avi8tir

Years ago I was apparently very bored and would spend the weekends doing a mileage run on occasion. IAH - AMS, NRT, FRA. and then heading right back. AMS was my favorite as you arrive, walk a short distance to get some food, and board the same plane an hour later and sleep the whole way home. I don't recall exactly how much it cost for Y, but I remember one time I had left my ipad at the LH lounge in frankfurt and it was cheaper to go pick it up than it was to buy a new one.

Just poking around as I have zero plans over the thanksgiving week and its like $5k in Y for Europe destinations from IAH.

Im guessing this is the norm these days?

cfischer

I have seen $2.5k in J to Europe over Thanksgiving ... keep looking.

drewguy

Because what people need now is expensive mileage PQP runs. Or short, cheap PQF runs.

tcdtcd

To get over the 3MM mark, I did a few ORD-SFO-SIN rt BIS runs (a couple to HKG as well) just before and after pandemic restrictions. I’d grab W fares for $1.0-$1.5k and would only travel if my 40PPs each way cleared into J.
Got it done👍.
As I have friends/former work colleagues there, I’d stay for 12/24/48 hrs each time - only once did I do the two-hour turnaround. That was rough!

avi8tir

No issue in PP clearing on the SIN flight? Assuming you were still GS, I guess you would know before you left since you would call and push them through at T-72, which would have covered the return as well, correct?

Repooc17

Someone posted on here it's no longer mileage run, but money run

I still MR (true mileage run) on AS, as it is still a mileage based, and it's a good program. Occasionally on UA if the CPM around 5 or lower.

Over and back = B2B (back-to-back)? Some international routes prohibit cheap runs due to min. stay requirements, but you can get around with a separate ticket in reverse (now you have got 2 MRs ).

notquiteaff

I used to do Europe runs over Thanksgiving back in the day. I recall paying $400-ish in E+ sometimes. But I would stay for a few days and visit friends. Nowadays just thinking doing such a run in coach is too painful.

ContinentalFan

From LAX, the only decent mileage runs (3 cpm) that don’t involve an overnight, but do require a red eye are trips to Florida (MCO, MIA, FLL, TPA) or Puerto Rico. You’ll find some relatively cheap flights to SIN, NRT and LHR, but recently that’s it. They each require an overnight. SIN requires LAX-DEN-SFO-SIN-SFO-DEN-LAX to get a decent cpm (~4.5 cents). May starting in IAH to SIN would work. The deals, when they happen, are fleeting and not even close to the glory days of 2018 and 2019.

avi8tir

From IAH, SIN is actually really reasonable at $1400 and you get about 12 hours there (enough time for Hainanese Chicken Rice for lunch and Chili Crab for dinner!) and then back. Only concern is PP clearing, even on the legs to/from SFO.

I was doing about 175k BIS in the years leading up to covid... trying to make up for the lost years!

fumje

You cancel for FFC if PP doesn't clear! Then try again next week.

cyberjet

mileage runs seem only to matter for the lifetime mile tiers now.

tcdtcd

Exactly right! If I stayed in SIN a bit longer (a few times), I made sure things looked fine for return before stepping on outbound. Otherwise, I was confirmed both ways before leaving ORD.

I did have to cancel a couple of times pre-departure because I was not confident PPs would clear. Never ended up in P+ or Econ.

tcdtcd

Yep, lots of chili crab dinners!
I did accept a few ORD-SFO and vv coach rides, but not often. And never on the long haul.

xliioper

The roundtrip fares have min stay requirements (Saturday night and/or 7 days on Europe fares). The Saturday night stay requirement is measured from point of arrival (not departure), so the quickest trip that meets min stay requirements of roundtrip fares would involve a Friday departure (arriving Saturday morning) and a Sunday return (there's no way to meet min stay requirements with an immediate return). Since your search is not meeting min stay requirements for cheaper roundtrip fares, the only fares available for booking are full Y one-way fares. Below is an example that meets the Sat night stay requirement for roundtrip fares. Asia roundtrip fares are not as rigourous on min stay requirements (typically only require a 12 hour stay) compared to Europe min stay requirements. Min stay requirements can be found in the fare rules (click "View fare rules and restrictions" link at bottom of page after quoting fares).

GBadger

I saw those LAX-EWR-BQN prices and have to say that I was tempted!