Mileage runs are last-minute dashes for airline status(washingtonpost.com)
washingtonpost.com
Mileage runs are last-minute dashes for airline status
https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2019/12/26/mileage-runs-are-last-minute-dashes-airline-status-are-they-worth-it/
107 comments
Reminds me of when my friend was getting flown into a place for work 7on7off.
The manager of the hotel thanked him and offered a discount for staying so much.
To which he refused because he was submitting his expenses and would get less points that way.
The manager of the hotel thanked him and offered a discount for staying so much.
To which he refused because he was submitting his expenses and would get less points that way.
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I expense north of 40k a year, and still do it all on my personal cards.
And actually, I do it split, hotel goes to the hotel chain co-brand, rental car to the airline one that offers free primary insurance, everything else, whatever card du jour I have right now.
And actually, I do it split, hotel goes to the hotel chain co-brand, rental car to the airline one that offers free primary insurance, everything else, whatever card du jour I have right now.
I wonder if it wouldn't make more sense to just do all of that on a Chase Sapphire or Chase Ink Preferred. That's what I do. It's an effective 4.5% cash back on travel/dining with the Sapphire Reserve, which trounces any of the co-branded cards I'm aware of, plus it has primary insurance.
Chase Sapphire Reserve gives you 3% back on dining. What do you mean by "effective 4.5%"?
The $450 annual fee means you have to spend $15,000 to make up for the fee alone, although it gets better if you're spending the $300 annual travel credit.
The $450 annual fee means you have to spend $15,000 to make up for the fee alone, although it gets better if you're spending the $300 annual travel credit.
It's 3% points, and the points are redeemed at 1.5X on travels (hotels/flights/rental cars/etc.), for a total effective 4.5%. For a concrete example, $10k spent on dining/travel will yield 30k points, which can be redeemed for $450 worth of flights/hotels/etc.
And the effective annual fee is $150 because the only way to not earn the $300 travel credit is to essentially not use the card at all, at which point you definitely shouldn't have the card anyway.
So at the end of the day you "only" have to spend $3,333.33 on dining/travel to pay back the fee, and that's before considering the other perks it gets you like: It pays for Global Entry/TSA PreChek, it comes with included primary insurance for rental cards, and it effectively upgrades the value of points earned on other Chase UR cards, since you can transfer the points to the Reserve first before redeeming them, to get that 50% bonus.
For example, I'm currently doing the 80k point intro offer on the Chase Ink Business Preferred. With the 25% bonus of that card, those points "only" redeem for $1000 worth of travel, but, transfer those 80k points to the Reserve before spending them and now they redeem for $1,200 worth of travel. So the Reserve is more than paying for itself this year just by increasing the value of the rewards from another card I have.
And the effective annual fee is $150 because the only way to not earn the $300 travel credit is to essentially not use the card at all, at which point you definitely shouldn't have the card anyway.
So at the end of the day you "only" have to spend $3,333.33 on dining/travel to pay back the fee, and that's before considering the other perks it gets you like: It pays for Global Entry/TSA PreChek, it comes with included primary insurance for rental cards, and it effectively upgrades the value of points earned on other Chase UR cards, since you can transfer the points to the Reserve first before redeeming them, to get that 50% bonus.
For example, I'm currently doing the 80k point intro offer on the Chase Ink Business Preferred. With the 25% bonus of that card, those points "only" redeem for $1000 worth of travel, but, transfer those 80k points to the Reserve before spending them and now they redeem for $1,200 worth of travel. So the Reserve is more than paying for itself this year just by increasing the value of the rewards from another card I have.
In this case, I'm getting 23.5 points on the dollar, marriott points are worth around .8-1 cent each - meaning with the combo, I'm getting 23.5% back in points. The return on the marriott card is 6 points of that 23.5.
What is the exact math on getting 23.5% back at Marriott? What card are you using exactly and what % does it give back?
Depends on your purchasing. The amex platinum bonus on air travel is worth about 10%.
Yeah, if you're buying huge amounts of flights that's probably the way to go (though note that the point return is 5%, and you can't always find good ways to spend MR at a 2 cents/point evaluation).
But note that the Sapphire Reserve's effective annual fee is $150, because it's trivial to utilize the $300 travel credit (literally anything in the travel category including flights, hotels, taxis, Uber, parking, public transit, trains, etc., counts). The Amex's annual fee, by contrast is $550, without such easier ways to knock it down. If you take Uber religiously then that's good for a $200 benefit, and it's also good for $200 in airline fees (not flights or seat upgrades) which can be hard to use.
In practice, I don't take Uber that often, the airline fees can be hard for me to use, I don't take a huge amount of expensive flights, and there are synergies that the Reserve has with other Chase cards that the Amex Platinum doesn't have (it increases the value of UR points earned by other cards, such as the Freedom's 5% quarterly categories, by transferring them to the Reserve before redeeming them). So the Reserve does appear to be the correct card for me.
But note that the Sapphire Reserve's effective annual fee is $150, because it's trivial to utilize the $300 travel credit (literally anything in the travel category including flights, hotels, taxis, Uber, parking, public transit, trains, etc., counts). The Amex's annual fee, by contrast is $550, without such easier ways to knock it down. If you take Uber religiously then that's good for a $200 benefit, and it's also good for $200 in airline fees (not flights or seat upgrades) which can be hard to use.
In practice, I don't take Uber that often, the airline fees can be hard for me to use, I don't take a huge amount of expensive flights, and there are synergies that the Reserve has with other Chase cards that the Amex Platinum doesn't have (it increases the value of UR points earned by other cards, such as the Freedom's 5% quarterly categories, by transferring them to the Reserve before redeeming them). So the Reserve does appear to be the correct card for me.
I do that too when I can -- most of the various card benefits (e.g points, free upgrades etc) then accrue to me. I couldn't get that free night's hotel stay on a vacation trip charged it to a company card! And by charging and paying off a lot I now have very large credit limits.
But I can do that because indeed I have large limits and my expense reports are paid promptly. Some people can't afford to lend their company tens of thousands of dollars a month (as my XRs are paid promptly I don't pay interest for this -- in fact much of the time I am reimbursed before the bill is due). More significantly companies typically require that the company-issued card is used because the bill will arrive pre-sorted into categories that integrate with the company accounting system and travel policies. The systems back in the 80s (and 00s for that matter) were much less sophisticated and often paper based so processing an expense report was not much more work than managing a company card.
But I can do that because indeed I have large limits and my expense reports are paid promptly. Some people can't afford to lend their company tens of thousands of dollars a month (as my XRs are paid promptly I don't pay interest for this -- in fact much of the time I am reimbursed before the bill is due). More significantly companies typically require that the company-issued card is used because the bill will arrive pre-sorted into categories that integrate with the company accounting system and travel policies. The systems back in the 80s (and 00s for that matter) were much less sophisticated and often paper based so processing an expense report was not much more work than managing a company card.
My company is still basically doing paper expense reports.
This whole setup doesnt make sense for me.
Flying as a whole is not that comfy even if you are flying first class. Pack + taxi + controls + wait in lounge + wait boarding and etc.
I believe not needing to fly is more luxurious life than flying. If your job requires you to fly, than business class is there just for that purpose :) (company pays)
I believe not needing to fly is more luxurious life than flying. If your job requires you to fly, than business class is there just for that purpose :) (company pays)
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I just finished a mileage run. It made sense for me because I already had the status this year (not from a prior mileage run), which meant I ended up being upgraded on every flight and e.g. flying overnight and showering in airport lounges rather than burning time in hotels. I used it as an opportunity to catch up with old friends in far away places.
Worked out pretty well.
Worked out pretty well.
I think it's one of those things that you have to be "in the know" to understand and experience the benefits, and why a mileage run or other status qualifying event is worth the time and effort. Same reason some folks have no value getting Global Entry, but for a frequent traveler, being saved from one missed flight due to border control time deltas (looking at your YYZ!) makes the $100 fee and the interview worth it.
Nexus is probably one of the best investments I’ve ever made. The amount of time saved from that one little card has been incredible.
I don't live on the border so I had to stick with Global Entry, but I totally agree that Nexus is the way to go if you can swing it. I also got the APEC Business Travel Card ($70 addon to Global Entry) that gets you the diplomatic line in ~20 countries while on business travel. Has literally saved me hours in line in Tokyo, Taipei, and Hong Kong.
Agreed. Nexus also bundles access to Global Entry and TSA precheck at no extra cost -- a good investment for $50 over 5 years (works out to $10/yr!).
It's the best deal ever, not only for travel between U.S. and Canada, but also from any other destination to/from U.S. and Canada and within the U.S. and Canada domestically.
I travel regularly from U.S. to Europe and I get full GE and Precheck privileges through Nexus. I usually clear customs in less than 5 minutes as opposed to 1.5 hr line at larger airports like ATL.
It's the best deal ever, not only for travel between U.S. and Canada, but also from any other destination to/from U.S. and Canada and within the U.S. and Canada domestically.
I travel regularly from U.S. to Europe and I get full GE and Precheck privileges through Nexus. I usually clear customs in less than 5 minutes as opposed to 1.5 hr line at larger airports like ATL.
I think you're largely right. I derive pretty good value from the programs I'm enrolled in, so a mileage run makes sense to keep doing the things I'd like to do next year at a relative discount.
Ha I have United Platinum status and I rarely get upgraded to business. My typical flights are international or fully booked coast-to-coast, where being in business would actually be nice to lie down. I almost always end up having to purchase the upgrades outright if prices aren't jacked up.
Really the only value I care about from the status is premier check in desks across star alliance, which isn't that enviable.
More than signifying anything enviable, top airline status basically just means you get a crap ton of extra radiation exposure every year (e.g. SFO to Tokyo is a chest x-ray per hour, 20 microSv, if you didn't know). Really not worth going out of your way to get.
Really the only value I care about from the status is premier check in desks across star alliance, which isn't that enviable.
More than signifying anything enviable, top airline status basically just means you get a crap ton of extra radiation exposure every year (e.g. SFO to Tokyo is a chest x-ray per hour, 20 microSv, if you didn't know). Really not worth going out of your way to get.
About the radiation - pretty anecdotal, but Arthur “Art” Astrin (rip http://ewh.ieee.org/r6/scv/its/MtgSum/Astrin.html) was responsible for Wireless part of Apple revival product range ~1999 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj5NNxVwNwQ He spend couple of years flying weekly SF-Shenezhen. Ended up with severe metastatic melanoma. "Incidence of cancer among licenced commercial pilots flying North Atlantic routes" put 10% higher rick of malignant melanoma on frequent flyers.
> Ha I have 100k United status and I almost never get upgraded to business.
I get upgraded transatlantic with just Gold occasionally so not sure why you are being so unlucky.
I get upgraded transatlantic with just Gold occasionally so not sure why you are being so unlucky.
You must be sweet talking the gate agent, because UA CPU's aren't applied for transatlantic flights: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/mileageplus/awards/upgr...
I'll shill caniupgrade.flights which has info on which flights can be upgraded using various instruments. I need to update it for PlusPoints, but otherwise it's accurate.
I'll shill caniupgrade.flights which has info on which flights can be upgraded using various instruments. I need to update it for PlusPoints, but otherwise it's accurate.
Your comment is warranted, but I think I know at least one contributing factor (normally fly around 200K / yr on United)
I'm making up an extreme case to make the point, but let's say the plane's business / first cabin is 100% empty / unbooked, and the economy cabin is full (even overbooked) and the standby list is 30 deep.
Even though UA is reluctant to give out free INT upgrades, if it means they can put 30 more people on that plane and collect the revenue, they'll do it. There's more to it than that, I'm sure there's a heuristic, in fact one day I hope there will be an AMA "I code the conditional logic for airline XYZ's algorithm <for Global Services> <for INT upgrades> <for domestic upgrades>" but until that time, we can only discuss what we've observed and speculate on the rationale.
Me, I'm still wondering why when I'm first on the ugprade list and there are 8 unsold first class seats, why do I have to board (in my economy seat), settle in, unpack and decompress before some gate agent comes waddling down the aisle 30 seconds before the door closes to tell me I've been upgraded. It was clear 30 minutes ago that was the case. First world problems, I know.
I'm making up an extreme case to make the point, but let's say the plane's business / first cabin is 100% empty / unbooked, and the economy cabin is full (even overbooked) and the standby list is 30 deep.
Even though UA is reluctant to give out free INT upgrades, if it means they can put 30 more people on that plane and collect the revenue, they'll do it. There's more to it than that, I'm sure there's a heuristic, in fact one day I hope there will be an AMA "I code the conditional logic for airline XYZ's algorithm <for Global Services> <for INT upgrades> <for domestic upgrades>" but until that time, we can only discuss what we've observed and speculate on the rationale.
Me, I'm still wondering why when I'm first on the ugprade list and there are 8 unsold first class seats, why do I have to board (in my economy seat), settle in, unpack and decompress before some gate agent comes waddling down the aisle 30 seconds before the door closes to tell me I've been upgraded. It was clear 30 minutes ago that was the case. First world problems, I know.
No idea then - but it's happened at bag-drop at least twice. Just after I achieved status each time I think so I thought it was a thing they did to make you think it was really worth having achieved it.
I've gotten it once (HND to SFO), so it's not unheard of, it's just not official policy. 24 hours before the flight departs, the upgrade list gets transferred from the online waitlist to the airport, and check-in staff and gate agents have full control at that point (this is why UA doesn't let you use upgrades within a 24 hour window). Occasionally, you can get someone at the airport to put the upgrade through (though I've found it burns goodwill, so don't do it too often).
Are you above average height? I'm 6'4" and get upgraded often. Seems to be more likely if I check in at the airport quite early.
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When I fly from SFO to Canada I get upgraded pretty regularly on gold status. Of course these are domestic first, so while better they still aren’t great.
You won't get upgraded if it's a full flight and most biz seats are paid for, even with GPU. With gold especially unlikely, that will put you in the middle of a usually 50 person waitlist for 3 or 4 available seats.
All depends on how busy chosen routes are.
All depends on how busy chosen routes are.
Can confirm (1k with 125k+ BIS miles). My GPUs rarely clear on any reasonable route.
Do you have a source on that figure, because a cursory google search says that a chest xray is 0.1 mSv, and a 7 hour flight is 0.02 mSv.
From the FAA, >.02 mSv per hour measured for LA to Tokyo [1]
From Wikipedia, .02 mSv for chest x-ray [2]
[1] https://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oam...
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_equivalent_dose#/media/...
From Wikipedia, .02 mSv for chest x-ray [2]
[1] https://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oam...
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_equivalent_dose#/media/...
I'm not sure that banana chart from wikipedia is up-to-date:
https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=safety-xray https://www.health.harvard.edu/cancer/radiation-risk-from-me...
Most sources seem to put it at 0.1 mSv for a chest x-ray.
The FAA link for a Tokyo to LA 9 hour flight would be about 0.0206 mSv, or approximately 2 chest x-rays for the total flight.
However the FAA research you linked would put a New York to Seattle flight at a total of 0.112 mSv, whereas this CDC link says a trans-continental flight is only at the order of mangnitude of 0.035 mSv...
https://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/faqs/commercialflights... - summarizes more sources that contradict the raw FAA numbers.
This FAA calculator also seems to give numbers that agree with the lower radiation levels: http://jag.cami.jccbi.gov/cariresults.asp
https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=safety-xray https://www.health.harvard.edu/cancer/radiation-risk-from-me...
Most sources seem to put it at 0.1 mSv for a chest x-ray.
The FAA link for a Tokyo to LA 9 hour flight would be about 0.0206 mSv, or approximately 2 chest x-rays for the total flight.
However the FAA research you linked would put a New York to Seattle flight at a total of 0.112 mSv, whereas this CDC link says a trans-continental flight is only at the order of mangnitude of 0.035 mSv...
https://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/faqs/commercialflights... - summarizes more sources that contradict the raw FAA numbers.
This FAA calculator also seems to give numbers that agree with the lower radiation levels: http://jag.cami.jccbi.gov/cariresults.asp
With United Gold I got upgraded to business my last 7 flights in a row to south america.
> Flying as a whole is not that comfy
To each their own. A lay-flat seat is like a mini-vacation strapped onto work trips. I’ve never done a mileage run, but I’ve certainly increased spend on a route (e.g. buy buying a nicer ticket upfront) to hit thresholds because those thresholds are meaningful to me.
To each their own. A lay-flat seat is like a mini-vacation strapped onto work trips. I’ve never done a mileage run, but I’ve certainly increased spend on a route (e.g. buy buying a nicer ticket upfront) to hit thresholds because those thresholds are meaningful to me.
Flying up front is vastly different from being in the back, especially on a premium fist product (Lufthansa or ANA in *A, or Cathay, Emirates, Qatar, etc.). I used to fly to India for business and I could always score a first upgrade BLR -> FRA, which meant I could use the LH first class terminal (separate building) during the layover back to the states. 200+ bottles of whisky, a cigar room, an entire leg of jamon iberico, bathtubs where you could grab a bottle of champagne off the wall and drink while you lounged, dedicated customs, and a Porsche to drive you directly to your departing aircraft. I wouldn't pay O(10k) for a ticket, but it's a pretty good time when you can upgrade it.
It seems like there are two divergent characteristics that lead to the differences of opinions on this.
1) Has someone ever flown in a premium class on a non-US carrier?
2) Has someone taken advantage of the end-to-end amenities? E.g. premium lounges, etc.
Personally, first class on American is an order of magnitude worse service than business on ANA or Cathay. So I could see someone saying "What's the point?" if they primarily fly domestics.
1) Has someone ever flown in a premium class on a non-US carrier?
2) Has someone taken advantage of the end-to-end amenities? E.g. premium lounges, etc.
Personally, first class on American is an order of magnitude worse service than business on ANA or Cathay. So I could see someone saying "What's the point?" if they primarily fly domestics.
Big difference between domestic and international too. United international business class is pretty good (not Cathay, Ana etc first class good but on par with day Cathay business class) lounge and all are pretty up to par I think.
Definitely. Domestic is generally meh. UA Polaris has stepped up their game for sure. Bedding is A+, lie flats in 1-2-1 are better than LH (which is still 2-2-2 or 2-3-2, though if you're stuck on a 2-4-2 772, I'd take the LH flight), and the Polaris lounges offer premium alcohol and decent food. Inflight food and beverages (same liquor as the rest of the plane) aren't as good, and service is still a joke compared to any non-US carrier though.
A lay-flat seat tops out at being slightly less comfortable than sitting in your couch at home. I wouldn’t consider it a vacation-tier experience (unless you count it as a mini-vacation every time you plop yourself down in front of the tv after work).
Nobody is bringing me hot food and as many of whatever drinks I want while I sit in my couch at home.
To each its own, but I will take going surfing or hiking outdoor (what I would call a mini vacation) over being in a unhealthy metallic cage with recycled sick air. It is amazing to me that Airlines marketing is that good that they convinced some people that it's enjoyable to be in a plane. I fly business transpacific all the time for work and I hate it.
Fun fact: The air in a plane isn't recycled. It comes from outside. The air in planes is fresher on average than your typical building.
What the air on a plane is is less dense and less humid, which has its own problems, but it's not stale.
What the air on a plane is is less dense and less humid, which has its own problems, but it's not stale.
I have to fly to go do some of those activities (or for work), and I'd sure as hell be up front with amenities than hugging my knees in the back.
I assume the marketing is really just to convince you they're less terrible than the (at most one) other competitor for the direct route, and aspirational for a bunch of leisure travelers who aren't going to spring for it anyways.
I assume the marketing is really just to convince you they're less terrible than the (at most one) other competitor for the direct route, and aspirational for a bunch of leisure travelers who aren't going to spring for it anyways.
It's pretty easy to just go to the kitchen where I have all that stuff though.
I'd still rather just be at home, and have to provide my own food and drinks, than on a plane being waited on.
I'd still rather just be at home, and have to provide my own food and drinks, than on a plane being waited on.
Sounds like you’re in America.
Elsewhere the ride to the airport is a quick cheap train. Electronic boarding so no need to checkin. But even if you do you’ve got a dedicated counter with someone waiting for you. Controls are under 2 minutes. Less than that if you have status you essentially walk through. (Fuck the American tsa those incompetent fools). And lounges overseas at a decent airline are like high end spas or better.
Checkout cathays first class lounge in hk. Or Singapore’s lounge for pps.
Then again, status at airlines that are not American come with some pretty excellent perks that are not found in America.
I’d take a long haul to retain status. The routes I fly and the frequency makes it a necessity. Taking a hot shower the minute you step off a plane before you meet a client is worth every dollar.
Elsewhere the ride to the airport is a quick cheap train. Electronic boarding so no need to checkin. But even if you do you’ve got a dedicated counter with someone waiting for you. Controls are under 2 minutes. Less than that if you have status you essentially walk through. (Fuck the American tsa those incompetent fools). And lounges overseas at a decent airline are like high end spas or better.
Checkout cathays first class lounge in hk. Or Singapore’s lounge for pps.
Then again, status at airlines that are not American come with some pretty excellent perks that are not found in America.
I’d take a long haul to retain status. The routes I fly and the frequency makes it a necessity. Taking a hot shower the minute you step off a plane before you meet a client is worth every dollar.
While not exactly a mileage run I did pick United over an alternative cheaper flight just to get to the next status tier. I agree flying sucks even in business / first, but if I’m gonna fly (which for sure I’ll have to next year), might as well make it a bit more comfortable.
Learn how to pack and its not a chore. A woman taught me some techniques to optimize packing and space, and ironically other women say its only possible because I am a man.
When you have preauthorization from the government for security the controls are not time consuming, and means less variance in how long you need to get to your plane
So that means much less waiting, but if you wish to wait then you typically have several lounge options to choose from if you desire
And with status you board earlier which also means less drama regarding getting on or whats going to happen to your carryon bag
It requires some finesse but its a much more parallel experience to casual travelers subject to the full stress of air travel
Also with the points you are more frequently booking convenient flights that would otherwise be economically irrational
When you have preauthorization from the government for security the controls are not time consuming, and means less variance in how long you need to get to your plane
So that means much less waiting, but if you wish to wait then you typically have several lounge options to choose from if you desire
And with status you board earlier which also means less drama regarding getting on or whats going to happen to your carryon bag
It requires some finesse but its a much more parallel experience to casual travelers subject to the full stress of air travel
Also with the points you are more frequently booking convenient flights that would otherwise be economically irrational
> And with status you board earlier which also means less drama regarding getting on or whats going to happen to your carryon bag
But then you have to deal with once-yearly flyers in Zone 72 bashing their rollon over your feet and into your chair.
Personally, I fear the day airlines force me to board first. I'll enjoy the gate while everyone else boards a plane that will depart at the same time for everyone.
But then you have to deal with once-yearly flyers in Zone 72 bashing their rollon over your feet and into your chair.
Personally, I fear the day airlines force me to board first. I'll enjoy the gate while everyone else boards a plane that will depart at the same time for everyone.
One thing I found out recently is that at some airports, pre-check has hours, and it can be somewhat hard to figure out when your leaving, and annoying that you have to. Found that out recently when I had a evening flight leaving from las vegas :/
I'm on the road 150+ nights a year.
Packing can be easy. For example, I roll everything, makes it much easier to tetris them into the bag and they don't come out as wrinkled on the other end, they also compress a little better.
Similarly TSA PreCheck is a must, yes, I hate effectively paying a bribe to bypass the security theatre, but I also hate dealing with getting undressed at the checkpoint - the fact is, the security theatre exists to keep the infrequently flying public feeling safe - and if that results in more relaxed travelers, that also makes my life better.
I mostly focus on Hotel Status over airlines, thats gonna change, I'll likely try for status this year or next at American.
Packing can be easy. For example, I roll everything, makes it much easier to tetris them into the bag and they don't come out as wrinkled on the other end, they also compress a little better.
Similarly TSA PreCheck is a must, yes, I hate effectively paying a bribe to bypass the security theatre, but I also hate dealing with getting undressed at the checkpoint - the fact is, the security theatre exists to keep the infrequently flying public feeling safe - and if that results in more relaxed travelers, that also makes my life better.
I mostly focus on Hotel Status over airlines, thats gonna change, I'll likely try for status this year or next at American.
I don't find hotel status buys me a huge amount. I prioritize Marriott all other things being equal and I probably get upgraded more than the average joe as a result. But I don't find perks like lounges that big a deal and often stay in suite hotels anyway where they don't even exist.
I'd rather stay in a convenient location than do unnatural acts to stay with a specific chain. There also tend to be much bigger cost differences among hotels than airlines.
I'd rather stay in a convenient location than do unnatural acts to stay with a specific chain. There also tend to be much bigger cost differences among hotels than airlines.
Hotel status doesn't do much, in isolation. Late checkouts and more reliable room upgrades aren't much incentive. They also let you accumulate points faster for... drumroll... more hotel stays and status chasing!
The thing I do like about Hotel rewards programs are that:
They are more likely to let you transfer your points to other services such as airlines
The points themselves can get your rooms at the tier exchange rates that are totally decoupled from dollars
And you still get progress towards your next status even while using the points. Something that airlines do not do.
Sometimes the status can be matched between other services. I like the MGM Resorts status match with Hyatt.
The thing I do like about Hotel rewards programs are that:
They are more likely to let you transfer your points to other services such as airlines
The points themselves can get your rooms at the tier exchange rates that are totally decoupled from dollars
And you still get progress towards your next status even while using the points. Something that airlines do not do.
Sometimes the status can be matched between other services. I like the MGM Resorts status match with Hyatt.
Exactly, and marriott points are quite flexible too - I would rather do Hyatt if I'm being honest, but Hyatt doest have enough hotels to work for me.
With Pre-Check, I'm usually through security in the US pretty quickly. But I hate feeling rushed or worrying about being late so I still normally leave plenty of time and, as you say, can usually hang out in a lounge and/or get a meal so it's pretty comfortable.
I worked for a guy once and when we traveled together (pre-9/11) he'd get a cab from our downtown location to the airport planning to arrive 30 minutes or whatever before the flight. Drove me crazy.
I worked for a guy once and when we traveled together (pre-9/11) he'd get a cab from our downtown location to the airport planning to arrive 30 minutes or whatever before the flight. Drove me crazy.
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This era is gradually coming to an end as the airlines now heavily weight status to how much $ you give them each year vs how many “miles” you fly. It’s freaking some people out but at some level it makes sense that the amount of free stuff they give you should be proportional to the amount of money you have given them.
For example starting next year United doesn’t care at all how many miles you fly... it’s basically just how much you spend (with a slight discount if you fly a lot of individual flights, but length of flight doesn’t matter).
For example starting next year United doesn’t care at all how many miles you fly... it’s basically just how much you spend (with a slight discount if you fly a lot of individual flights, but length of flight doesn’t matter).
The problem with spend-based schemes is that the way flights ticketed by alliance partners credit becomes very convoluted since, for instance, United doesn't have any idea what you paid Air Canada to fly from Bangkok to Hong Kong on Thai Airways. So we end up in a situation where United's mileage credit rules could actually encourage you to fly, say, ANA from SF to Tokyo rather than United, which is exactly the opposite of what they were trying to do a few years ago by harmonizing mileage credit rates for their trans-Pacific joint venture partners.
Status wasn't just supposed to encourage you to spend more with your home airway, but also to prefer their alliance partners when you travel outside of your airline's route network and I think that concept is rapidly being weakened by these spend-based schemes.
Status wasn't just supposed to encourage you to spend more with your home airway, but also to prefer their alliance partners when you travel outside of your airline's route network and I think that concept is rapidly being weakened by these spend-based schemes.
It’s cyclical. The stronger the economy is, the worse airlines and hotels treat their loyalty program members. When the next bad recession hits, they will open the “loopholes” back up and we’ll be adrift in a sea of unbelievable promos.
I miss FatWallet :)
I just looked through the United rules for next year. Not really a surprise as earned points had already moved to dollar-based. But it does look like it will be harder for me to gain the same status next year as I did this year. (Which was actually already a bit of a step down from the past few years.)
It does make sense from the airline's point of view. They care about your money, not how many miles you fly with them. In fact, they probably would prefer you flew fewer miles (which cost them) and spent more money.
Also, cynically speaking, it's often a lot easier for employees to spend more money on flights than it is to take more flights and thereby get more butt-in-seat miles. There have been qualifying dollars for a while but they weren't that hard to hit and ways to get waivers. Now there's a direct incentive to spend a bit more on a ticket if you're near an award level.
It does make sense from the airline's point of view. They care about your money, not how many miles you fly with them. In fact, they probably would prefer you flew fewer miles (which cost them) and spent more money.
Also, cynically speaking, it's often a lot easier for employees to spend more money on flights than it is to take more flights and thereby get more butt-in-seat miles. There have been qualifying dollars for a while but they weren't that hard to hit and ways to get waivers. Now there's a direct incentive to spend a bit more on a ticket if you're near an award level.
I've got Ambassador at Marriott, so I get UA Silver free (an hertz 5-star diamond presidents circle elite or something similarly foolishly named), its not a bad combo, it gets me in the front of the airplane, and saves me a baggages fee.
I'm the flip. I'm now Gold on United which gets me Gold on Marriott. (I stay in Marriott a fair bit but not enough for Gold and that doesn't give you Lounge access any longer anyway.) I'm assuming the relationship is still in place next year though I haven't checked.
A bunch of programs went a bit cross-status nuts a few years back but those seem to be slowly going away or getting watered down.
A bunch of programs went a bit cross-status nuts a few years back but those seem to be slowly going away or getting watered down.
Its not uncommon if you're booking late and flying out last min to have plenty of PQD/MQD or PQM/MQM, but not enough PQS/MQS, so the milage run is still a thing (and will still be a thing), because that extra segment count will get you over the hump.
Also, AS (Alaska) allows you to qualify for status with just segs or milage, no spend requirement is needed - great for folks in Seattle, or who frequently fly to seattle.
Also, AS (Alaska) allows you to qualify for status with just segs or milage, no spend requirement is needed - great for folks in Seattle, or who frequently fly to seattle.
Alaska is also an amazing airline, so much better than any of the other domestic carriers. If I’m connecting to SeaTac from LAX or SFO, I’ll only fly Alaska. Connecting through those airports is so prone to delays, and the Alaska staff are absolutely amazing if you miss your connection. They’re also just great in general. Singapore is the only other airline I rate as highly.
I love Alaska (and am a Gold MVP on it, and dodged doing a mileage run this year) but I will say that their delusions of competing as a major character have made them more annoying in recent years.
Delta is currently doing some weird combination of miles and dollars for their status levels. The wife is pissed that she is way over the mileage amount for Delta Gold status, but she's about $900 short on the dollar amount.
Keeping that status is stupidly important; almost every flight she takes she gets upgraded.
Keeping that status is stupidly important; almost every flight she takes she gets upgraded.
She's short because she is only getting MQDs for the ticket she paid for, not the class she flew. It's usually pretty easy to hit the miles and dollars levels at the same time unless you are consistently getting deals or buying discounted flights all year. They moved to this new MQM + MQD system like 2 or 3 years ago.
FWIW, you can also buy MQMs and the dollars you spend qualify as MQDs as well - check this out [0]. Delta doesn't promote this as much as they used to but it's a good way to maintain status at the end of the year if you find yourself a little short. It's basically a mileage run without having to step onto a plane.
If you pick up the Delta Amex card you are also exempted from MQDs once you spend $25K per year on the card. They have some decent bonus offers as well for signing up.
[0] https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/skymiles/elevate-you...
FWIW, you can also buy MQMs and the dollars you spend qualify as MQDs as well - check this out [0]. Delta doesn't promote this as much as they used to but it's a good way to maintain status at the end of the year if you find yourself a little short. It's basically a mileage run without having to step onto a plane.
If you pick up the Delta Amex card you are also exempted from MQDs once you spend $25K per year on the card. They have some decent bonus offers as well for signing up.
[0] https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/skymiles/elevate-you...
That sounds like the (now) old system that United had for the past few years. United did have an out (for some status levels) of the dollar amount with spending on their co-branded credit cards; without that I would have missed a higher status level at least a year or two.
I don't often get upgraded to business. But I do get the slightly roomier Economy Plus, earlier boarding, and free checked bag (which I don't use much) all the time.
I don't often get upgraded to business. But I do get the slightly roomier Economy Plus, earlier boarding, and free checked bag (which I don't use much) all the time.
I knew some attorneys who used to do this. Once upon a time you could just buy the ticket and get the miles, not actually setting foot on the flight. But post-911 that is no longer an option.
There are really interesting benefits from some of these plans. I knew one guy who's premium membership, because of a package deal between airlines and hotels, would get free minibar in the hotel. That was a game changer.
There are really interesting benefits from some of these plans. I knew one guy who's premium membership, because of a package deal between airlines and hotels, would get free minibar in the hotel. That was a game changer.
> would get free minibar in the hotel. That was a game changer.
Free chocolate bars and half-bottles of mediocre Champagne is a game changer? Seems like a very low bar to set! Could replicate that experience for $50 in a nearby gas station if you really wanted to eat that many peanuts and average beer.
Free chocolate bars and half-bottles of mediocre Champagne is a game changer? Seems like a very low bar to set! Could replicate that experience for $50 in a nearby gas station if you really wanted to eat that many peanuts and average beer.
You could, but that means leaving the hotel. For a jetlagged business traveler with a flight in a few hours, free minibar is a real timesaver.
Hell, free beer/wine/sometimes liquor, as well as free appetizers, snacks, cookies, dessert and more is a pretty common perk available in the concierge lounge at most large hotels...
Eh, real status is an exec lounge with a happy hour 5-8pm with top shelf booze and decent food. SPG was the best, but has gone down hill a bit since Marriott took over. Westin Ebisu Tokyo even has special drink nights where they bring a set of different liquors in a theme. Best hotel staff anywhere.
I thought the post-911 thing was just not being allowed to check baggage without flying on the flight. If you don't show up at all you're good, right?
Nope. I'm not sure it's a post-911 thing per se, but status miles are mostly "butt in seat" miles. Even if you've paid for the flight, forfeit the amount, and don't take the flight, you don't get the miles in most cases.
(Business/First typically give you some multiplier.)
(Business/First typically give you some multiplier.)
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Talk about unnecessarily burning fossil fuels. I wonder how much carbon this practice puts into the atmosphere.
I made status this year on United, fortunately I didn’t have to do any sort of mileage run. I do enjoy benefits of status - ability to pick better legroom seats for the whole family, upgrades except for SFO LHR route because half the plane is Global Service for that route. However next year the same status will require $24k in spend, I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be able to get to that. It was fun while it lasted though.
Who is achieving Global Services while not already booking in Polaris? I thought Global Services was like private invitation to senior executives? Those people aren’t likely booking in Economy and hoping for an upgrade. Or is it low-level consultants flying transatlantic twice a week every week who have astronomic mileage but aren’t actually senior in their companies?
Nobody. GS is nominally the top 1-2% in UA metal revenue of each station (e.g. I had a coworker based out of PIT who was able to routinely get it with 50k annual spend, while I met a number of SFO folks who had to spend 80-90k). Anecdotally, companies with large business relationships with United (Apple, Google, etc.) will get a certain number of GS slots as well (they could get allocated to senior execs--there was a rumor that it was a director perk, though I asked my directors and they didn't seem to have access, so maybe it was VPs only?).
It’s usually either those that spend a lot of total dollars with United or in some cases “influencers” in a company like the head of travel that control a lot of spend.
1k has gotten insane lately, so it only makes sense they're raising the spend limit. Switching to pre-board 1k's makes sense on non-mainline routes, but on any mainline flight, there's a huge gaggle of GS/1k wandering aimlessly around the gate waiting for the flight to board, and it's a total mess. This should restore some order. But as someone who spent 25k w/UA this year, I won't be doing it again next year.
As for the benefits: - Econ+ is nice (mostly for being at the front of the plane), and let's call it $100/flight (what you'd otherwise pay for it) - Free drink + snack is $20 a flight - 3x 75lb checked bags is non-trivial, though I don't know a business traveler who checks bags - Lounge access on INTL flights, let's call this $50/flight - Waived change fees within 24 hours is $200 a flight, and TBH this is a game changer for my travel habits (and the thing I will miss the most come Feb 2021 when I no longer have 1k) - Upgrades: well, the plane was already flying there, so it's a loss of revenue rather than a cost per se, but honestly this is probably the biggest "cost" to the airline for having status
As for the benefits: - Econ+ is nice (mostly for being at the front of the plane), and let's call it $100/flight (what you'd otherwise pay for it) - Free drink + snack is $20 a flight - 3x 75lb checked bags is non-trivial, though I don't know a business traveler who checks bags - Lounge access on INTL flights, let's call this $50/flight - Waived change fees within 24 hours is $200 a flight, and TBH this is a game changer for my travel habits (and the thing I will miss the most come Feb 2021 when I no longer have 1k) - Upgrades: well, the plane was already flying there, so it's a loss of revenue rather than a cost per se, but honestly this is probably the biggest "cost" to the airline for having status
As a one-man, self-funded startup where every dollar counts, maintaining status is critical. It's much more than legroom and upgrades, it's also lower fees for some last-minute fares and the ability to sometimes change flights within 24 hours of departure for zero fee.
In September I made it from the curb to the gate at Heathrow in 27 minutes--it wouldn't have been possible without the agent at the United Elite desk.
In September I made it from the curb to the gate at Heathrow in 27 minutes--it wouldn't have been possible without the agent at the United Elite desk.
27 minutes isn't that fast for heathrow. I assume it wasn't T5? In there, even in non-business I've made it from the entrance to the gate in about 15. Entirely depends on the state of the queues, though.
Being able to do it in 27 minutes reliably would be a real asset, though. I'd never, ever bank on being able to get through that quickly as inevitably something goes wrong.
Being able to do it in 27 minutes reliably would be a real asset, though. I'd never, ever bank on being able to get through that quickly as inevitably something goes wrong.
This is really the problem with all the airports. The check-in/security line is too variable, so showing up really early is the only safe bet.. Then you end up sitting around in the airport. Or alternatively showing up with the about right amount of time, and missing the flight once every dozen or so trips because the security line is wrapped around the building because of some random news tidbit that sends 50% of the precheck through the naked scanner/whatever.
UA is T2 @ LHR. Dedicated luggage drop + "Gold Track" security means you should be able to do it pretty quickly. The problem is that the UA gates are at a satellite, so you've got a min 10 min walk to get to them.
I was United 1K for a few years, now back down to United silver (I fly maybe 20-30 flights a year now, down from 100+ when I was 1K). I would certainly pay a couple hundred dollars to keep United silver to get economy plus seats, but would never pay for anything about that
Waived same day change fees is the biggest (way underappreciated IMO) perk of 1k. I now pick the first or last flight out and move around as needed (most of the time I can swap with no fare class change). Having a dedicated phone line to call and immediately get a helpful human to reroute me is also super worthwhile.
I never had waived change fees when I was 1K. They must have added it recently, but agree that is nice!
Had a family trip this weekend, booked my flight fully refundable for max points and booked the rest of the family on econo tickets. It ended up being an amazing idea because i boarded like second and was able to hold an entire row on a flight full of families and kids. It was the last flight I needed, Now the wifey flies for free next year..
Was that worth a $1200 ticket?
Yes.
Was that worth a $1200 ticket?
Yes.
outline version: https://outline.com/nepZzS
This version works without a paywall: https://m.sfgate.com/news/article/Mileage-runs-are-last-minu...
Thank you! I feel like I've been seeing more and more paywall reaching top links lately and its mildly annoying do most people have subscriptions or something?
I've got uBlock Origin set to block javascript on washingtonpost.com and as a result I've not seen their paywall nonsense in ages.
Thanks. I use unlock origin but hadn't tried that. I'll do that now. Thanks!
Reminds me of a time 35 years ago when my company asked me to upgrade to the then $1000/year platinum amex card because they'd save more than that on rental car insurance.
I've never forgotten that they reimbursed me $975 because "You're paying $25 for your regular card already".
Nowadays with corporate cards, expensify etc this doesn't generally make sense.