Need cheap MR out of SDF
 

Greetings -

I need a cheap MR or two out of SDF on NW/CO to reach gold status in the next couple of months - I would like to have it for the 100% mileage bonus plus better upgrading. I am about 10,040 miles short of Gold right now with Elite Qualifying Miles. I only have 7 Elite Qualifying Segments this year, so I would need to do this on elite qualifying miles.

Anyone have any suggestions? Looking to do it as cheap as possible... (spent lots o' money with NW already this year on a few last minute high dollar short hauls!)

I'd like to stay domestic (or Canada) on these and do it with quick turn-arounds (i.e. a day or night at my destination at most). Asia sounds tempting, but I don't have the time right now (I understand one must spend 6 days & the fares would be higher from SDF vs LAX/SFO). I'd like to do these over a weekend (i.e depart Sat / return Sun).

I have a couple of small trips coming up which will snag me a few thousand miles (SDF-EWR & back on CO), SDF-MEM-TPA and return on NW... but other than that, I'd like to hit gold before the end of August so that I have access to better benefits (companion upgrades, ahead of silvers, and the 100% bonus) for my fall travel.

I will have some overseas long-hauls (plus an HNL) this fall which would snag me some mega-miles with the 100% bonus, which is what I'm mostly interested in (along with companion upgrades).

Any ideas? I've never done a "true" MR run before (flying just for miles) other than an SDF-CVG r/t on Comair once to go DL Gold several years ago (sadly, the fare I used didn't qualify and I felt like a fool!).

I enjoy flying, aviation photography, and a/c spotting, so I'd be quite content hopping around to a few cities just for the heck of it to get the needed EQMs.

Best,

SDF_Traveler

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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

One of the best places anywhere to get information is the Mileage Run Forum
Begin with reading the Mileage Runs...A Primer! thread first as everything you need to know on putting together a mileage run is there except a CRS.
I make it a point to check the Mileage Run Forum almost every time I log on to FT as fares constantly change and the posters to mileage run seem to know about it before anyone else.

[This message has been edited by magic111 (edited 06-22-2003).]

Just visit nwa.com and look up trips on the weekends that you are free. Sometimes, Las Vegas, Orlando, or Fort Lauderdale are cheap. Also see where Southwest flies from Louisville and check the NW fare on that route. For example, I think WN flies SDF-STL and STL-MCI (Kansas City). So check NW SDF to MCI.

SDF has cheap fares compared to many cities like Albany and Rochester, NY and Jackson, MS or Montgomery, AL.

Thanks - I checked many of the markets where WN competes and it looks like I could grab SDF-BWI for about $100 ~ (2000 miles) + BWI-SNA for about $200 ~ (6000 miles via EWR). Perhaps more with unique routing.

I'm going to hunt around and look for other such schedules which could maximize mileage. I think I can get the best bang by using WN competition markets, making a cheap $100 r/t out east first and then a $200~ r/t from the east coast to the west via EWR.

SDF does have some of the cheapest fares in the nation because of WN (especially when they pull their mega fare sales and others match).

My big limitation with a mileage run or two is just time. I need to depart Saturday (or Fri night) and get back by Sunday night at the latest. I think doing an NW schedule to a 1 connection east coast city and then nesting a CO r/t via EWR to the west coast would be a good strategy.

Perhaps a N/S hub hopping stategy on an east-west routing might score extra if I can find a valid routing (i.e. a (BWI)-MSP-IAH-(SNA) leg would be a N/S while going E-W).

Best,

SDF_Traveler

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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

The easy way to do this thing:

http://www.air-fare.com/sdf.htm