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

My 250,000 USAirways miles earned this year, my first year as a frequent flyer break down into:

40,000 actual flight miles
40,000 status miles due to roundup to 500
80,000 bonus miles due to status (Preferred, Preferred Plus, Chr Pref, and First Class bonuses)
40,000 bonus miles from booking online
40,000 bonus miles from USAirways Dividend Miles Visa
10,000 bonus miles from other US promotions

I would have had at least another 100,000 miles from my Diners Club if I could get points for my purchases, but that is verboten <growl>

I prolly do about half of my miles from flying and flying-related bonuses. About 15-20% from credit card, maybe 10% from MCI... and then the rest from hotel/car bonuses and other misc. stuff.

OK, this will give you something to think about. If you are "average" (I know, that's a stretch for any FlyerTalker to consider being), approximately 43% of your miles will come from non-flight related partners; 16% will come from bonuses, including elite bonuses and the final 41% will come from actual flight miles. Hope this helps you all figure out how "average" you are. Enjoy.

This comes from actual program research.

I flew about 6,000 paid miles on DL this year. Plus 1 segment on Southwest. My mileage accumulation for the year (approximate):
60,000 on DL
45,000 on UA
40,000 on BA
80,000 on AA
Plus smaller amounts on other carriers.

I earn mostly through charging and phone switches, though I do some other promos too.

Randy:
In your example above you mentioned that 41% comes from flight miles, yet only 16 % from bonuses. i assume that this is overalll for all programs. For elite flyers, like most people on flyertalk, wouldn't one expect that the bonus percentage would be closer to the flight miles, give 100 % bonus for mid- level elites. Are there any figures for elites only? I seem to remember a response to a letter(mine) in the magazine that stated that for every mile flown, someone who really works the system should accumulate 2.7 miles in his/her aco..... Does this still hold? Thanks.

I was no status for 6 months, Premier for 5 months and PremEx for that last month on United. My airmiles were all UA except for one AC flight.

Flight miles: 56000
Bonus miles: 30000
Hotel: 3000
Car: 600
Other: 75000

There's another 36000 Diners Club points, which I think of as 18000 miles, but could use for hotel points, if necessary.

I haven't completely broken down the Other miles, but I see from a quick glance that the bulk of the miles come from the Visa cards and Mileage Plus Dining.

Marie and I like to eat out, and there are several good places on their list in Denver. Of course, my affinity Visa is the registered card with MP Dining.

Next year I'll be PremEx for the whole year so the bonus miles will be higher. Since this is my first full year as an FF, the Other category and DC Points both have signon bonuses in them that won't reoccur next year.

I should have clarified that mileage rundown post earlier... THAT'S *JUST* FOR THE MILES I'VE EARNED WITH MY WONDERFUL AIRLINE UNITED!!!

There are tens of thousands of other miles I have earned through the credit cards and hotels and bonuses...

Diner's Club for example. thanks to my BRUDDAR WANDERLUST who signed me up I should have enough for a free ticket in under a year.. and those BONUSES!! YAHOO!!!



[This message has been edited by Catman (edited 12-22-1999).]

I like to think that I earn ALL of my miles. I do not know why ClickRewards would be any more "nutty" or "random" than credit card or even flight mileage. Randy had a good article on this once - the name escapes me, maybe "old money vs. new money" - a must read article, maybe Randy can provide the name/month of the article.

I usually do not get airlines miles from hotel/car programs - with the exception of the Hilton double dip, and occasional car rentals where only airline miles are given. I do keep very good records, but mainly to make sure that I get my points - maybe someday when I have time I can analyze my records. Of the top of my head I think that my non-air percentage is lower than what Randy lists and my airline bonuses are higher, but this will change when I fly less. My new year resolution is not to be an elite!

[This message has been edited by PG (edited 12-22-1999).]

PG,
Hey I appreciate that.. I would settle for low-level elite http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif LOL! So I can still preboard and use the miles..LOL!

But it looks like 1K for a couple more years http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

PG, By "only mildly nutty", I meant normal in FlyerTalk terms, as to opposed to something really outlandish, like buying seventy bjillion cups of pudding. And believe me, I am sure PuddingHead worked way harder running around accomplishing his remarkable scheme, than I ever worked sitting in first class sipping wine or signing VISA bill checks for stuff I had to buy anyway.

My initial statement that "I have never utilized any method...other than flying (and flying bonuses)...credit cards" was not totally accurate anyway. What I meant was that the only avenues of mileage accumulation I actively pursue and track are flying and credit card miles. In the normal course of living, I do from time to time accrue other (what I call random) miles from Hilton stays, online booking bonuses, kiosk checkin bonuses, sign-up-your friends bonuses, sign-up-yourself bonuses (Silver Wings, new credit cards, etc.), buy a heavenly bed mattress bonus, etc.,etc.,etc.

It is all a matter of perspective. I am sure that for some people flying is a lot more random than the pursuit of pudding. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

For me, even though I fly at least twice a week, my business is such that it causes me to accumulate some pretty huge credit card charges on a fairly regular basis, so I end up with a lot more credit card miles that flight miles.

[This message has been edited by Punki (edited 12-22-1999).]

with UA's MIleage Plus[*]UNITED +123'311 (includes class and status bonus) [*]Star Alliance 127'193 [*]All Airline 127'193 [*]All Hotel +9'753 [*]All Car +721 [*]Vouchers +15'000 (Catman and pgupta)[*]Other -229'950 (PLUS = flight-promotions, inqueries, duty-free-on-board and MINUS = many upgrades bus to int. first http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif with miles for UA and LH-longhaule-flights on 3 rtw trips in 99)

with LH's miles&more[*]LH Status Miles +163'718 (includes all *A-partners and many 100% or 200% class-bonus)[*]LH flight-promotion-miles +120'000 (flight promotions, the best on was the *A promo: fly NN receive NN in jan-99 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif )[*]LH online bonus +5'000[*]Hotels +9'000[*]Upgrade awards - 250'000 (Gisela and I bus to first upgrades http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif on int. longhaule LH-flights on 3 rtw trips in 99)

with SR's Qualiflyer[*]Qualiflyerflights (SR+AOM) +3'798[*]Diners-Club +52'264[*]Hotels +2'500[*]duty-free shoping (ZRH) +285[*]Upgrade-awards -35'000 (for future ZRH-BKK flight)

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 12-24-1999).]

Boy, I had no idea so many of you actually chased so many miles through various affinity promotions! 344,000+ all from flying, web bonuses and a very small amount from hotels (maybe 5000-7000). Another 50,000 miles with other FF programs all flying. The Healthy Choice pudding bit was extreme, but spending $3,200 for 1.25 million miles is not a bad deal either!

I think Rudi has to take the prize for qualifying for the highest status levels with the least amount of flying and the most amount of fun. Truly an elegant and well thought out approach (what else would we expect from the Swiss). http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

PremEx - If you really don't have an affinity card, you really should consider Diners Club. Almost literally pays for itself. Please allow me to send you an app (and get the referral bonus). E-mail me if interested.

Wow I earned over 227K miles this year! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif And it doesn't count about 12K points(miles) I earned with AmEx Starwood card.

UA
* UA - 2,7118 status & 1,7796 bonus miles
* Hotel - 1,000 miles
* Car - 3,900 miles
* ClickRewards - 17,500 miles
* MCI - 8,065 miles
* HC - 3,000 miles
* misc - 2,750 miles
Total - 81,129 miles

AA
* AA - 4,576 status & 7,076 bonus miles
* Hotel - 2,030 miles
* Car - 250 miles
* Credit Card - 6,180 miles
* MCI - 22,875 miles
* misc - 3,346
* MyPoints - 10,000 miles
Total - 56,333 miles

CO
* CO - 5,381 status & 4000 bonus miles
* MCI - 16,235 miles
* misc 15,500 miles
Total - 41,116 miles

DL
* Car - 100 miles
* Credit Card - 2,0928 miles
* ClickRewards - 2,500 miles
Total - 23,528 miles

NW
* Sprint - 10,345 miles
Total - 10,345 miles

To Be Transferred
* ClickRewards - 8,521 miles
* MyPoinst - 10,000 points/miles (to AA)

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Dan
"It is not doing the things we like to do, but liking the things we have to do, that makes life blessed." - Goethe


[This message has been edited by dilbert (edited 12-24-1999).]