It just wouldn't be FlyerTalk without you, UpgradeMe http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif LOL!

I'm sure there are different theories on this, but I agree with your basic sentiment. Personally, I would do significant mileage runs only with more expensive but upgradable fares -- somehow, flying a lot of coach miles every year to maintain my status would defeat the purpose for me.

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StuckWithDelta

Time is usually a more significant expenditure than the fare paid. The key question is whether you enjoy flying. If you do, then just about any mileage run makes sense to you, since the "time" doesn't cost you anything (as you're performing an enjoyable leisure activity). I don't particularly like flying, so I don't go on trips unless there's some "value" to me at the end-destination. This doesn't preclude low-fare high-mile trips entirely, but it means that I'm very selective about which ones I take. I'd rather pay $200 + one weekend to go to a place I want to go to, instead of $100 + one weekend for a place I have no interest in visiting.

I too frequently do a lot of mile runs, but the time I spend actually *DOES* make me $$. I am a technical writer by trade. When I need a few uninterupted hours away from any distraction and there is a cheap long distance flight, not only can I get some miles but I charge big bux for that time.

In some instances I can achieve a negative CPM.

Cost of the ticket: $400
Miles earned: 14,000
Money earned: $2400
Take home: $2000 & 14,000mi
CPM: -.14

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

This reminds me of old story about the guy who lives on the beach in the Caribbean and the guy from NYC asks why he would do such a thing and the Caribbean guy says, why would you work 50 weeks a year so you could spend two weeks living like I do?

I don't really think it's a matter of 10 hours in coach for 10 in first (although sitting in F free on a trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific flight is worth the 10 hours in coach to me if that's what it would take). In the case of JonNYC's example the woman with 90,000 would potentially gain six SWUs with UA, plus all the miles, plus some other nice perks. A person doing a run to gain mid-level elite status on UA, for example, would earn double miles - instead of 1.25 - for every mile flown for the remainder of that year and the following year.

fallinasleep: I'm curious to see if you find anyone who thought Sandler's character was sane. Scary thought.

Listen, guys, I have taken plenty of mileage runs like the rest of you. But when it comes to FF programs, the tail is wagging the dog and I freely admit it!

That's my point. Of course, the Sandler character was nuts http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Did you like how he rationalized his growing pudding collection? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

If you like Kraft salad dressing, and the supermarket chain not nearest to your home has it 2-for-1, do you drive the extra 20 miles to stock up? Would you drive 20 miles to stock up if you knew there was a nice restaurant that you like and haven't been to for a while across the street from that other grocery store?

I will drive an hour at the drop of a hat, because the actual act of driving is relaxing to me for that duration. But, I rarely take "pure" mileage runs. I prefer to add miles by giving up a Thursday night and taking an extra segment home, like BDL-STL-ORD.

While I don't take mileage runs, I've gone on many trips of 36-48 hour duration where the purpose is "buy one get one free." If I didn't get miles, would I spend $178 to fly to Baltimore for the weekend to visit some friends, and route myself through STL on the way home? Probably not. But what if I can get progress towards:

Status - let's call it worth $900 just to get exit row seating on each of my 30 business trips. I get 2100/50000 worth.
J award tickets to Europe (let's cap the value at $1500 as they are capacity controlled). I get 5100/90000.
Upgrades - Going to be $160/4 after 1/16/03, and I get them free every 10k status miles. That's 2100/10000, but let's discount this 25% because you're never going to fly exactly a multiple of 10k/year.

So, by my math, I get $148 worth of tangible benefits that I will definitely use in the next 24 months. That means that my flight to Baltimore only really costs me $30. And heck, I can scrape up $30 over the course of a month by just having the discipline to have leftovers for lunch on Mondays instead of going out for lunch at a restaurant. So, now the decision to try and get out of town for fun one weekend per month (even though I travel for work 3-4 times/month), is easy.

I tolerate the actual act of flying, so unless there is a reason at the end of the jetway, I'm not likely to do it just for the sake of flying. But when the airlines price themselves such that I get the airline version of "buy one get a coupon for one free", then it makes visiting friends and seeing places a reasonable component of my weekends.

I get more work done on a plane than anywhere else, noone can call me, email me, need me to fix something, etc. From my point of view the longer the flight the better.

Look at it this way, people always do the runs when the miles are so cheap that it is a better deal even if all you do is use the miles for tickets and forget about the status issues. So I can either try to do some work at home or the office with lots of interuptions, or I can sit in a nice leather seat with someone bringing me drinks as I type away at something, finish a good book, or watch all the DVDs I got in Beijing for $1. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

While I have yet to take trip for pure mileage-gaining purposes, friends/co-workers and I have added extra segments or gone places we might normally not have for the simple reason of getting work done. It sounds crazy, but sometimes the only way I/we get things done is 6 or more hours in 4A&B followed by an overnight in a hotel out in the middle of nowhere. If I can get things accomplished
and get miles at the same time, I'm all for it.

JD

[This message has been edited by Jet'Dillo (edited 10-27-2002).]

ahhh...it's so nice to find a forum with like minded individuals regarding the travel addiction. My friends and family don't get at all why I do MR's, but they sure do like those free upgrades when I'm "sharin' the love". Kinda like the story of the little red hen, I suppose.

True....you get it or you don't. Some people blow extra cash on things that I would consider frivolous and pointless (just like they would with my runs). It's one of the beautiful things about life and people; we're all different with our own ideas of steak vs. poison.

A few of the things I like about runs and their bennies:

1. The BIG SEAT
2. Gettin' on and off first
3. Emptying the Crown Royal supply on board
(and occasionally gettin' into the CC, too)
4. The phone doesn't ring
5. The sig other can't ask for a honeydo
6. An uninterrupted movie via DVD
7. Getting work done on the laptop
8. The interesting people I've met (OK, there were a few dorks, but they probably thought the same of me)
9. Some very interesting cities (travel really makes me appreciate the beautiful country that we are lucky enough to live in)
10. Being able to go to ORD to see my parents for dinner and a visit and still get back to SEA in time to get things done.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jet'Dillo:
While I have yet to take trip for pure mileage-gaining purposes,

Okay, scratch that!.
No sooner did I finish posting this then the phone rang. It was EPS, advising me of a run he and a non-FT'er were taking in Mid. November. At $177/RT it was too much to resist, so on 11/16-11/17, we're doing:
SFO->SEA->PDX->DEN->ELP->DEN->SAN->LAX-SFO.

Woohoo!
JD

Hey, Jet'Dillo! Who is the carrier?

Looks like UA judging from two of the hub cities involved http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Yeah, we're going on UA. I'll be working on my 2P re-qual, EPS on his 1K.

We're booked on a T-class fare. I don't know how much more space is left on this routing though, so if you're going to do it, I'd step on it. Some of the legs back like the SAN->LAX and LAX->SFO only had a few(like 3 or 4) seats left.

JD