wh6cto

No luck so far finding anything shorter. Well, this is technically shorter, but the same number of days. Still interesting:

UA:$532 EWR-BKK (Bankok) 19200PQM 404PQD
Mon 25 Nov
UA79 EWR-NRT 1100-1500(+1day) B77W
Tue 26 Nov
NH805 NRT-BKK 1835-2355 B789
(15h20m overnight in BKK)
Wed 27 Nov
NH878 BKK-HND 1515-2300 B789
(18h40m overnight in TYO, with HND-NRT)
Thu 28 Nov
UA78 NRT-EWR 1740-1625 B77W

Link: https://flights.app.goo.gl/r5C31

The two overnights make it more expensive, but I do like passing thru Tokyo...

Another option is HKG for ~$800, but you would have to pass thru SFO in one direction for your mileage. And it still requires an overnight. But it would likely shave off a day.


UPDATE:

Looks like for $591 you can EWR-BKK, departing Thu 05 Dec 1100, return Sun Dec 08 0508. Still requires an overnight in BKK, but this seems to fit your schedule requirements better.

You can also opt out of the LAX connection by doing HND-NRT via train on the return.

Link: https://flights.app.goo.gl/GZzK3

wh6cto

I have never been offered better than 9cpm to buy the miles, usually more like 14-20cpm later in the year. So I don't think you will ever be able to buy 25000 PQM for <$2k.

On the other hand, you can fly 25000PQM for under $1k. For example, two of these:

UA:$428 SFO-HKG 13828PQM 313PQD
Mon 02 Sep
UA869 SFO-HKG 1320-1845(+1day) B77W
(16h30m overnight in HKG)
Wed 04 Sep
UA862 HKG-SFO 1115-0855 B77W

Link: https://flights.app.goo.gl/TKWrx

Available on lots of other dates. There's a hotel in the airport itself, and a Marriott adjacent to it (but very busy this week). The one big downside of this airport is that they don't let you check in more than 3h before your flight, so less time to spend at the lounge. But there is also a Priority Pass lounge landside under the train station, so that's always an option. Of course, if you have a hotel that's not an issue.

UPDATE #3: United is adding a second aircraft to this route starting Oct 26. I see $475 on several dates for being in HKG 0610-2230 (which is almost all daytime), so you could go explore if things have calmed down by then. Otherwise, you can try and SDC to the 1220 departure, which means only 6h there. In any case, no hotel required.


UPDATE #1: another one to consider as a partial solution:

UA:$859 SFO-AKL (Auckland, New Zealand) 18106PQM 738PQD
Tue 01 Oct
UA5707 SFO-IAH 1113-1719 B739
NZ29 IAH-AKL 2020-0505(+2days) B77W
(14h25m in AKL)
Thu 03 Oct
NZ28 AKL-IAH 1930-1513 B77W
UA1700 IAH-SFO 1639-1850 A320

Link: https://flights.app.goo.gl/mQmV1

This covers 3/4 of your goal, and the daytime layover means no hotel required. But you still need another 10k of travel by end of year (3k to gold+7k to plat), if that's something you can make up with routine travel then this might be a more interesting option.

Good luck!


UPDATE #2: Another interesting option to do twice (similar to HKG):

UA:$557 SFO-KUL (Kuala Lumpur) 16925PQM 467PQD
Mon 07 Oct
UA875 SFO-HND 1045-1355(+1day) B789
(9h35m in TYO daytime)
Tue 08 Oct
NH885 HND-KUL 2330-0600(+1day) B789
(12h40m in KUL daytime)
Wed 09 Oct
SQ117 KUL-SIN 1840-1950 A350 (Q-fare)
UA28 SIN-SFO 2100-2105 B789

Link:https://flights.app.goo.gl/pdDzH

All overnights occur while flying, so no hotels are needed, just a desire to go exploring. SQ117 shows Q-fare, which does not earn PQM (it's only 184mi).

SiPi

Departure Airport: NYC (LGA preferred unless can meet mileage requirement in one trip, then EWR more than fine)
Miles Needed: 9630 on UA metal
Required Spend or Maximum Budget (choose one, and state the value): Looking for best value -
Available Travel Dates:
Any Sunday in September (must be back Monday by 2pm) or from Wednesday late evening departure, all day Thursday, must be back by 12 pm Friday. In October can only do 16 or 17,must be back by 12 pm on 18th.
Prefer back to back, quick turnaround. No overnight layovers.
Want to avoid Africa and Asia for now
Required Metal or Codeshares Okay: UA metal
Route(s) You've Already Searched: E
Do you have a Chinese Visa (Yes/No)? Yes.

wh6cto

I'm assuming the 16th is also late evening departure? The late eve requirement really limits things, as the first flight out of LGA will get you stuck at a hub overnight.

So with your schedule constraints, I think it's going to end up something like this:

UA:$653 LGA-HNL 10309PQM 573PQD
Thu 17 Oct
UA657 LGA-ORD 0600-0840 B73G
UA253 IAH-HNL 1010-1318 B772
UA218 HNL-ORD 1550-0454(+1day) B772
Fri 18 Oct
UA427 ORD-LGA 0730-1039 A319

Link: https://flights.app.goo.gl/dHoXo

UA:$676 EWR-HNL (nonstop) 9924PQM 612PQD
Thu 17 Oct
UA363 EWR-HNL 0840-1334 B764
UA362 HNL-EWR 1510-0636(+1day) B764

Link: https://flights.app.goo.gl/ct3V3

Will update if I find anything better.

neverintown

Need to do mileage run as I've not been able to travel much due to a running injury (hip bursitis and tendonitis) which laid me up for over a month and a ski injury (surgical rotator cuff and labrum tear repair) which laid me up for two months. Need to maintain at least Gold status in order to maintain Gold status on Marriott Bonvoy. So close to lifetime million miles!

Departure Airport: DCA or IAD
Miles Needed: 30,500 PQM
Required Spend or Maximum Budget (choose one, and state the value): $3,075 required PQD and would like to keep it around there for max budget
Available Travel Dates: Prefer no overnights in cities. Weekend (can fly Fridays and Mondays) of October 11th, 18th, 25th; November 8, 15, 22; December 6, 13
Required Metal or Codeshares Okay: Prefer metal but ok with codeshare as long as the ticket is purchased through United website
Route(s) You've Already Searched: DCA/IAD-SIN, DCA/IAD-KUL, DCA-SFO-ANC-HNL-NRT-SFO-IAH-DCA/IAD
Do you have a Chinese Visa (Yes/No)? NO

wh6cto

The IAD-SIN you found is a good idea. The immediate turn is $1489 for 21726PQM 1382PQD, so doing it twice is in the right ballpark. (example: https://flights.app.goo.gl/bmK6x) And gets you closer to 1MM mark. If you stay longer, it gets cheaper...but doing it 3 or 4 times is rough.

BTW, you mention being close to 1MM...how close are you? That's not subject to any PQD, so it may be a better option if you're close.

neverintown

I'm 130K away from MM status.

DrinkingCoffee

Departure Airport: SJC (preferred) but can also do SFO
Miles Needed: just looking to maximize mileage
Required Spend or Maximum Budget (choose one, and state the value): $3000 or less (assuming multiple trips)
Available Travel Dates: I can travel any time from September 26- all of October.
Required Metal or Codeshares Okay: I'll defer to the experts
Route(s) You've Already Searched:
Do you have a Chinese Visa (Yes/No)? No

I have some free time in late September and October. Would like to maximize the miles I can earn. Thank you for any advice you can provide.

wh6cto

That's 6 roundtrips to SIN, all on UA metal...not realistic this year, both in terms of time and cost.

Perhaps do 3 trips (which would be ~3300PQD)? That will leave you with 65kBIS to do by Jan 2021.

wh6cto

Assuming this is for United?
Are you looking for PQM for status? If so, how many do you need to reach the next tier?
(Lifetime miles for MM must be UA metal.)

Sorry, but without a clear set of goals, it's difficult to suggest anything.

Kmxu

DrinkingCoffee

Thank you for your patience. Yes, this is on United. I am about 15K from the next tier. It's the first time I have had this kind of free time on my hands, so I have lots of flexibility. Thank you so much.

Kmxu

neverintown

I'd really like to get this done in max two weekends, ideally one. My MM status will be closer next year as I have a couple of trips to Asia and another to Europe already booked. I wouldn't mind spending four days in the air if I could accumulate enough PQMs and PQDs to hit Gold this year.

Kmxu

I understand. Apparently, you value your time more than your money. Because you have both PQD and PQM requirements, it is worth checking out Polaris or Premium Plus fares (1.5 x distance for PQM) to make your trip more comfortable.
If you want to save money, just be satisfied with the Premier Silver status (check this thread: Is it worth it to stretch for Gold (over Silver)? [2018 Consolidated]). The new Marriott Gold status does not give you much benefit except for the two-hour late checkout. The new Marriott Plantinum (old Gold) tier is more valuable, however.

In Premium economy for IAD-HKG: https://www.google.com/flights#flt=I...3*2.USD.168073
and Premium economy for IAD-TPE: https://www.google.com/flights#flt=I...3*2.USD.152763