Funny Stories from Mileage Runs
 

I don't read the "Mileage Run" forum very often, but I happened to look at it this morning. I came across a great thread started by UpgradeMe called "But Sir, There's a Non-Stop Flight Available" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...ML/000310.html and thought the topic deserved to be broadened a bit and posted somewhere a little more prominent.

I first heard of the idea of a mileage run on one of the first occasions I hooked up with a fellow FlyerTalker, who said he had just flown from San Jose to Pittsburgh via Munich, because it was less expensive than the full fare he otherwise would have had to buy and because of the miles. I know the look on my face must have said "you're completely insane.") It took me a couple of years to process that idea - flirted with doing a LatinPass run - but I finally completed my first mileage run this week, which was basically a trip from SFO to Austin to visit good friends, with a couple of stops in London along the way. (The full itinerary was two nested round trips: SFO-IAH-LGW-IAH-SFO and LGW-IAH-AUS-IAH-LGW.) Now all my friends and family think I'm totally nuts. (So don't worry - I won't be one of the ones leaving FlyerTalk any time soon - I need to have a place where people understand craziness like this!)

Here's my story:

Security was pretty tight at check in on my first LGW-IAH segment. There were special agents at Gatwick to ask the security questions, and they ask them before they let you check in with ticketing.

I walked up to the security officer, a chap of around 60 who came across as very distinguished and slightly intimidating in that way that only the English seem to be able to pull off. He gave me the once over and very seriously, asked the first question. "So how long have you been in the UK?" With an equally serious look on my face, I told him, "5 hours."

I have never seen a look of surprise quite like that one. His jaw nearly unhinged and dropped to the floor. It was as though this not-to-be-intinidated security guy shrank about a foot in stature and was totally confused. He turned away from me and ran up to the ticketing agent, obviously asking her what was to be done about this. In the course of his questioning, he went back to the poor ticketing agent 5 times. Finally, defeated, he let me check in.

It felt sort of like I had made one of the soldiers at the changing of the guard lose it.

I've posted this in the past, but it needs to be ressurected...

Segment run LAX-YVR. Time on ground: 4 hours. Customs at YVR had no idea why I would be going to Canada and back in one day:
1) visiting no friends
2) with no business
3) because "I like to fly"

I was detained in customs for over an hour. Almost strip searched. They found a piece of paper containing lots of names with arrows. I'm sure they through it was drug related.

You should have seen their faces when I told them it was a famikly tree in preparation for a funeral I would officiate at the following day!

Rabbi Zach Shapiro

(This was posted elsewhere last summer, but fits this thread perfectly.)

I was in Perth last year to pick up continent #6 for the oneWorld 100,000-miles promo. Total time on the ground: two and a half hours.

The passport control officer on entry noticed that the answers on my entry form were a bit non-standard. Address in Australia? "none," and so on. He asked what what going on. I explained. He figured I may be insane but probably didn't pose a security threat, so he let me in.

About an hour later I went through the other way. The same officer saw me from the far end of the very large hall. He stood up, waved a newspaper in the air to attract my attention, and shouted across the room "Come on over here, so you don't have to explain it to someone else all over again!"

I cannot imagine a passport control officer in any other country doing that. Only in Australia!

I throughly understand the Gatwick treatment. My first trip there was about six weeks ago. I am currently at the internet cafe in Gatwick on my third trip for the EUR00 bonus. Gotta love this stuff. I now stay over at the Hilton then fly back the next day. Its alot easier for me.

The first run though I was here for 4 hours and when I tried to use flight conections the security guy looked at me like I was crazy and wouldn't let me through because I was on an e-ticket and said that I needed to go through customs and checkin at the gate. So on to customs I went. This was my first international flight by the way. At customs the officer was a nice young lady and she ask "how long will you be in the UK?" I replied, "about 4 or 5 hours". She said "that's an awlfy long way to come for 5 hours" I said "crazy isn't it".

Next came the security area in front of checkin. My guy was young and keep asking questions about my luggage and what's in it. How old it was and how long I had been here. Finally let me checkin. Back to departures to find the Admirals Club which took me a half hour to find. Sat there tired and thinking maybe I am crazy!

Everything worked out. Now I just spend one night here. Nobody ask much of anything and I get a good nights sleep before I go back. Real funny when I look back at it. Worth it though.

Stop ... you're killing me! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif RAOTFLMAO

We really must have dim sum soon ... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

(Moving travel-related threads forward to "just get on with life.")