefer Dec 21 to Dec 30 but could do earlier if significantly cheaper.
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: yes
If a roundtrip isn't cheap enough, I'd even be willing to do a one way and spend miles to get home. Just trying to figure out the cheapest airport/date to fly into. (I'm assuming it's ATL, but maybe there's another?)
Last edited by sawildfire; Nov 25, 2019 at 3:07 pm
Nov 25, 2019, 3:07 pm
#977
Join Date: Nov 2019
Programs: Della Gold Medallion
Posts: 1
Departure Airport: LAX
MQM Needed: 16,554
Budget: Preferably $2500 or less
Available travel dates: Flexible in December
Metal / codeshare: Any to maximize MQM - Not looking to go to Asia
Trying to keep Gold if possible for next year. Used a lot of miles this year and did not get MQMs for those flights which hurt!!
MQM Needed: 16,554
Budget: Preferably $2500 or less
Available travel dates: Flexible in December
Metal / codeshare: Any to maximize MQM - Not looking to go to Asia
Trying to keep Gold if possible for next year. Used a lot of miles this year and did not get MQMs for those flights which hurt!!
Nov 25, 2019, 3:28 pm
#978
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,895
Departure Airport: LAX
MQM Needed: 16,554
Budget: Preferably $2500 or less
Available travel dates: Flexible in December
Metal / codeshare: Any to maximize MQM - Not looking to go to Asia
Trying to keep Gold if possible for next year. Used a lot of miles this year and did not get MQMs for those flights which hurt!!
MQM Needed: 16,554
Budget: Preferably $2500 or less
Available travel dates: Flexible in December
Metal / codeshare: Any to maximize MQM - Not looking to go to Asia
Trying to keep Gold if possible for next year. Used a lot of miles this year and did not get MQMs for those flights which hurt!!
Nov 25, 2019, 3:39 pm
#979
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,895
HI All. TIA.
Departure Airport: CAK or CLE
Miles Needed: 1 silly segment to make GOLD for 2020
Required Spend or Budget: cheapest (can we get to $100 one way or $200 round trip? You all would be awesome!)
Available Travel Dates: prefer Dec 21 to Dec 30 but could do earlier if significantly cheaper.
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: yes
If a roundtrip isn't cheap enough, I'd even be willing to do a one way and spend miles to get home. Just trying to figure out the cheapest airport/date to fly into. (I'm assuming it's ATL, but maybe there's another?)
Departure Airport: CAK or CLE
Miles Needed: 1 silly segment to make GOLD for 2020
Required Spend or Budget: cheapest (can we get to $100 one way or $200 round trip? You all would be awesome!)
Available Travel Dates: prefer Dec 21 to Dec 30 but could do earlier if significantly cheaper.
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: yes
If a roundtrip isn't cheap enough, I'd even be willing to do a one way and spend miles to get home. Just trying to figure out the cheapest airport/date to fly into. (I'm assuming it's ATL, but maybe there's another?)
Dec. 25, Delta, CLE-LGA-CLE, $136 (BE)
Nov 25, 2019, 4:05 pm
#980
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 2
Thanks so much Canuck traveler... is there a second best that doesn't include Christmas day? Darn, that's a great price! I could do an overnight too if that helps somehow.
Last edited by sawildfire; Nov 25, 2019 at 4:21 pm
Nov 25, 2019, 4:41 pm
#982
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,895
Delta, Dec 31, CLE-LAN-CLE, $242 (BE) - get back to CLE early afternoon
Last edited by canuck_traveler; Nov 25, 2019 at 6:32 pm Reason: add Lansing option
Nov 25, 2019, 5:05 pm
#983
Join Date: Sep 2019
Programs: Delta, Marriot gold, hyatt globalist
Posts: 27
Departure Airport: DSM, MSP, Chicago, MCI
Miles Needed: 12100
MQD Needed: 1450
Required Spend or Budget: $2000
Available Travel Dates: Dec & Jan (doing status match challenge)
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: yes
Miles Needed: 12100
MQD Needed: 1450
Required Spend or Budget: $2000
Available Travel Dates: Dec & Jan (doing status match challenge)
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: yes
Nov 25, 2019, 5:32 pm
#984
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,895
Dec 10, DSM-OGG, $864 (MC), about 10,000 MQMs (routing: DSM-ATL-LAX-OGG-SEA-DTW-DSM), about 1.5 hours in OGG, flights gets back to DSM late afternoon on Dec 11
You can pick up the remaining MQMs and MQDs with a first class run to Vegas or the West Coast.
Last edited by canuck_traveler; Nov 25, 2019 at 6:32 pm
Nov 25, 2019, 8:03 pm
#985
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 3
USA-China RT without going through at least one other country definitely requires a Chinese visa. Even if you don't plan to leave the airport and don't have time to do so, the airline won't permit you to board......and I would add that even if your itinerary follows TWOV rules, there's still a risk that a isa service agency and FeDL will not let you board, so I don't think such an itinerary is a wise MR at the end of the year.
BTW a visa for China costs about $150 plus visa service agency and FedEx fees if you can't go to submit the application in person.
BTW a visa for China costs about $150 plus visa service agency and FedEx fees if you can't go to submit the application in person.
Thanks for explaining! canuck_traveler put the fear of God in me (or at least the fear of deportation!) so I booked the IAD - JNB they suggested. I went with Premium Economy vs Economy Delight for ~$1700. Sidebar: I searched and couldn't find. Is there a place on this forum that discusses the differences between Economy Delight and Premium Economy on Virgin Atlantic? I saw some YouTube videos and decided to level up but I'm always interested in more info.
Nov 25, 2019, 8:51 pm
#986
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,895
Thanks for explaining! canuck_traveler put the fear of God in me (or at least the fear of deportation!) so I booked the IAD - JNB they suggested. I went with Premium Economy vs Economy Delight for ~$1700. Sidebar: I searched and couldn't find. Is there a place on this forum that discusses the differences between Economy Delight and Premium Economy on Virgin Atlantic? I saw some YouTube videos and decided to level up but I'm always interested in more info.
The seats are 21" width (vs. 19" in Delta Premium Select, Economy Delight is 17") and 38" pitch (same as Delta Premium Select, Economy Delight is 34")
Nov 25, 2019, 9:40 pm
#988
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Boston MA
Posts: 127
Hello, I'm looking for more of a vacation/destination to enjoy some time away while still meeting my status needs moreso than a pure MR so maximizing time away is best.
Departure Airport: BOS - I could also depart from WAS (I finish a business trip on 12/13 in DC); Would prefer to end up in Boston, but not opposed to repositioning especially if it's nearby (NYC/PHL/WAS)
Miles Needed: 9477 - I will also do a BOS-IAH/AUS trip from Christmas-NY. It hasn't been booked yet and right now DL fares are high. But conceivably I could get 1600-1800 each way on those legs, which would bring the MQM down to around 7800 or 6200.
Required Spend or Budget: $305 but okay with a $500-1000 budget for Y or $1000-1800 in long haul J; if I do the AUS trip on DL that will cover the required spend anyway
Available Travel Dates: Ideally leaving 12/13; could also make late evening 12/12 work or 12/14; Need to be back on 12/21 (or a day or so sooner)
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: All okay; if it's not Domestic flights where upgrades will clear, probably prefer the partner metal for the higher MQD (rollover to 2020)
I'm thinking Hawaii is probably the easiest. I've looked at the PE to SHA or PEK, but I don't have a Chinese Visa nor a ton of interest in doing China right now. It doesn't look like the Virgin Atlantic deals (to JNB?) in PE (or even Y) are really available that close to Christmas either. Any other thoughts?
Departure Airport: BOS - I could also depart from WAS (I finish a business trip on 12/13 in DC); Would prefer to end up in Boston, but not opposed to repositioning especially if it's nearby (NYC/PHL/WAS)
Miles Needed: 9477 - I will also do a BOS-IAH/AUS trip from Christmas-NY. It hasn't been booked yet and right now DL fares are high. But conceivably I could get 1600-1800 each way on those legs, which would bring the MQM down to around 7800 or 6200.
Required Spend or Budget: $305 but okay with a $500-1000 budget for Y or $1000-1800 in long haul J; if I do the AUS trip on DL that will cover the required spend anyway
Available Travel Dates: Ideally leaving 12/13; could also make late evening 12/12 work or 12/14; Need to be back on 12/21 (or a day or so sooner)
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: All okay; if it's not Domestic flights where upgrades will clear, probably prefer the partner metal for the higher MQD (rollover to 2020)
I'm thinking Hawaii is probably the easiest. I've looked at the PE to SHA or PEK, but I don't have a Chinese Visa nor a ton of interest in doing China right now. It doesn't look like the Virgin Atlantic deals (to JNB?) in PE (or even Y) are really available that close to Christmas either. Any other thoughts?
Nov 25, 2019, 9:59 pm
#989
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,417
To be clear, the scheduled departure time (of every segment you need to count, IIRC this is by segment and not by fare component, although for direct flights it's only the first scheduled departure time that matters) must be no later than 11:59 pm on December 31st. The arrival time doesn't matter, nor do any delays. If the flight is cancelled and you're rebooked for after NYE, it should be possible to get ORC to credit MQMs/MQDs to the previous year, but of course you must actually fly and not take a refund (such as trip in vain).
Nov 25, 2019, 10:04 pm
#990
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,417
In response to post # 985:
In DL terms, Virgin Premium Economy is like DL PS while Economy Delight is like DL C+, although of course there are minor differences in the offerings and fare class earnings.
In DL terms, Virgin Premium Economy is like DL PS while Economy Delight is like DL C+, although of course there are minor differences in the offerings and fare class earnings.