Airlines crack down on mileage runs

Mileage runs have long figured into frequent flyers strategies, allowing them to earn thousands of redeemable rewards with a single, cheap, longhaul fare. Mileage run flyers often travel to far destinations without ever stepping off the plane just to earn the rewards points. American airlines calls them elite qualifying miles. Mileage runs are the most grotesque, worst behavior.

My insane american airlines year end mileage run moore. How i book a mileage run and where i start expired. Throwaway ticketing violates airline fare rules, though isnt something airlines have historically pursued. They have a team of dedicated specialists who book and search mileage runs.

At insideflyer, we dont just want to challenge the status quo, we want to reinvent it. Get caught up in the alaska airlines mileage run author. Most of my travel is award travel, and most often in business class, so the idea of paying to fly somewhere and back for no reason other than miles doesnt generally appeal to me and even less so to my better half, who would rather not hurtle through the sky in a metal tube more often than necessary. They award miles based on the fare youve paid, not the distance youve flown. If youre just about to crack into the first tier of status, though, think twice before booking a mileage run. Successful mileage runners are often experts in airline routing and can find or construct flight routes that allow maximum mileage accumulation. The mileage run that went so wrong its going to be a.

Sixth, the anticipation to see if the airline will honor. Ok, yes, im sure there are a couple folks out there who were willing in the distant past to sit in economy from new york to seattle to europe and back just for the redeemable miles and now wont do it because of deltas and uniteds changes. How to find and book airline mileage runs points miles. A thing of the past or still a valuable strategy to rack up rewards miles.

A mileage run is a trip, a flight you take, just to earn miles, says karen. How to salvage the yearend mileage run airlines have made it tougher for yearend, mileboosting trips to pay off for frequent fliers, but there are ways. United cracks down on emotional support animals live and. Airline mileage runs and why you should consider points. Mileage runs can occur anytime of the year and could be as quick as an hour flight and back, or as long as an around the world mileage run if in dire need of elite qualifying miles.

Pam asked me to put together some steps on mileage runs as she feels stuck in non elite status mode. Travelers provide their user names and passwords for their airline mileage programs and other loyalty programs, like those offered by hotels. The cliff notes for the article are this mileage runs dont make sense for many, mileage runners do so for status or redeemable mileage, mileage runners are not profitable for airlines, airlines have instituted revenue based programs specifically for that, and american is the last bastion for mileage runners. The ultimate mileage calculator for frequent flyers.

Rene and i are part of a group the times has in its crosshairs this is priceless. I need 200 tps to retauin status, and im looking for a good run starting in the uk lhr or lgw. Heres how i did it, and how the last step of the journey turned into a daylong adventure for the ages. The airlines basically thought they could manage it down, harteveldt says. What we did with one million air miles earned from credit. No matter which airline you fly, if youre on a mileage run you want to hop the hubs if the mileage makes sense. A conventional mileage run no longer makes much sense at united airlines, american airlines, or delta air lines. This practice called mileage running, or flying incessantly on steeply discounted flights to accrue frequentflyer miles is a. What we did with one million air miles earned from credit card rewards. Following deltas move after the recent peacock incident, united airlines is tightening up the requirements to bring an emotional service animal onboard. The core logic behind mileage runs is that airline points have a relatively fixed value, but the cost to accrue them can vary widely, so a low fare for a long.

Mileage run discussion ba mileage run can anyone help. A rundown of my latest mileage run on united airlines. Now that american airlines is set to become the last major us carrier to switch to a revenuebased earning system, mileage runs may no longer seem like a viable option. Now that miles dont matter as much, its about tracking down the shortest and. Also the throwaway tickets can it be used for mileage runs i am looking to take the. Unfortunately, they did not keep thier voices down so i got to hear all the details from my seat in 1a.

A mileage run is a strategy used by members of airline frequent flyer programs to rapidly accumulate award miles or points by flying as many miles as possible in a short amount of time. United airlines calls them premier qualifying miles. Travel hacks for airline mileage plans and credit cards. If youre just about to crack into the first tier of status, though, think twice before.

American airlines mileage runs in the past were simple. Should you go on a mileage run to get airline status. Anyway, these flights had american airlines flight numbers but were really operated by alaska airlines meaning that i would receive 100% mileage credit with alaska and the flights would count as alaska flights when crediting to alaska mileage plan meaning that i have to earn less miles to qualify for elite status with alaska. Also the throwaway tickets can it be used for mileage runs i am. Once upon a time, the cornerstone of the miles andpoints world was mileage running. Airline miles determine the trip, but theres an art to it. Airlines crack down on mileage runs the seattle times. Mileage run dubai in first class on british airways.

As credit card comparison geeks, we took steps to maximize our credit card use for the most points and miles possible. Hardly sounds like a crack down, more like closing a loophole. Instead, a mileage run is a very lowcost ticket that a frequent flyer books with the sole intention of earning miles, or reaching the next elite status level at the end of a calendar year. Last week there was some buzz over a possible mistake fare from dubai dxb to austin, texas aus on british airways and partner airlines, all in first class i use the term mileage run in the title of this post, but really it is hardly a milage run for two reasons. Airlines crack down on mileage runs a friend told me he couldnt meet for dinner because he was flying from the u. With a mileage run, you are intentionally making a trip you might not ordinarily be making but because you are a few miles short of say gold status on your airline or alist on southwest and you book an unplanned flight to get you over the hump. If im headed west from savannah, georgia, it makes more sense for me to use iad instead of chicago. If you were doing an alaska airlines mileage run, i would peg your cents. That reason just changes depending on the nature of your loyalty program. Alaska airlines is changing the miles earned per flight on partner american airliness which are credited to alaska airlines mileage plan starting august 1, 2016. My 2018 mileage run was just enough to crack the 100,000qualifying mile threshold.

Implicit in such pleas, for suggestions for socalled mileage runs, is that the required miles must come cheaply no easy feat when airfares have been rising and most flights are full, meaning. Mileage runs can be even more lucrative when an airline offers a promotion for a specific route. What are the best aa mileage runs that originate in dfw. Are mileage runs worth it for basic airline status. United tells employees to crack down on this practice. Since ill most likely fall short or earning platinum ive started looking for american airlines mileage run opportunities. Under the right conditions it certainly makes sense to fly for status. If youre short on the mileage needed to get top tier status, jumping on a longhaul flight wont get you as many miles as you need. Airlines encourage class envy, offering incentives to travel bloggers and other.

Well, the truth is mileage runs are mostly a relic of a bygone era. Star alliance gives all of their gold members lounge access as well for a full run down on star alliance gold benefits watch this snazzy youtube video. Mileage runs are about elite status, not redeemable miles. How i book a mileage run and where i start frugal travel guy. But now, the airlines have made it tougher to do mileage runs. Watch the latest news headlines and live events abc news live abc news 5,318 watching live now points guy explains how to get the most value on airline tickets, flyer miles megyn kelly. When airlines publish supercheap fares by mistake or discount their tickets between unpopular city pairs, frequent flyers have an opportunity to earn a. Doctor of creditamerican airlines cracking down on credit card.

It really wasnt until about a year ago that i started to take airline miles seriously. American airlines cracking down on credit card rewards abuse. But in 2017, i went from having no status anywhere to the highesttier elite on delta airlines. Lets say you need to earn 20,000 delta medallion qualifying miles. Apparently, the pursers partner had just cheated on him and so he took revenge by sleeping with his partners. The mileage run a frequent flyer travel hack you need to.

If youre looking to earn a bunch of elite qualifying miles or redeemable miles, then having juicy miles book you a mileage run is the easiest way to go. Delta air lines is the latest big carrier to crack down on startup web sites that aim to help travelers manage their frequent flier miles from multiple airlines. But until airlines crackdown on their carbon footprint, the new york times piece suggests you can far more easily switch your home heating. The extra, unplanned trip gets you over the hump and too the next level allowing to keep your rewards status for. Sure, ben flew to china backtobacktoback earlier this year, and brazil the year before that, but that was mostly the result of mistake. What to consider before planning a yearend mileage run. Mileage run discussion mileage runs turnarounds turnabouts transits. The core logic behind mileage runs is that airline points have a relatively fixed value, but the cost to accrue them can vary widely, so a low fare. This is what the cool kids did and in the case of our dear friend ben, i do mean kid, since he started mileage running when he was 15 ben and other mileage runners would buy a ticket, board a plane, and then fly across the country solely for the purpose of obtaining frequent flyer miles.

For frequent flier mileage runs, time is running out the. Delta cracks down on mileage tracking sites the new york. United airlines is harshly cracking down on those who exploit socalled. Flight mileage refers to mileage earned through taking applicable china airlines and mandarin airlines selfoperated flights. And, frankly, it seems like a loophole that needs closing the airlines were essentially paying people to take longer flights. To ensure that your flight mileage is credited accurately and timely, please give our service personnel. At most big airlines, flying 25,000 elite miles in a calendar year earns you. Milecalc is the ideal air mileage calculator for frequent flyers, with preset options for american airlines, delta, united, and us airways. Im staying away from jfk with the main runway down for 4 months. The mileage run is a timehonored way of maintaining premium airline status without forking over big bucks.

Airlines are cracking down on hiddencity tickets the points guy. Actual mileage refers to the distance between departure and destination of a flight. I rarely connect in denver, another united hub, because that just doesnt add enough miles. Experiences please update nov 11 2009 as this thread in now large kiwiflyer has made an index in post 257 up to post 361 of links to the relevant posts for quick reference, sorted by airport code. American airlines mileage run ideas 2017 moore with miles. Theres a lot which frustrates consumers about airlines. A quick trip to boston, or lunch in washington, dc. In the past united has tried to sue a website that helps people find hidden city ticketing. Mileage runs for status on united have gotten more complicated, though, because you have to work towards both your mileage total and your spending total, and while partner trips count towards both, only trips on united planes or united tickets count towards the latter. Milecalc the ultimate mileage calculator for frequent.

But until airlines crackdown on their carbon footprint, the new york times piece suggests you can far more easily switch your home heating system to solar and eat veggie burgers instead of beef. Many economy fare classes will earn fewer miles whereas business and first class tickets on american airlines will earn more. But this flyertalk thread about mileage runs at united airlines reminded me that there is still good reason to pursue them. I mention those two cities because there are great fares available if you want to do some mileage runs between thanksgiving and. Flight mileage refers to the mileage members earn by taking the scheduled flights operated by china airlines, the international scheduled flights operated by mandarin airlines, and the applicable flights operated by skyteam partner airlines. Does it make sense to do a mileage run to obtain status if youre only one or two flights away from the next tier.

For these questions and answers, ive turned to my old friend karen morrison of north carolina a veteran mileage runner, who shared some of her insight and expertise with us. What does it feel like to go on a mileage run to rack up. Insideflyer exists to bring all types of travelers together and to make it easier to find relevant travel advice and information within a friendly environment. United seriously threatening passengers who skip flights. I just wrote a post about this yesterday a day in the life of a mileage runner. We dont belong to the top echelon of frequent flyers who routinely fly every few days nor do we do mileage runs like some travel bloggers do.