Sorry guys, I don't normally do this but its been a rough week at work and I just don't have the time to get my head around this confusing promo. But if someone could help me with this simple question it would be much appreciated:

Say someone reached silver in 2009, has flown zero EQMs in 2010, but gets 4 h/s/j's - do they suddenly attain Gold status thru 2/28/2012?

This is correct..

That's kind of what I would have expected. That's why I was wondering if it would apply to my status as earned at the end of 2009 (Plat) as opposed to my 2010 miles so far (24k on the way to 60k). If a trip would just bump me from "Silver earned" to "Gold earned" then there's no point in me doing anything on this promotion. But if it bumps me from Platinum to Chairman's.... well... I'm doing a weekender this summer.

I'm seeing it as

• CVG-CLT: East
• CLT-PVR: Route, Mexico
• PVR-PHX: West
• PHX-CLT-CVG: Nothing new

So 4 points total.

Well I just booked CVG-CLT-PVR-PHX-CLT-CVG off US Airways Vacations leaving July 16th and coming back on the 19th. With just this one trip I will lock in my CP status for all 2011 for around $800 out the door.

Next year at the airport instead of having a special line for elites they should have a special line for non-elites since!

I must be dense because I'm still not following. You're gold, you'd only be gold still when you cross 50K absent of any promo. So what's different if you've crossed 50K and only have 3 h/s/j's? One more h/s/j should still bump you to Platinum, right?

that is right.......and if someone was a platinum, or C.P. in 2009, and has flown no miles in 2010, 4 points gets that person C.P. status until 2/28/2012

what i was saying is if i get 4 h/s/j's prior to 50k i get gold. once my miles role over 50k i dont get the bump to plat.

rather, if I get 50k miles first then complete 4 h/s/j's then I become plat

Darn tootin'! I abandoned US after the choice seat BS but will go out of my way to pick up the 4 h/s/j in this promo to have CP next year just in case I need to fly them (CLT based). CP with ~20k miles - can't beat that.

I have not idea what US is thinking with this. Maybe they're hoping to jack up the number of elites so their DM program is more valuable.

Aha. Ok. Then riddle me this. 3 hits prior to 50K, 1 hit1 after 50K. That should in theory bump you to Plat? So you'd have to do the reverse of everyone else - find a way to NOT get 4 hits until you're ready. :)

Is it just me, or is PHL a tough place from which to take clever advantage of this promo for 4+ points?

About as hard as PVD. At least the shuttle stops by me, rather than flying over my head like my old home town Philly.

The current E-Saver is an easy and cheap way of getting 4 "credits" in 2 days! The current e-saver ORD-PVR r/t is $310.

This is how I can route:

ORD-PHX AUG 3 at 5:15AM- counts as entering the region West (1 credit)
PHX-PVR AUG 3 arrives in PVR around 2PM- counts as entering Latin America (1 credit)
PVR-CLT AUG 4 dept at 1PM- counts as new route jump (PVR-CLT) (1 credit)
CLT-ORD AUG 4 arrv 9:30PM- counts as hop region East (1 credit)

The special $99 fare is also available routing ORD-CLT-PHX-PVR, strictly for more miles earned :)

Result: in under 48 hours of your time and just above $300 spent for air-fare alone, you can move up by one level of status. That's what I might be doing for a day in PVR with my Marriott free night stay certificate (Marriott CasaMagna PVR). Maybe I'll have a Mojito to toast my CP status till 2012?

Although this isn't an e-Saver this week, SJD works the same way since SJD-CLT is a new route. Another routing of this sort could be, for example: SEA-PHX-MBJ-PHL-SEA, since PHX-MBJ is a new route.


I just noticed they added if you're CP you need 4 hops to remain CP till 2012? Wow!

-Kinglobjaw

Don't you get two credits for this segment: one for leaving region East (ORD) and one for arriving in region West (PHX)?

From the FAQ: "When you fly in, out or within a region we'll check it off and add it to your total hop, skip and jump count. Hops count only once – if you fly multiple times in, out or within a region it only counts once. However, you can earn multiple hops by flying in, out or within a different region."

Just got mine figured out :D

I'm in South FL for work anyway. So I just fly...

PHX-CLT-MLB $161 (East, West, New Route)
Drive to FLL (No 1way rental charges in FL)
JetBlue FLL-NAS ($42 all in)

Return:
NAS-CLT-PHX-LAS $213 (Caribbean)

Total of less than $100 above what I would pay for PHX-FLL RT anyway. Couple extra hours driving and I may even spend a night in NAS at the Sheraton.

And now that I know I have CP for next year I can stop using my US Mastercard and go back to my SPG

Yes, you could look at it that way, since they count for multiple ones, a PHX-PVR-CLT would also be 4 credits. Departing PHX (credit 1), land PVR (credit 2), fly PVR-CLT (credit 3), land in CLT (credit 4).

Before I do this, I have to make sure a current CP will be requalified as CP for all of 2011 and early 2012. It's funny how the website shows 4 credits as Chairman's -> Chairman's Preferred!

-Kinglobjaw

I don't think that's how it works. The HSJ promo changes your status based on your pre-offer status, which would be Silver. I don't think you'd get bumped from Gold to Platinum if mile 50k came after the offer started, I think you'd get bumped from Silver to Gold (though having already attained Gold via miles).

ETA: That's assuming you started the promo as Silver, either having attained Silver last year or having attained Silver in the first half of the year.

Fastest 4 HSJ segment routing to from PHX
 

The fastest 4 HSJ segment routing I can find from PHX comes in at 15 hours and is PHX-CLT-MBJ-PHX. It departs at 11:30pm and arrives back in PHX at 2:30pm the next day. No hotel required since the overnight is on a red-eye. The best price I can find for this is $550 inclusive of taxes.

Here is my only concern... The flight arrives in MBJ at 10am and departs at 11:30am. Is this enough time in MBJ to clear customs and get back to be checked in for the outbound? Is this a valid connection so that if the flight is late out of CLT they are required to rebook me on another flight if I miss it?

Thanks in advance for the input. If anyone has found a less expensive way to get 4 HSJ segments in a day or two originating/arriving in PHX, please post!

Thanks,
El Jefe

Read the thread. I asked this same question. No definitive answer. And unless the price went up, a weekend trip is $514 all in and can be done for up to $20 less if you incorporate a Monday.

I'm going to hold out for more e-saver options. If I were in ORD I'd to the PVR run. I haven't given up the possibility of a mileage run / short trip to FCO either, possibly in early October just before this promo ends.

This promo seems like it favors east coasters...

Anyone flying out of SFO on this promo care to share the best / least expensive options for 4 hops/skips/jumps??

So would this count as four? A bit confused by it all.

DCA-LGA (shuttle)
LGA-CLT (east)
CLT-BTR (new route)
BTR-CLT- (west)


?

Yes, but it would count slightly differently:

DCA-LGA (Shuttle AND East hop)
LGA-CLT (nothing, you already got the east hop)
CLT-BTR (new route jump, West hop)
BTR-CLT (nothing, you already got the new route and west hop)

In the FAQ it confirms a single segment can count for more than one hop, skip and jump. So CLT-FCO would get East, Europe and new route all at once. Start from BTR and you've got all 4 of your first hits in a one way route.

How to factor in cpm into the hsj...
 

Of course we can't be as strict with our cpm on these runs because we have to factor in the value of the elite status bump. SO, I have a few questions as to how worthwhile each of my two options are.

Option 1:
I already have a free (paid by friend) PHL-TLV which takes care of N.A. EAST and MiddleEast. So, I'd only need a quick "2-pointer" to put me at SP (I'm dirt right now). The cheapest I'm finding is PHL-CLT-BTR-CLT-PHL for 328ai, which would give me the 2 I need - WEST and NEW ROUTE. All in all, this would cost me $328 and net me 2246(BTR)+1152(TLV) miles+SP through next year.

Option 2:
Is it worth it for me to go for 8 and hit GP (I'm fairly sure I will be able to hit it consistently starting next year with a new job). This option, would add the following onto option one...
PHL-CLT-PVR-CLT-PHL ($629/4458mi) - MEXICO, NEW ROUTE (2)
PHL-BOS-PBG-BOS-LGA-PHL ($483/962mi) - SHUTTLE, NEW ROUTE (2)
PHL-MBJ-PHL ($378/2980mi) - This would replace the BTR route in option one, to save on cpm.

Overall, option two costs me a lot more ($1502) and give me 19,920mi for a 7.5cpm.

The question is: Is it worth the extra money/time to get to GP? That's what it comes down to. Starting Jan '11 - like I said - I'll be in a new position that could see me with 40-60k bis miles, so chances are I could retain GP steadily for a few years.

What do you guys think...

Was the ticket purchase July 7th or later? If not, it isn't supposed to count. US messes that up occasionally and counts things purchased prior to the start of the promotion even when they aren't supposed to, but you can't count on it.

One thing I am considering... If you're going to pickup an east coast hop anyway through the regular course of travel, there is fairly good e-saver right now, that will get you Mexico hop and new-route jump.

PHX-PVR is $150 each way. W/ tax it comes in at ~$400. This will give you your west coast hop, Mexico hop and, new route jump. Add that to the east coast jump you presumably would have got anyway, and you're there for about $400.

Actually, it's being purchased in two days. Hah

This promotion is so confusing. According to their website:

"4 to 7 hops, skips, and jumps will move your pre-offer Preferred status up one level."

What do they mean by pre-offer Preferred status? Let's say I'm gold this year but only have 45k eqm so far this year. Is my pre-offer status gold or is it silver? Will 4 hops,etc. bring me up to gold or bring me up to platinum?

Platinum

Still at $514 this morning, which is about $75-$100 more than I wanted to fork out on it, but I may end up having it be my early Xmas present to myself.

I'm right there with you guys, give me a PHX loop and the right price, I'm flyin'.

I'd jump all over this one, too, unfortunately, only the CLT-PVR new route qualifies as a jump, the previously existing PHX-PVR gets you the two hops only. Am I the only one seeing rabbits with airport codes tattooed to their haunches about now?

Just a reminder:

For all those going for the new route PVR/SJD-CLT, US is also offering a (2,500 paid coach ticket/5,000 paid first class) miles bonus for flying the route for the first time. It doesn't specify round-trip, so an outbound via PHX and return via CLT should still qualify you for the bonus miles for this promo.

http://shopping.usairways.com/promot...c=dm_txt_00942

-Kinglobjaw

By going PHX-PVR-CLT-PHX you get 4 "credits" 3 hops for West, Central Am, East and 1 jump for PVR-CLT. A total of 4 and that moves you up one level of status.

-Kinglobjaw

I'm in total agreement on the concept, however, it's the cost of that PVR-CLT leg that has vapor locked my wallet. Right now, my "Fly 15 for 4" PHX-CLT-MBJ-PHX fandango for $514 is still leading the pack.

I have been googling a lot on this trying to find more posted experiences of transiting MBJ but no luck. 95 minutes may be no problem but it may be severely pushing it and we just don't know!

PHX-CLT-BOS-PBG-BOS-DCA-PHX works for 4 (2 hops, 1 skip, 1 jump) as well if you stay overnight but the price is in the $700 range at best for weekends.

Based on how I am reading the promo if you are really close to the next preferred level you should try to qualify the old fashioned way instead of using the promo. Save the promo for after you move up to the next level.

So if you have say 47,000 miles you would be best to hit Gold first by getting to 50,000 and then use the promo to get easily to Platinum. Most likely you would just need 1 or 2 options to get to Platinum after you qualified for Gold.

I never take shuttle flights because I don't really need them for where I travel. For my travel in the coming months I should hit Platinum by the end of August with 75,000. Then if I take a shuttle trip I should be able to go up to CP.

I can confirm this. I have it very specifically spelled out in an email from a DM supervisor.

I'm so confused by this promo!

Can someone help me figure out a way to get 4 points with BUF as my starting point for ~$400 and preferably in 1 or 2 days?

If I can figure out an easy relatively cheap way to get to 4 points it seems like the best way to keep my CP status (otherwise I've only hit gold thus far and will only hit Plat if things fall just right).

Any deals from LAS? The best I have seen of late is LAS-CLT-SJU-CLT-LAS for around $350 a/i and then tack on a quick trip to PVR or SJD for around $250. Looking to do this as cheap as possible. Or am I going to have to drive down to PHX and meet up with another F/T member and do the MBJ run?

Eh. But if you are gold and have 47K then it won't matter either way - gold before, gold after. Which would be my case - not 47K but significantly lower so even less to concern myself with fortunately.

In any case, as of right now the majority of people will need to make at least two separate trips or one pricey circle trip to get 4 hits. ORD seems to be the one exception right now with cheap e-saver fares to PVR. Kills me that it's $95 each way from ORD including the PVR-CLT leg for the jump while the same e-saver rate is $150 each way from PHX and obviously doesn't include going via CLT. Such is the way of airline fares though!

I flew to MBJ in August 2008 and the line for immigration after deplaning was close to an hour. 95 Minutes may indeed be pushing it.