Mileage Run

Hi Rene,

I’ve just discovered this site recently and love it. I am based out of RDU and am attempting to create mileage runs. Do you need to start at a hub city to get the best deals on these?
Thanks in advance,
Blake Long

Rene,

I’m $1300 MQD and 7000 MQM short of making Silver Medallion this year. Obviously Silver is useless these days, but I’m wondering if the MQM’s that would carry over into 2017 be worth making it happen by years end or just take 2016 as a loss and start over in 2017? A $500 flight to SIN or somewhere else in Asia would be super easy to accomplish the MQM requirements, but the MQD requirement not so much. Obviously, that’s the airline’s point for going revenue based.

I’m pretty positive of the answer, but just to make sure, if I pass the Silver threshold in MQM’s but NOT MQD’s, my MQM’s won’t carry over into 2017. One needs to actually complete all requirements into a non general member level to be carried over into the next year correct?

Thanks,

Thank you for getting back to it

Rene, seeking advice for an “MQD Run.”

Short of Gold by $663 MQD. Have Delta Amex Plat Biz but $18k short of $25k spend (got card midyear) and don’t feel like MSing my way there. Could probably get $10k more organically at most.

Unfortunately no more travel plans rest of year and looking for guidance on what makes the most sense to do for 663 MQDs or more.

GRR area, will drive to DTW or Chi for the right flight.

Have $220 voucher available to defray cost.

Also could buy DL flight using Citi TY or Chase UR (have plenty of both; have Citi Prestige but not Chase Sapphire Reserve®) but seems slightly wasteful and also concerned about possibly getting a bulk fare or basic E fare class ticket and having it not earn full MQDs?

Would like to maximize MQMs earned but it’s a secondary goal to the main goal of hitting the MQD minimum.

Want to take care of this with as little time investment as possible.

I’m considering GRR>LAX economy ($260+) perhaps twice in a weekend, or 1st class $700-ish.

Another option – several short trips GRR>ORD/MSP or other

Would do a long weekend to Europe but prices the rest of 2016 do not look favorable.

Also looked into positioning flight to ATL/MSP/DTW/SLC and then additional MQD flights from there (e.g. ATL>SLC 1st class for $4xx).

Have basic knowledge on ITA Matrix and advanced routing codes but I’m not a pro in piecing together multi-stop MR type itineraries
.
Want to avoid making a booking mistake, not hitting the MQD spend, and missing Gold. I’m at 59 MQS and 48k MQM, so I’ll have some rollover MQMs after this is done.

I see allot of discussion about mile efficient mile accumulation but what about segments? I am 4 MQS’s away from the next tier level and am looking for the most efficient way to get those out of ATL.

The best I can find is simply 2 RT’s ATL-MCO at $240 total.
I wonder if there is not a better way of doing this using a multi-stop itinerary.

I’m about to finish my mileage run today to retain platinum status for next year but I’ve ran into a problem, let me explain. I booked MSY-SLC-SEA-ANC-MSP-MSY. When I left MSY yesterday there was a mechanical issue which caused us to be delayed. That delay made me miss my connection in SLC which caused me to miss all the others. I immediately contacted delta through direct message on twitter and asked for help (this was while I was in the air to SLC). They informed me I had been redirected to MSP from SLC. I asked with this new route would I keep the original MQM’s. They said yes, just contact them after the trip is over and they would give me the MQM’s from the original ticket. All is good at this point. Late last night my MSP-MSY flight for today disappeared from my app so I called the Platinum line to get the flight back. I explained to her what was going on and we spoke about the MQM’s. She put me on hold for a while then came back and said I wouldn’t receive the MQM’s from he original ticket. I told her I was told otherwise or else I never would have accepted their rerouting. She gave me the customer service number and told me to call them today after I complete the trip.

I’m worried that the first delta rep told me wrong information and will cost me platinum status for next year. Not to mention this new routing they gave me cost me an extra $110 because I had to stay the night in Minneapolis. In the original routing I would have never left the airport.

I’d like to know your thoughts before I call them in a few hours. Thanks

I also have screen shots of the whole twitter conversation saying I would get original MQM’s.

I believe I signed up to get mileage run emails but I am not getting them.
What to do?
thanks,
Jennifer

Hi Rene, In the near future, I’m going to do a MR to NRT. The layover in NRT is 1.5 hours. Can you tell me what to expect when I get there? Things like, I will be in transit to catch a flight back to SEA, will I have to enter the country through immigration and go back through US Customs to get back to the plane? Can I just hang out in the secure area and go to the Sky Club? Does anything else come to mind based on your experience?
Thanks! Mike.

Any Skyteam deals out of LAX to hit $3k-$5K of MQD?