Pat89339

On behalf to the Mileage Run Moderator team, I would like to express our thanks to the many FlyerTalkers who have risen to the challenge and helped so many members with their helpful suggestions.

‘Please follow the instructions for posting in this thread which can be found in the wiki. DO NOT CREATE A NEW THREAD

These consolidates threads made managing the year end traffic much smoother.

Hopefully, all were successful with their runs.

Pat89339 on behalf of the Mileage Run Moderator team

JALsnipe

With the increased PQP requirements for the 2023 qualification year, I'm already starting to plan PQF runs from the Northeast. This will mostly be an informational post rather than an ask for help. Raleigh seems to be the sweet spot for cheaper flights for the beginning of the year

Departure Airport: Northeast (NYC/BOS)
Miles (PQF/PQP/BIS, choose one) Needed: PQF
Maximum Budget: N/A
Available Travel Dates: Jan/Feb
Required Metal or Codeshares Okay: UA Metal
Route(s) You've Already Searched:

EWR-IAD-RDU-IAD-LGA $161
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...fN5BZDyDAuhen7

BOS-IAD-RDU-IAD-LGA $163
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...pCEaBM9HnB3wL7

Second place seems to be Atlanta
LGA-IAD-ATL-IAD-LGA $187
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...6LmqqHRZdzQpK9

Bonus Charleston flight
HPN-ORD-EWR-CHS-IAD-LGA $221
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...QW6xSRdf7qgjS7

Also one thing I've noticed is that UA will sell basic economy fares in a non-N fare class internationally, so be careful when searching for short hops to Canada. I normally use Fare Extension Codes "f ~bc=n" when searching on ITA Matrix but because these Basic fares aren't in N this won't filter them out.

JALsnipe

Here's an interesting domestic mileage run-style flight for BIS and PQF from Puerto Rico:
BQN-EWR-LAS-LAX-HNL $318
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...Bas8U7vwkyFS96

This seems to be a combination of BQN-LAS and LAS-HNL fare basis. Wondering what other cool routing tricks exist from PR.

Also BQN-EWR-SAN-SFO-KOA $303
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...HT65UEWUkJJrz8

ContinentalFan

Excellent advice. I’ve been scouring ITA Matrix for bargain flights; they’re tough to fine. I’m searching from LAX (SNA, BUR, ONT, even PSP or SAN) and they’re tough—actually impossible—to find. I’ll keep searching. I miss the days when LAX/BOS/SFO/BOS/LAX could be found for $300 - $400 all in. I really miss the quick turns on LAX/SFO/SIN/SFO/LAX for $400 - $500. “N” fares and N fares disguised as an L are sitting in wait. Fortunately, United gives a warning. I’ll keep looking and share what, if anything, I find.

JALsnipe

Your options aren't quite as good as on the east coast, but you still have Las Vegas:

LAX-SFO-LAS-LAX $168
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...9LGYXrALnfLMo8

SAN-LAX-LAS-LAX-SAN $197
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...Gv34CQir43xWx5

Last year I was able to find SFO-LAX-LAS-LAX-SFO for $147 https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34113052-post40.html

ContinentalFan

Thanks for the information. I almost always look for a cpm of 5 cents or lower. It’s slim pickings right now.

I’m still using oldmatrix.itasoftware.com with the options O:UA+ and F ~bc=N. I search for a grid of a month, with zero nights and no airport changes. Most options force me to overnight. For the trip to DUB, it had two, consecutive red-eyes. Here are the best 12 I found for January.

Listed are date out-back, overnight Y/N, total fare, cpm, and legs.

0123-0124 Y 270.80 3.825 LAX/EWR/MIA/EWR/LAX

0123-0124 Y 270.80 4.010 LAX/IAD/MIA/EWR/LAX

0131-0201 Y 349.80 4.140 LAX/IAH/EWR/SJU/EWR/LAX

0123-0124 Y 270.80 4.175 LAX/ORD/MIA/EWR/LAX

0123-0124 Y 270.80 4.214 LAX/UAD/MIA/IAD/LAX

0129-0131 Y 287.10 4.232 LAX/EWR/MCO/EWR/LAX

0131-0201 Y 349.80 4.306 LAX/EWR/SJU/EWR/LAX

0118-0120 Y 907.75 4.432 LAX/EWR/CPT/IAD/LAX

0119-0120 Y 526.95 4.535 LAX/IAH/EWR/DUB/EWR/LAX

0124-0124 Y 237.80 4.554 LAX/BOS/LAX

0126-0127 Y 349.80 4.697 LAX/IAH/SJU/EWR/LAX

0123-0126 Y 919.05 4.998 LAX/SFO/SIN/SFO/LAS/LAX

All domestic fares are K, except BOS (G). International fares price as L: I didn’t check if they’re N fares in disguise.

The only one appealing to me is LAX/BOS/LAX, particularly if I could SDC and fly through SFO, EWR or some other hub.

ContinentalFan

I’ve been searching more possible mileage runs from Southern California (LAX, ONT, SNA, BUR, SBA and SAN) and there are a few, very few, options.

As I said upthread, I want to pay no more than 5 cents per mile. Ideally, I want to return on the same day; I count an overnight flight as the same day.

The best deal I have found so far is LAX/EWR/MIA/EWR/LAX on 1/23 (red eye) returning 1/24 for $270.80 or 3.825 cpm generating 7,080 miles. I found this fare on a few days in January and early February.

SJU is another target airport to look at. In late January, you can fly LAX/IAH/EWR/SJU/EWR/LAX For $349.80 yielding 8,449 miles at 4.14 cpm. One example is leaving on January 23 and returning the next day.

LAX/BOS/LAX pops up a few times for $237.80 or 4.554 cpm. It involves a red eye out and an almost 11 hour layover—maybe an SDC can solve that problem.

ContinentalFan

Another interesting trip popped up involving Burbank to Puerto Rico:

BUR/DEN/EWR/BQN/EWR/SFO/BUR

Departing on February 7 and returning the next day. At $432.80, it yields 8,419 miles at 3.858 cpm on a G fare.

It’s a rough trip leaving at 0900 and arriving at 0050 the next day. The two layovers are about an hour each. The layover is BQN is 76 min. The flight back to EWR leaves at 0155 and arrives at 1208 in BUR. Once again the two layovers are just over an hour.

As it’s a G fare, all but one of the legs is CPUable. The DEN EWR leg is on a B787.

Even better on an N fare
If you’re willing to take an N fare, it’s coming up as $243.80 a/i, so 2.896 cpm.

TalkingPoint

I just need PQF, so I've been doing LAX/SFO-EWR-DEN-SGU. It's $194 for 6 pqf in K ($133 in N) and $5 more each way if you do SFO instead of LAX.

Kmxu

The basic economy fare (N) does not earn PQFs, just be warned!

On UA webpage: All basic economy tickets earn PQP, but will not earn PQF.

ContinentalFan

That’s very impressive!

ContinentalFan

Fortunately, generating PQFs isn’t an issue for me. I’m after life time miles. I’ve never flown on an N fare. I’ll do it once in an upcoming flight to see what it ‘s like.

DELee

Are you reversing the route (SGU-DEN-EWR-SFO/LAX) to get back? If so, is it the same price?

David

ContinentalFan

I checked the 23rd (January) and returning the next day. I was quoted $237 for an N and $237 for an S fare on the United app. I suspect a more comprehensive search will find dates for the fares quoted previously.

DELee

No doubt. Was wondering whether the OP's need for PQFs would drive the reverse trip end-on-end or simply do a SGU-DEN-SFO/LAX return.

David