Polar Bear

I am dreaming an ultimate mileage run challenge. If I have time and money, I would like to try my idea once or twice this life. I am posting my idea here and am hoping my fellow mileage runners would help me better shaping up the idea.

My ultimate mileages run "100 days, 100 grand, 1MM mile runner on One airline"

Rules:
1) Budget: USD$100K-
(All expense included. e.g. air fare, logging, meals, transportation etc.)
2) Time frame: 100 consecutive days.
3) Goal: Collect 1MM BIS miles on one airline
4) The MR itinerary must travel around the world at least 20 times.
(20 round the ticket would do the trick)
5) The MR itinerary must visit every continent at least once (other then Antarctica)
6) The MR itinerary must include at least one Pacific island and one Caribbean Island.

I am wondering if this idea is doable. Is there one airline serving everywhere? Will the money and time be enough? If the money and time are enough, will $50K and 50 days be enough for 1MM miles? If I can do it, it will be a lot of fun.

Kiwi Flyer

My guess is this would be unlikely to be achievable. 1,000,000 flown miles in 100 days equals 10,000 flown miles a day at an average speed of 417 miles per hour. That isn't easy and likely impossible, even ignoring the need for a margin for schedule changes, delays, or other disruptions. An average speed of 417 miles per hour, including time spent on the ground, leaves very little time for connections, so in practice would require a very simple itinerary (just a few long flights) over and over. That kind of itinerary fails some of your requirements.

For example, AKL-LAX-LHR is over 11,000 miles and takes more than 24 hours. Average speed including transit time at LAX is just about the required rate, but that does not factor in transit time before AKL or after LHR. AKL-LAX-LHR is on a same a/c through flight on Air NZ, with a minimal connection time in LAX. The time to transfer to the next flight will push you below the required average speed.

Nebsterco

Yeah, the laws of physics are going to conspire against you, even if you never misconnected or encountered other irrops. I would say your best bet would be to extend your time window. Then you could look at the next-hardest item on your list of criteria (probably the $.01cpm).

berlinflyer

You won't be able to do RTW tickets which are just on one airline.....

Good idea, poor preperation

mbreuer

Would you count EQM vs. BIS? It *might* be possible to pull this off if booking fares that yield 150% eqm. Using RTW this way for business class would run about 2x your cost limit, but be possible vis-a-vis the laws of physics (if not routings). You'd only need an average of 6,667 mi/day - which can be done.

skunker

Agreed, BIS would be impossible but EQM would be doable. You would just need elite status for bonus and purchase J or F tickets. You couldn't do it on one airline but you could credit it to one airline, thereby getting your 1M EQM. Finding the right ticket is the hard part.

EDIT: Sorry I got RDM and EQM confused for a second. 1M EQM would be tough, too. Do airlines give bonus EQM for J or F? AA does not.

777-DCA

Substitute "1 million miles" with something more doable - say, 200k miles - and take out rule 4, I would say it's doable.

I don't know of one airline that visits "everywhere." Perhaps British Airways or United Airlines.

As for my dream mileage run: on AA, international, member of the AC, at least 100k to get EXP within 2-3 months. Then absolutely do it again soon as EXP for the free upgrades!

777-DCA

UA, CO, DL. AA gives 1.5 EQP for J and F fares.

benzguy80

AA does award more points for J and F, as well as full fare Y. You're right about EQM, though.

TRAVELSIG

Lufthansa/Swiss/Austrian would be a good bet in F class as you get 300% M&M miles plus bonus. The problem would be round the world- does this have to be? If so not possible. However as these three airlines are "integrated partners" you would be earning the HON circle miles. So- taking this into consideration, and given the elite bonus of 25%, if you did ultra longhaul (like FRA-EZE and SIN-FRA) you would need-
FRA/EZE Apox 23K per leg- so "only" 50 legs- easy in 100 day- but the cost would be more likely closer to 250K. Surely someone will figure out a better option. The problem with RTW is how to do it with one carrier- perhaps through SQ- as you could fly SIN-FRA-JFK-EWR-SIN? The cost might be a bit much however....

skunker

But EQP doesn't do you any good. Try to book an award ticket with EQP. EQM is based upon BIS mileage. Lifetime status for AA is based on RDM. I think others only allow BIS miles to count.

777-DCA

I know, and actually AA does provide a mileage bonus for business and first class purchases.

sbm12

Does the 1MM BIS need to be on an airline or in a program? Is it for MM status or just because? If you are going for MM status, the CO approach of basing it on EQMs would serve you well, as would their bonus levels for premium cabin purchases, though all the other problems would remain.

skunker

The bonus is for RDM not EQM. I said that before.

mbreuer

CO's mm program is based on EQM (I think).