dfw is the pits for mi runs , imho.

I would disagree. UA has quite a few ORD-West coast fares at $158 which allow you to bounce around the west coast.

ORD-SAN-LAX-SFO-SEA and return is 6802 miles, $158 fare after taxes is about $190ish. About 2.8 cents per mile...

I do agree however that it does depend on the airline you fly and where you originate. PHX is probably a very good origin city while a city like BOS may be more difficult. UA, CO are good for domestic runs while AA and DL may not be so great.

There is no such thing as a mileage run from Canada. Why? Because taxes absolutely kill any good deal. See:

http://makeashorterlink.com/?M245637F2

($6 return fare becomes $89.27 after tax)

In addition, AC Aeroplan offers 0 miles on consolidator (read: student-class) fares, and only offers 50% status miles on super cheap fares on domestic flights (75% on Vclass or higher).

see: https://www.aeroplan.com/en/collect/air_air_canada.jsp

So while all you DL flyers 'complain' about your status miles decreasing on cheap fares, it has been this way in Canada for the past 2 years +.

But I'm not bitter. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Oh, and I do take into account discount certificates, vouchers used when calculating the cost. However, I do not take into account the bus fare from Vancouver to SEA, any layover costs (usually no hotel for me), and other travel costs (meals).


keithguy, I think applying vouchers, etc. makes the cost per mile number calculated only of interest to the individual and not useful to others for comparison. Also, if we are looking at the cost per mile ("earned") after all savings and bonuses, it also then seems we should include the parking, hotel, etc. costs. I think a post that says a fare and possible routing is 2.5c/status mile is more meaningful and standard setting than a cents per mile that was reduced by a voucher.

Exactly. When I do comparisons, it is from one mileage run of mine to another mileage run of mine. I don't see the point of comparing a mileage run of mine to someone else's mileage run. I think the objectives of each run are all unique and depend on the person (e.g. going for status miles, earned miles, flying various aircraft type, going through various airports, etc).

I tend to view the airfare as the cost of miles/status miles. Ground transport, hotel (if any), meals on the ground, gifts, etc are all costs that I absorb as travel costs - the cost of going places and seeing things.

Keithguy,

I don't think your perspective is wrong with regards to comparing your own MR between themselves. I do, however, think bonuses, vouchers and all the alike should not be reflected in the cost per miles because it gives biased information to others. The idea is not to find who's the champion of the lowest cost/miles MR, but to establish a base where everybody here could feel that a good MR should cost less than xx.xx cents per mile.

When we read that someone has done a MR at 0.01 cents per miles and that another one did one at 0.04 cents per miles, what is the reference we can use to say one is better than the other? Do we use the value the airlines are giving to their own "currency"?

Good for you and for all the others than can integrate vouchers and bonuses and lower their cost to 0.01 cents per mile. That is exactly what you are refering to and I do respect that. I, however, as a non top tier, don't collect bonuses and therefore will probably never be able to lower my cost to your level.

I hope I'm not confusing the issue too much... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Like I've said before, I think it's all subjective. Bob might think 4 cents a mile is great but Jane might think that below 2 is great.

In my opinion, there is absolutely no reference. Again and it's all dependent on the objective of the mileage run. Many would say that a mile in one program might not equal a mile in another program. And how about really low fares, would you not count those? SEA-LHR-HEL at $120US after taxes yields 11900 status miles (1 cent per status mile). Or how about that SEA-PIT/PHL $120US after taxes fare where you could easily route 7500 status miles (1.6 cents per status mile)? If you are going to compare future mileage runs against those kinds of fares, then you are going to be really hard pressed to find similar status mile yielding ratios.

Quote:

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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Good for you and for all the others than can integrate vouchers and bonuses and lower their cost to 0.01 cents per mile. That is exactly what you are refering to and I do respect that. I, however, as a non top tier, don't collect bonuses and therefore will probably never be able to lower my cost to your level.

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I also have no problem if you or others refer to 4 cents/status mile runs. I am fine with that as well.

I need some confirmation here...

SEA-BNA nets 3954 status miles approx roundtrip or 7908 earned miles (assuming 100% Elite bonus).

So if I'm correct, this $151 tkt would net cost/mi of:
$.0381 per status mile
$.0190 per earned mile

Who's correct? Sorry for any confusion caused, tx.

SEA-BNA-SEA non-stop both ways would earn you 3954 miles, however, there are many possible routings.

My $151 fare was the result of a PD316 ($25 off) coupon.

However, without any coupons/vouchers/discounts, a routing of SEA-EWR-ORD-IAH-BNA, BNA-MEM-EWR-MSP-LAX-SEA on NW is doable for $174.50US after taxes. This nets 9643 status miles (or 19286 earned miles).

$174.50 / 9643 status miles = 1.8 cents / status mile
$174.50 / 19286 earned miles = 0.9 cents / earned mile

Last week I booked me a round trip SEA-BNA using the following routing:

SEA-LAX-MSP-EWR-MEM-BNA
BNA-MEM-DTW-LAX-SEA

TOTAL COST: $174.50
TOTAL STATUS MILES: 8970
COST PER STATUS MILE: $0.01945
TOTAL INCLUDING ELITE BONUS MILES: 17940
COST PER MILE EARNED: $0.009726

Thanks to keithguy for pointing the way. The routings via IAH were tempting, but as an Alaska Mileage Plan member, I wanted to stay entirely with AS/NW in order to maximize my elite bonuses. (CO offers no elite bonus for AS Mileage Plan) Unfortunately, I was unable to return via EWR or I could have netted 9860 status miles and a coupla extra meals.


[This message has been edited by Seat 2A (edited 01-07-2003).]

About a year ago I got 6 cases of Kellogg's Mini-Wheats w/ the AA miles on them for 66 cents box(store promo $1 off w/coupon$1 off). 16 boxes in each case so that's 9600 miles for $63.36! Not a MR like usually defined here, but I did have to drive to 1/2 dozen stores to get them- and it only took me about 2 1/2 hours.

Because of the amount of time required to execute most MRs, I think there is a case to be made about putting a hard dollar value on your TIME...which would obviously jackup the cost per mile.

another thing people conveniently leave out of their calcuations is the cost to get to and from the airport.

in NYC, that cost is far from inconsequential.

to and from Newark Liberty from NYC is $50 each way by cab. even taking the train is about $12-$13 each way. the bus is $11 or $12 each way. i guess you could take the PATH and a bus, but boy is that a pain (and it isn't free).

[This message has been edited by fly co to see the yanks (edited 02-07-2003).]

I've pretty much given up mileage runs as of the end of last year. It's my view that the overall value of status has decreased, perhaps significantly, because of a number of factors:
1. increases to award levels, meaning the financial value of bonus miles is now less than before
2. reduction/elimination of meal service in FC
3. increased costs for buying upgrades (with cash or miles)
4. increased use of RJs (no more FC)
5. increased use of check-in kiosks (no real benefit to status for waiting in line for check-in)
6. increased risk of airline FF programs going out of business

I value my AAdvantage miles at 1.3 cents each; with other airline programs the figure is somewhat less. Finding mileage runs that generate miles at a cost less than that is possible, but very difficult, especially when you consider airport parking, hotel, etc. Since my MRs are limited to weekends, that makes it even more difficult. By the way, I can't understand people taking vacation time to do MRs! Unless you are taking a vacation, in which case it isn't a MR, that cost would need to be figured into your MR and would surely not make financial sense. In any case, if I am 1 or 2 trips short of reaching Platinum I may do a MR to hit that, but otherwise I won't bother collecting additional miles at a cost higher than I value the miles at.

Going back to the question of "what are miles worth to you" one has to consider the value of miles form one airline to the next.

For example, I am now firmly in the NW camp because I believe that their status miles, which give you (domestic) first class seating on any fare, are worth more than CO miles which do not. Also, I can upgrade to Europe for 40K roundtrip, which on CO would cost 50K, with no distinguishable difference in service (to me).

So when I started looking at miles seriously last year (yes, I'm a newbie - could you tell?) the above factors lead me to figure that I could live with as much as a nickel per status mile this year - while I build up to my first ever Platinum level. Once there, I'll figure it all differently given the 125% bonus.