Maximum Mileage-Direct or Indirect flights!
Sep 15, 2000 | 5:46 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: WILD ANIMAL PARK (SAN), CA> GOLD-CO, MARRIOTT, HH, STARWOOD, HYATT,
Posts: 1,373
Maximum Mileage-Direct or Indirect flights!
I need 11,000 miles for the next Elite level and would like to do it in two trips from SAN to the East Coast (NJ, NY, Maine, and Montreal) on NW and/or CO. The most direct routes will yield about 2450 miles one way. (4900 r/t). A few miles short. I need about 5500 miles per R/T.
Is there a way of booking a Higher mileage trip to the same destinations? For instance, adding SAN-LAX for 500 miles, then connecting to Newark or Montreal. Perhaps some extra miles from a trip to Maine would help.
EXample:
SAN-CLE-YUL = 2526 miles.
Thanks for any ideas.
Is there a way of booking a Higher mileage trip to the same destinations? For instance, adding SAN-LAX for 500 miles, then connecting to Newark or Montreal. Perhaps some extra miles from a trip to Maine would help.
EXample:
SAN-CLE-YUL = 2526 miles.
Thanks for any ideas.
Sep 15, 2000 | 9:00 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,218
Have you thought about doing a transatlantic trip from SAN to CDG/BRU/AMS? I did SFO-EWR-CDG-EWR-IAH-AUS-IAH-SFO earlier this year on CO for about $450 and netted more than 12000 miles (if I recall). It's a long trip, you'll be jetlagged for a few days and probably won't enjoy Europe very much, but it got me to Silver by February...
Sep 15, 2000 | 9:16 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: (SNA) Orange County, California USA
Posts: 3,641
SAN-FLL (via EWR)
It's a valid routing on CO. The fare (Fare Basis Code: VE14BSNX) is currently $298 with 14 days advance purchase and a Saturday night stay. Leaving prior to midnight on a Saturday will meet the that requirement, even if you return immediately.
SAN-EWR 2,425 miles
EWR-FLL 1,092 miles
FLL-EWR 1,092 miles
EWR-SAN 2,425 miles
Total 7,034 miles
Many times bonus or promo miles do not count toward elite status. Be sure to read the fine print. Good luck!
It's a valid routing on CO. The fare (Fare Basis Code: VE14BSNX) is currently $298 with 14 days advance purchase and a Saturday night stay. Leaving prior to midnight on a Saturday will meet the that requirement, even if you return immediately.
SAN-EWR 2,425 miles
EWR-FLL 1,092 miles
FLL-EWR 1,092 miles
EWR-SAN 2,425 miles
Total 7,034 miles
Many times bonus or promo miles do not count toward elite status. Be sure to read the fine print. Good luck!
Sep 16, 2000 | 9:03 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Massachusetts, USA; AA 2.996MM & Plat Pro, DL 1MM, GM & Flying Colonel
Posts: 25,036
I've found airline reservation desks (mostly the AA Platinum desk in my case) quite helpful on this sort of thing, contrary to what one might expect. You might try calling NW and CO to see what they suggest. (I'm borderline for making EXP this year. Every little bit helps.)
Sep 20, 2000 | 1:38 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: WILD ANIMAL PARK (SAN), CA> GOLD-CO, MARRIOTT, HH, STARWOOD, HYATT,
Posts: 1,373
MrLimo, Thanks for the flight INFO. Will book the SAN-EWR-FLL-EWR-SAN on Senior coupons. Around $275.-- cost. That should keep me Gold till 2/02. Got upgraded to Gold today till 2/01.
You can read about this weekend's last minute mileage run for live lobster elsewhere. Don't want to repeat it for fear of the board police claim spamming or something like that. Anyway, it was a high and made the return flight on NW codeshare more bearable and meaningful.
[This message has been edited by ROADRUNNER (edited 09-20-2000).]
[This message has been edited by ROADRUNNER (edited 09-20-2000).]
You can read about this weekend's last minute mileage run for live lobster elsewhere. Don't want to repeat it for fear of the board police claim spamming or something like that. Anyway, it was a high and made the return flight on NW codeshare more bearable and meaningful.
[This message has been edited by ROADRUNNER (edited 09-20-2000).]
[This message has been edited by ROADRUNNER (edited 09-20-2000).]
Sep 20, 2000 | 1:18 pm
#8
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: (SNA) Orange County, California USA
Posts: 3,641
Congratulations ROADRUNNER on your Gold status! I enjoyed your trip report and wish I could try some of that sumptuous Live Maine Lobster this evening. And, of course earn all those miles doing it. 
FlyerTalk Trip Reports
Last Minute Milage Run and 'LIVE' LOBSTER!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/001222.html
[This message has been edited by MRLIMO (edited 09-20-2000).]
FlyerTalk Trip Reports
Last Minute Milage Run and 'LIVE' LOBSTER!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/001222.html
[This message has been edited by MRLIMO (edited 09-20-2000).]
Sep 23, 2000 | 2:26 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Arizona
Programs: MSP raised, Elite since age 17
Posts: 4,723
A few tips I find helpful for planning mileage runs:
To maximize mileage, I usually opt to look for short, short flights for the 500 min. mileage, and I opt for more out-of-the-way connections instead of multiple stops-- consider SAN-EWR-FLL-TPA on CO and don't bother with IAH or CLE-- that's about the max mileage you can get on a double connection within rules of the routing. WR is the out-of-the-way single connection, and the FLL-TPA is a short add-on 500. CLE and IAH, since they are semi-on the way, don't add as much mileage as the single EWR does.
Example: flying NW and CO SAN-MSP-DTW-EWR is only marginally longer than going nonstop, but the connections add a few hours of down time. By the same token, flying to the coast may not give you as many miles as flying back inland: SAN-EWR-PIT is longer than SAN-CLE-EWR. In my case, I can earn over 2600 miles on a SFO-IAH-MSP single connection-- that's more mileage than a SAN-CLE-EWR, and my destination is only half way across the country.
Also, be careful that your routing is allowed on the lower fares. NW would happily sellme a ticket MSP-MEM-DTW, but if they break the fare in Memphis, then I'm losing out overall. The SAN-EWR-FLL is a valid routing that does offer lots of miles.
Make the most out of flaws in the airlines' route network. Say Northwest offers Labor Day fares of $118 RT between cities less than 500 miles apart. I call Northwest looking for the most direct flights they offer from Cedar Rapids, IA to Little Rock, AR. CID is only served by the MSP hub; LIT is only served from MEM. So, the "most direct" connection is CID-MSP-MEM-LIT-- 6 segments RT for $118, and you don't have to struggle for that routing since it's their most direct-- and they won't want to send you to TWA.
My favorite simple super-mileage trip was MSP-Winnipeg Canada over Memorial Day a few years back. Nonstop distance is like 400 miles, and when NW put it on sale for $88 round trip, other airlines matched. What did I do: I made a single call to Air Canada.
I earned triple Continental miles for the about 750 mile MSP-Toronto nonstop, then about 1000 miles for Toronto-Winnipeg, on top of my 100% elite bonus. Total earned mileage was 10,000 miles on a single connection to a city 400 miles away. Sure, the international taxes doubled the fare 
but it was still good overall. The trip didn't help too much toward elite, but miles-for-dollars, it was good. And easy!
I should say that these tips are generally for people going for elite by mileage, and not by segments.
[This message has been edited by Viajero Joven (edited 09-23-2000).]
To maximize mileage, I usually opt to look for short, short flights for the 500 min. mileage, and I opt for more out-of-the-way connections instead of multiple stops-- consider SAN-EWR-FLL-TPA on CO and don't bother with IAH or CLE-- that's about the max mileage you can get on a double connection within rules of the routing. WR is the out-of-the-way single connection, and the FLL-TPA is a short add-on 500. CLE and IAH, since they are semi-on the way, don't add as much mileage as the single EWR does.
Example: flying NW and CO SAN-MSP-DTW-EWR is only marginally longer than going nonstop, but the connections add a few hours of down time. By the same token, flying to the coast may not give you as many miles as flying back inland: SAN-EWR-PIT is longer than SAN-CLE-EWR. In my case, I can earn over 2600 miles on a SFO-IAH-MSP single connection-- that's more mileage than a SAN-CLE-EWR, and my destination is only half way across the country.
Also, be careful that your routing is allowed on the lower fares. NW would happily sellme a ticket MSP-MEM-DTW, but if they break the fare in Memphis, then I'm losing out overall. The SAN-EWR-FLL is a valid routing that does offer lots of miles.
Make the most out of flaws in the airlines' route network. Say Northwest offers Labor Day fares of $118 RT between cities less than 500 miles apart. I call Northwest looking for the most direct flights they offer from Cedar Rapids, IA to Little Rock, AR. CID is only served by the MSP hub; LIT is only served from MEM. So, the "most direct" connection is CID-MSP-MEM-LIT-- 6 segments RT for $118, and you don't have to struggle for that routing since it's their most direct-- and they won't want to send you to TWA.
My favorite simple super-mileage trip was MSP-Winnipeg Canada over Memorial Day a few years back. Nonstop distance is like 400 miles, and when NW put it on sale for $88 round trip, other airlines matched. What did I do: I made a single call to Air Canada.
I earned triple Continental miles for the about 750 mile MSP-Toronto nonstop, then about 1000 miles for Toronto-Winnipeg, on top of my 100% elite bonus. Total earned mileage was 10,000 miles on a single connection to a city 400 miles away. Sure, the international taxes doubled the fare but it was still good overall. The trip didn't help too much toward elite, but miles-for-dollars, it was good. And easy!I should say that these tips are generally for people going for elite by mileage, and not by segments.
[This message has been edited by Viajero Joven (edited 09-23-2000).]