SURVEY: Elite Qualification on MILES or SEGMENTS
 

I am curious how many members generally qualify as elite status based upon miles v. segments, and what the average mileage per segment flown is.

Personally, I qualify on segments in three programs, with an average of 720 miles per segment. I am on the East coast of USA, and my guess is that those of us on the east have a lower mileage per segment average than our west coast, midwest, European and Asian members.

SO, tell us:

1) Do you qualify on miles or segments ?
2) What region do you live in (East, Midwest, West, Europe, Asia, Mideast/Africa)
3) What is your average mileage per segment ?

Flying from Britain, either/or. I do my transatlantic flying on Delta, mostly LGW-ATL which is 4223 miles. For silver, it takes 25k or 5 Transatlantic segments (21115 miles) and I usually fly a short US domestic leg associated with each TA. For gold, it is 50k or 10 Transoceanic segments. Average per DL segment is therefore about 2500. When you throw in a fair number of short haul European flights (often) on BA because my boss prefers it, I average about 1500 miles per flight.

[This message has been edited by james (edited 10-16-1999).]

I've been an elite with DL for a number of years. I'm almost certain that I've done it using the mileage requirement of either 25,000 or 50,000 miles in a calendar year. Like James, I do a lot of transatlantic travel and supplement it with trips to Asia and domestic travel. So, it's quite possible that in some years, I've qualified in both ways by flying the mileage requirement and flying 5 or 10 intercontinental segments in a year.

[*]Elite qualification with miles[*]West coast (Southern California) USA[*]1,750 Average miles per segment

In the past I have qualified on miles (the international trips help).

Recently segments helped me. In 1997 I flew 108 segments (75K flight miles, actual flight miles being even less because of the 500 minimum miles per segment) on United, qualifying for 1K for 1997 (part of the year) through Feb 1999. In 1998 and 1999 I will qualify for PE on United on either basis (>50K flight miles, >60 segments). I live in US. Average miles per segment this year is about 850.

I'll just use the same order as MRLIMO

• Elite qualification with segments
• Midsouth (Central Arkansas) USA
• 600 Average miles per segment http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I'm in the NYC area. I fly mostly on pleasure and mostly to maximize miles. I go to Europe several times in Jan-Mar when fares are cheap. If I need miles during the year I look for cheap EWR-IAH-SEA and return. My average segment is about 2000 miles and I ALWAYS qualify by mileage.

1) By year end, I'll have flown about 140,000 miles on United on 101 segments. So both. But usually I qualify on miles.
2) I live in the Eastern US, I guess.
3) Average actual flight mileage (no minimums) per segment this year to date: 1165.2. (Yes, the rest of my planned trips this year are all long haul international trips. That is why by year end this number should be closer to 1400.) Since I began recordkeeping (1995): 1488.65.

I'm on the east coast. My average segment is about 1250 miles. So I typically qualify on miles not segments.

USAirways Chairman's Preferred on segments.
I live on the edge of the midwest.
Most of my flights (85%+) range from 60 miles (yikes) - 330 miles -- so I normally get the 500 mile minimum. However, I've flown cross country twice and to Paris once, and several trips down South around 1000 miles.. so overall my average is probably also around 600 miles.

I'm in Las Vegas and primarily fly UA, so lot's of connections. Have been 1K last 4 yrs always qualifying with segments first; but have gone over 100,000 miles each yr as well. This yr I'll have about 180 segments on UA with 120,000 miles, so about 667 miles per flight.

For what it is worth, for NZ gold elite.

1. elite qualification with miles/km (segments only count for F/J or domestic)
2. CHC (NZ) (suppose asia/pacific will do!)
3. 1998/99 2003km per segment, this will rise to 3500km per segment for 1999/2000. (These values include F/J bonuses).

Mark

West Coast
DL Gold=miles
Avg. 1,167/segment

1. Qualify on segments (UA Premex) 63 so far
this year.
2. East Coast out of BWI predominantly on UA
3. Avg segment (without elite bonuses) length
550 miles

Miles
West Coast
avg. segment length 3,000 miles (I tend to have an equal mix of 5,000+ mile segments and <1000 mile segments)