Secret Mileage Schemes!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jul 11, 2000 | 4:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: East Orange, NJ
Posts: 326
Secret Mileage Schemes!!!!!!!!!!!!
It has dawned on me that while we share our mileage getting tips, there are probably many of us here on this forum that are leaving out our best strategies for fear that the hoardes of imitators will ruin the perfect plan....So will anybody admit to this!??!?!?
You don't have to tell us the plan, athough we wouldn't mind a few hints
------------------
Via con Dios!
You don't have to tell us the plan, athough we wouldn't mind a few hints
------------------
Via con Dios!
Jul 11, 2000 | 5:15 pm
#2
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: St Petersburg, FL, USA
Posts: 2,275
Sure, I'll throw down with a personal favorite, a loophole that hasn't been closed.
If you 1. have to make a connecting flight on Southwest, and 2. will not be checking baggage, you can book your roundtrip online as two open-jaw roundtrips.
For example, Chicago-Little Rock-Tulsa-Little Rock-Chicago would become 1. Chicago-Little Rock-Tulsa and 2. Tulsa-Little Rock-Chicago.
Advantages:
- 8 RR credits for your trip (instead of 4), getting you halfway to a freebie
- on some routes, it may be cheaper
Disadvantages:
- on most routes, it costs more, but sometimes only by a few bucks (do the math!)
- checking baggage/missed connections become a nightmare
I've got more...
If you 1. have to make a connecting flight on Southwest, and 2. will not be checking baggage, you can book your roundtrip online as two open-jaw roundtrips.
For example, Chicago-Little Rock-Tulsa-Little Rock-Chicago would become 1. Chicago-Little Rock-Tulsa and 2. Tulsa-Little Rock-Chicago.
Advantages:
- 8 RR credits for your trip (instead of 4), getting you halfway to a freebie
- on some routes, it may be cheaper
Disadvantages:
- on most routes, it costs more, but sometimes only by a few bucks (do the math!)
- checking baggage/missed connections become a nightmare
I've got more...
Jul 11, 2000 | 5:52 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA Plat 2MM. DL Plat, AS MVP
Posts: 12,914
If your flight stops with no change of plane, ask the agent to book it as a connection with two seat assigments. It will cost the same, you get an extra segment, and you will get the mileage for each segment rather than origin to destination.
Jul 11, 2000 | 5:59 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA Plat 2MM. DL Plat, AS MVP
Posts: 12,914
If your flight has en enroute stop, ask the agent (or do it manually online) to book the flight as a connection (with two seat assignments). You will get two segments rather than one. And you will get the full mileage for each segment, rather than jsut origin to destination.
Additionally, the price is often less. i just checked SNA-LGA on the UA website. The routing with direct flights was about $612. THe exact same flights booked as a connection was $460.
Additionally, the price is often less. i just checked SNA-LGA on the UA website. The routing with direct flights was about $612. THe exact same flights booked as a connection was $460.
Jul 11, 2000 | 9:48 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA Plat 2MM. DL Plat, AS MVP
Posts: 12,914
On the AA.com reservation, just plan your trip as a multi-destination. Rather than flying from SNA to LGA, type in: SNA-ORD, ORD-LGA. It will come up with flights for each segment, perhaps including two segments with the same flight number. (I am not sure offhand of AA's schedules).
The reason the fare might be lower is because the direct fare from SNA to LGA may calculate differently than the fare from SNA to ORD to LGA.
The reason the fare might be lower is because the direct fare from SNA to LGA may calculate differently than the fare from SNA to ORD to LGA.
Jul 12, 2000 | 10:02 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2000
Programs: UA 1PMM,AAG; usedtobeelite
Posts: 2,500
Using the multicity option on UNITED.COM rarely gets me the same lowest fare that the start point to end point does, even with watching the fare codes closely. When it does, I've put in a whole lot of trial and error effort. Any secrets/techniques?
Jul 12, 2000 | 11:07 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 76
zrs70 - I see your point about getting the extra segment by reserving each leg as an individual flight, but mileage-wise it will be the same unless a segment is less than 500 miles, which is the minimum AA gives.
Mileage wise - One may be able to reserve on line using AA.com but I know over the phone the agents can not get two different seat assignments on the same one reservation when the flights both have the same flight number. The computer system will not let them end the reservation until both flight segments are merged in to one segment showing the same flight number. Hmmm.
Mileage wise - One may be able to reserve on line using AA.com but I know over the phone the agents can not get two different seat assignments on the same one reservation when the flights both have the same flight number. The computer system will not let them end the reservation until both flight segments are merged in to one segment showing the same flight number. Hmmm.
Jul 12, 2000 | 11:56 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA Plat 2MM. DL Plat, AS MVP
Posts: 12,914
First, the mileage almost always will be greater. For example, a direct SNA-LGA is 2433. The connection through ORD would be :1725 + 733 = 2458 (not much more in this case). But there are other "direct" flight that do yield more miles.
About AA's system not allowing it... does it work online? I know UA's does.
About AA's system not allowing it... does it work online? I know UA's does.