Jan 2, 2022, 1:46 am
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
Need 4000+ MQDs?
If based in a city that is served by Virgin Atlantic such as IAD, JFK, BOS, MIA, LAS, LAX, SFO one of the best options is to fly to JNB or CPT via LHR. This can be done in a weekend and you can usually earn 4-5000 MQDs for under 1300-1600. You need to select Economy Delight which is similar to regular economy but with more legroom and the possibility of earning 20% of distance as MQDs. This is the most common way to earn large chunks at a cheap price.
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
Need 4000+ MQDs?
If based in a city that is served by Virgin Atlantic such as IAD, JFK, BOS, MIA, LAS, LAX, SFO one of the best options is to fly to JNB or CPT via LHR. This can be done in a weekend and you can usually earn 4-5000 MQDs for under 1300-1600. You need to select Economy Delight which is similar to regular economy but with more legroom and the possibility of earning 20% of distance as MQDs. This is the most common way to earn large chunks at a cheap price.
DL/Sky Team: 2022 Consolidated Mileage/Status/Challenge Runs help needed
Jun 26, 2022, 11:27 am
#211
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Multiple locations
Programs: AAdvantage ExPlat LT Gold, BA Silver, Aegean Star Gold
Posts: 5,038
Jun 26, 2022, 12:37 pm
#212
Join Date: Jun 2022
Programs: Delta SkyMiles - PM
Posts: 5
I've been waiting on clinching Platinum to post here, didn't want to get ahead of myself. Here I am, first post! Long time lurker.
Thank you everyone for your contributions, which made me bookmark these forums, hope I'll be helping others some day. For now, if anyone wants to look out for me, I greatly appreciate it.
Departure Airport: LAS, although PHX, SAN, LAX, DEN all wouldn't be awful. I visit family in DC occasionally, so WAS would probably work too. Same with FLL/MIA.
Miles Needed: 37k MQM/$13,000, please don't judge me, I got here mostly through rollovers and card spend, but I do love traveling, and have the budget to make this work assuming 3(ish)MQD/$1 spend
Required Spend or Budget: Sub $5000 would be great, down to eat it in 2 trips to minimize time spent collecting the miles (although getting to see sights is great), or more trips to check out more places
Available Travel Dates: Any outside of 7/28-8/5, 9/8-9/20
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Wish I knew what this meant
Thanks again any/everyone! Sorry my first post isn't to contribute.
Thank you everyone for your contributions, which made me bookmark these forums, hope I'll be helping others some day. For now, if anyone wants to look out for me, I greatly appreciate it.
Departure Airport: LAS, although PHX, SAN, LAX, DEN all wouldn't be awful. I visit family in DC occasionally, so WAS would probably work too. Same with FLL/MIA.
Miles Needed: 37k MQM/$13,000, please don't judge me, I got here mostly through rollovers and card spend, but I do love traveling, and have the budget to make this work assuming 3(ish)MQD/$1 spend
Required Spend or Budget: Sub $5000 would be great, down to eat it in 2 trips to minimize time spent collecting the miles (although getting to see sights is great), or more trips to check out more places
Available Travel Dates: Any outside of 7/28-8/5, 9/8-9/20
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Wish I knew what this meant
Thanks again any/everyone! Sorry my first post isn't to contribute.
Last edited by Megatron24; Jun 26, 2022 at 12:47 pm
Jun 26, 2022, 1:30 pm
#213
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 239
Mileage Run Help Needed from SEA/PDX/SFO
Thanks to corporate travel, I hit max MQD with delta, need about 80k MQM miles only to reach Diamond, looking for quick and easy weekend trips to earn MQM, can someone pls help?
Departure Airport: SEA/PDX/SFO
Miles Needed: 80K MQM
Required Spend or Budget: no required spend as I maxed out on MQD but budget is 3k to get 80k miles
Available Travel Dates: anytime after July
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*:
N/A
Departure Airport: SEA/PDX/SFO
Miles Needed: 80K MQM
Required Spend or Budget: no required spend as I maxed out on MQD but budget is 3k to get 80k miles
Available Travel Dates: anytime after July
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*:
N/A
Last edited by WinSea; Jun 26, 2022 at 1:33 pm Reason: Edi
Jun 26, 2022, 2:16 pm
#214
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,895
I've been waiting on clinching Platinum to post here, didn't want to get ahead of myself. Here I am, first post! Long time lurker.
Thank you everyone for your contributions, which made me bookmark these forums, hope I'll be helping others some day. For now, if anyone wants to look out for me, I greatly appreciate it.
Departure Airport: LAS, although PHX, SAN, LAX, DEN all wouldn't be awful. I visit family in DC occasionally, so WAS would probably work too. Same with FLL/MIA.
Miles Needed: 37k MQM/$13,000, please don't judge me, I got here mostly through rollovers and card spend, but I do love traveling, and have the budget to make this work assuming 3(ish)MQD/$1 spend
Required Spend or Budget: Sub $5000 would be great, down to eat it in 2 trips to minimize time spent collecting the miles (although getting to see sights is great), or more trips to check out more places
Available Travel Dates: Any outside of 7/28-8/5, 9/8-9/20
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Wish I knew what this meant
Thanks again any/everyone! Sorry my first post isn't to contribute.
Thank you everyone for your contributions, which made me bookmark these forums, hope I'll be helping others some day. For now, if anyone wants to look out for me, I greatly appreciate it.
Departure Airport: LAS, although PHX, SAN, LAX, DEN all wouldn't be awful. I visit family in DC occasionally, so WAS would probably work too. Same with FLL/MIA.
Miles Needed: 37k MQM/$13,000, please don't judge me, I got here mostly through rollovers and card spend, but I do love traveling, and have the budget to make this work assuming 3(ish)MQD/$1 spend
Required Spend or Budget: Sub $5000 would be great, down to eat it in 2 trips to minimize time spent collecting the miles (although getting to see sights is great), or more trips to check out more places
Available Travel Dates: Any outside of 7/28-8/5, 9/8-9/20
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Wish I knew what this meant
Thanks again any/everyone! Sorry my first post isn't to contribute.
You can knock off all the MQM requirements and most of the MQD requirement with two LAS-JNB runs on Virgin Atlantic (Economy Delight class). Each trip would earn about $5400 MQDs and 27,000 MQMs. The remaining $2200 or so can be done with a TIJ - X AeroMexico run. see post
e.g. both August 13 - 15 and August 20 - 22 (back to LAS on 23rd) are available for $1413. Use Virgin Atlantic flexible date search for desired dates
Last edited by canuck_traveler; Jun 26, 2022 at 2:24 pm
Jun 26, 2022, 3:17 pm
#215
Join Date: Jun 2022
Programs: Delta SkyMiles - PM
Posts: 5
The challenge will most likely be the MQDs.
You can knock off all the MQM requirements and most of the MQD requirement with two LAS-JNB runs on Virgin Atlantic (Economy Delight class). Each trip would earn about $5400 MQDs and 27,000 MQMs. The remaining $2200 or so can be done with a TIJ - X AeroMexico run.
e.g. both August 13 - 15 and August 20 - 22 (back to LAS on 23rd) are available for $1413. Use Virgin Atlantic flexible date search for desired dates
You can knock off all the MQM requirements and most of the MQD requirement with two LAS-JNB runs on Virgin Atlantic (Economy Delight class). Each trip would earn about $5400 MQDs and 27,000 MQMs. The remaining $2200 or so can be done with a TIJ - X AeroMexico run.
e.g. both August 13 - 15 and August 20 - 22 (back to LAS on 23rd) are available for $1413. Use Virgin Atlantic flexible date search for desired dates
Jun 26, 2022, 4:05 pm
#216
Join Date: Dec 2019
Programs: Delta DM
Posts: 39
31000 MQMs and $1355 MQDs for Platinum
Departure Airport: TPA, MCO or MIA
Miles Needed: 31000 MQMs and $1355 MQDs for Delta Platinum for spouse and child
Required Spend or Budget: $2500 for each person
Available Travel Dates: Any (prefer until August 22 or during labor day or thanksgiving or christmas season)
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Skyteam
Miles Needed: 31000 MQMs and $1355 MQDs for Delta Platinum for spouse and child
Required Spend or Budget: $2500 for each person
Available Travel Dates: Any (prefer until August 22 or during labor day or thanksgiving or christmas season)
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Skyteam
Jun 26, 2022, 5:30 pm
#217
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,895
Departure Airport: TPA, MCO or MIA
Miles Needed: 31000 MQMs and $1355 MQDs for Delta Platinum for spouse and child
Required Spend or Budget: $2500 for each person
Available Travel Dates: Any (prefer until August 22 or during labor day or thanksgiving or christmas season)
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Skyteam
Miles Needed: 31000 MQMs and $1355 MQDs for Delta Platinum for spouse and child
Required Spend or Budget: $2500 for each person
Available Travel Dates: Any (prefer until August 22 or during labor day or thanksgiving or christmas season)
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Skyteam
You could do a MIA-JNB run on Virgin Atlantic (economy delight class) that would earn you 25,000 MQMs and $5000 MQDs. Pick up the remaining MQMs with a Hawaii or Alaska run.
e.g. November 25-27 for $1421. There is a 14hr layover in LHR on the outbound
July 4 - TPA - LIH for $751
Jun 26, 2022, 7:17 pm
#218
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 239
Need help for MQM for Delta
Thanks to corporate travel, I hit max MQD with delta, need about 80k MQM miles only to reach Diamond, looking for quick and easy weekend trips to earn MQM, can someone pls help?
Departure Airport: SEA/PDX/SFO
Miles Needed: 80K MQM
Required Spend or Budget: no required spend as I maxed out on MQD but budget is 3k to get 80k miles
Available Travel Dates: anytime after July
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*:
N/A
Departure Airport: SEA/PDX/SFO
Miles Needed: 80K MQM
Required Spend or Budget: no required spend as I maxed out on MQD but budget is 3k to get 80k miles
Available Travel Dates: anytime after July
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*:
N/A
Jun 26, 2022, 8:02 pm
#219
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,895
Thanks to corporate travel, I hit max MQD with delta, need about 80k MQM miles only to reach Diamond, looking for quick and easy weekend trips to earn MQM, can someone pls help?
Departure Airport: SEA/PDX/SFO
Miles Needed: 80K MQM
Required Spend or Budget: no required spend as I maxed out on MQD but budget is 3k to get 80k miles
Available Travel Dates: anytime after July
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*:
N/A
Departure Airport: SEA/PDX/SFO
Miles Needed: 80K MQM
Required Spend or Budget: no required spend as I maxed out on MQD but budget is 3k to get 80k miles
Available Travel Dates: anytime after July
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*:
N/A
An option for you is the Virgin Atlantic SEA-LHR-JNB run in economy delight which gets you about 25,000 MQMs. August 27 - 29 is available for $1434. Check the Virgin Atlantic flexible date search for other dates.
Jun 26, 2022, 8:33 pm
#220
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,895
Thank you! I'm ok with immediate turnaround or even stay a few days at a destination. I need to requalify for hotel status anyways. I'm ok with economy or even premium seats provided the CPM is competitive. I rather not have to do repositioning flights unless I have to. I kind of did that in Europe earlier this year to take advantage of an intra-European flight deal. A bit of a hassle and not something I would consider doing unless it was worth it.
Another option is YVR-SIN via Europe on Air France / KLM.
e.g. October 14 - 17, $1580 CAD, about 23,000 MQMs. Use ITA Matrix to find dates
Jun 27, 2022, 9:25 am
#221
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 239
I suspect that you will probably need to up your budget. At $3k for 80K miles, you are looking at 3.75cpm which is pretty aggressive in the current environment.
An option for you is the Virgin Atlantic SEA-LHR-JNB run in economy delight which gets you about 25,000 MQMs. August 27 - 29 is available for $1434. Check the Virgin Atlantic flexible date search for other dates.
An option for you is the Virgin Atlantic SEA-LHR-JNB run in economy delight which gets you about 25,000 MQMs. August 27 - 29 is available for $1434. Check the Virgin Atlantic flexible date search for other dates.
Jun 27, 2022, 10:22 am
#222
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,895
Singapore via Europe. see the note I posted about that from YVR.
Once China relaxes its travel restrictions then look at China Eastern to SIN, MLE, SYD, AKL.
If you want to earn more MQMs, then you can go up to business / first class with higher earnings for the same distance flown. Check out the Premium Fare Deals forum
If you can reposition to BCN then check out this deal which gets you 33,000 MQMs for $1400.
Last edited by canuck_traveler; Jun 27, 2022 at 11:07 am Reason: added a reference and link to premium fare deal
Jul 1, 2022, 10:07 am
#223
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Wayne, PA USA
Programs: DL MM, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, HHonors Gold
Posts: 7,242
$7,000 MQD ex PHL
Departure Airport: PHL (could do NYC, ABE, or WAS)
Miles Needed: None
Required Spend or Budget: <$2,000. Could do up to $3,000 (a tiny bit more maybe)
Available Travel Dates: ANYTIME except October - 1st week of November (ideally a long weekend in conjunction with a US holiday - who am I kidding 😀
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Codeshares are fine (is Saudia safe for gay people?)
Many thanks!
Miles Needed: None
Required Spend or Budget: <$2,000. Could do up to $3,000 (a tiny bit more maybe)
Available Travel Dates: ANYTIME except October - 1st week of November (ideally a long weekend in conjunction with a US holiday - who am I kidding 😀
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Codeshares are fine (is Saudia safe for gay people?)
- I need about $7K MQD to hit platinum.
- Ideally would prefer to stay below $2K. Can go up to $3K (maybe a tiny bit more).
- Would prefer business or premium economy.
- Short trip duration, if possible (out and back is ideal). I don’t mind making a few days into a mini vacation though.
- I have a (currently totally useless) Chinese Visa
- Month of October and first week of November are out of the question (maximum panic time for the Disney W&D Half).
Many thanks!
Last edited by jimrpa; Jul 1, 2022 at 12:13 pm
Jul 1, 2022, 2:00 pm
#224
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Multiple locations
Programs: AAdvantage ExPlat LT Gold, BA Silver, Aegean Star Gold
Posts: 5,038
Departure Airport: PHL (could do NYC, ABE, or WAS)
Miles Needed: None
Required Spend or Budget: <$2,000. Could do up to $3,000 (a tiny bit more maybe)
Available Travel Dates: ANYTIME except October - 1st week of November (ideally a long weekend in conjunction with a US holiday - who am I kidding 😀
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Codeshares are fine (is Saudia safe for gay people?)
Many thanks!
Miles Needed: None
Required Spend or Budget: <$2,000. Could do up to $3,000 (a tiny bit more maybe)
Available Travel Dates: ANYTIME except October - 1st week of November (ideally a long weekend in conjunction with a US holiday - who am I kidding 😀
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Codeshares are fine (is Saudia safe for gay people?)
- I need about $7K MQD to hit platinum.
- Ideally would prefer to stay below $2K. Can go up to $3K (maybe a tiny bit more).
- Would prefer business or premium economy.
- Short trip duration, if possible (out and back is ideal). I don’t mind making a few days into a mini vacation though.
- I have a (currently totally useless) Chinese Visa
- Month of October and first week of November are out of the question (maximum panic time for the Disney W&D Half).
Many thanks!
Aeromexico Tijuana routes such as those that I've shared earlier in this thread could give some 2000 MQDs per pop but you really need is a long haul...
This thread recommends Virgin Economy Delight ( 34 or 36 inch regular economy seats) to South Africa as you get 25% of Distance or some 5000 MQDs in a weekend, Y+ gives 30% and lately been pricing pretty high relative to Y...
Sometimes Y+ shows up on Google Flights at an attractive price but usually with DL codes which don't help at all ..
Perhaps a Y+ trip to Spain and then grab a South America Aeromexivo fare ..
Jul 7, 2022, 6:51 am
#225
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: New York
Posts: 7
50,000 MQM and 3500 MQD needed
Hi All - thanks for all you do on this forum! This would be my first time doing a mileage run so your help is greatly appreciated. I’ve browsed the forum a few times and it seems like the JFK-LHR-JNB route is a popular one. To get to my level of MQM, I would need at least 3 trips to make it work. Any other ideas to shorten the amount of trips required? How about one of the Asian Airlines (ie Korean)? Wouldn’t mind a delish meal in between flights!
Departure Airport: NYC (jfk, lga, ewr)
Miles Needed: 50,000 MQM and $3,500 MQD for diamond status
Required Spend or Budget: $3,000
Available Travel Dates: ideally over long weekends (excluding thanksgiving and Xmas)
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: yes
Departure Airport: NYC (jfk, lga, ewr)
Miles Needed: 50,000 MQM and $3,500 MQD for diamond status
Required Spend or Budget: $3,000
Available Travel Dates: ideally over long weekends (excluding thanksgiving and Xmas)
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: yes