How many miles do you actually earn?
 

In the past I have never utilized any method of mile accumulaton other than flying and using credit cards.

However, after reading Pudding Head's amazing story, I started rethinking my position. I'm not anywhere near as creative or energetic as Pudding Head, but am wondering, in the normal course of only mildy nutty mileage accumulation, how many mile per year do people get using random programs, i.e. "Click Reward", etc? Also, which programs do you use?

Other than miles earned on some United promotions in Mileage Plus (just started to build a warchest there in case I need to buy some upgrades in the future), I earn them the old fashioned way, I mostly fly them (250-350K+ air miles per year in all programs plus free tickets from airline frequent flyer promos) and get some from credit card purchases (50-100K per year) and a few from car rentals and other partners (10-15K per year). I really can't be bothered with a few hundred miles here or there from click rewards and the like (but then I used to tell my mother I didn't fly very often and I resisted joining a frequent flyer program for 10 years).

. . . but if we had the Healthy Choice promo here, I am sure I would have ordered several hundred cases of pudding! Mega promos always catch my eye.

[This message has been edited by BlondeBomber (edited 12-20-1999).]

PUnki, you have to do what works best for you (without letting mileage building become an obsession.)

The easier way is by flying, and if you are at leaat Premier Executive, then double miles. Nice chunk of miles.

Take advantage of a few bonuses here and there and that should be enough.

But don't get obsessed with the Healthy Choice promotion...

By my birthday, I will have earned:

*72,855 miles by flying
*Times that by 2, the Premier Exec bonus: over 150 thousand miles.
*about 10K on the Mileage Plus Visa
*Some bonuses here and there (the best, the CLick Rewards, 14K miles.

SO about 200K miles last year. Not bad, nothing to top the Healthy Choice people but I did not kill myself getting those miles.

*sigh*


BLAHZ!

Punki, I accumulated about 150,000 miles from MCI in the past year, about 200,000 miles from credit cards, and zero from flying.

[This message has been edited by Schutzee (edited 12-20-1999).]

My mileage accumulation this year breaks down approximately as follows:

MCI phone and internet promos: 37,000 miles
Healthy Choice promo: 27,000 miles
Flying: 26,000 miles (made Gold http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif)
MyPoints: 15,000 miles
Citibank Aadvantage VISA bonus: 10,000 miles
Flight bonuses: 8,000 miles
ClickRewards: 3,000 miles
Account Online bonus: 1000 miles
Credit card usage: 1000 miles (Just got my card)

Total: 128,000 miles (all on AA)
Not bad for my first year http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Schutzee: I still don't understand how one accumulates 200,000 miles in one year on credit cards. Did you buy a house using your credit card or something? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif Or perhaps 200 $1,000 travelers checks?

Darien-l This includes lots of business expenses (paid by my company) with some doubled by Click Citi useage. In addition, I charge every personal expense I can. This year I got 5000 points to renew my Amex, and 2000 miles from Diners, plus another 9,000 for Diners referrals.

[This message has been edited by Schutzee (edited 12-20-1999).]

P.S. Ok, I admit to 4000 points (including Click Citi bonus) from travelers checks, but don't tell Chase as I haven't received "the letter" !

I still get most of my miles the old fashoned way, by flying.

I have to admit that Pudding Head sets a new standard!

[This message has been edited by Old Gold (edited 12-20-1999).]

It is possible to rack up a lot of business expenses on credit cards. When we are doing wildlife surveys by helicopter at $900/hour, you can easily get a $5000-$10000 bill for a day or two's work.

I reported in another thread about a guy who runs a mailing house and got his meters filled at the post office using his credit card (several million miles a year--a rival for the pudding guy). We don't need to be elite to earn unlimited miles on credit cards here in Canada, but some cards do require it or there is an annual cap.

Of about 165,000 miles on CO this year, about 24,000 were flying. 50K were MCI. 13K were credit cards. Another 5K were partners (hotel, rental cars).

The remainder was mostly "playing the game" for ticket purchase timing. For example, 4,000 first-time bonus. I probably got about 20,000 when CO was running the 3000 Amex bonus + 1000 online bonus.


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"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

I just reviewed my mileageplus it was 97,000 miles flown, 267,000 miles earned fromUnited Flying (bonuses, Web bookings, double miles, etc), very small amount on Rental Car companies. Credit Card companies.. hmmm AMEX about 18,000 and Diners about 36,000 miles(72,000 pts). But I did the Delta transfer this year so.. 100,000 pts = 100,000 miles http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Flying, airline and hotel bonuses. Don't even own an affinity credit card! Can you believe it!?

And not a single Healthy Choice pudding either Premex? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif