Mileage runs were the hallmark of travel enthusiasts who found more to gain from unnecessary trips than not taking them. Elite status runs have the same principle but different result, taking unnecessary trips to retain or “level up” your status with an airline. While mileage running might be dead, status running is not.
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Not Mileage Running, Status Running
In the old days (three years ago) top-tier elite status could be achieved for dedicated enthusiasts at under $2500 without mistake fares coming into play. How? Competitive long-haul markets competed for customer business (like China, Southeast Asia, and Hong Kong) with $500 fares in coach and full status and mileage earning for miles flown. I qualified several times this way with rough rides across the Pacific and desperate hopes for systemwide upgrades. For $2500 a returning elite flyer could net 100,000 EQMs (elite-qualifying miles), 200,000 RDMs (redeemable miles). For many, the elite status was more of a nice-to-have while the miles they earned (at the time that was enough for two business class tickets to Europe or almost enough for Asia) – it was just good economic sense for families like mine.
Those days are gone, and for the most part, they are not coming back.
However, while the mileage run might be dead, the status run is alive and well. Customers like myself may find themselves short on either dollars or miles (in my case a little of both) and need to make a run to ensure that status continues next year as well. That was the case for me, and I chose to fly to Hong Kong in Polaris business class from Philadelphia via Washington Dulles and San Francisco. I chose Business Class for two reasons. First, it earns faster reducing the number of trips of this sort I would need to make. Second, even though it’s not necessarily cheaper, it’s not (by comparison) much more expensive on a per status mile earned basis and allows me to ride in comfort. I’m not as young as I used to be and long-haul coach may make status not worth maintaining.
As a result of this run, I am on pace for premier-qualifying dollar requalification of 1K status though I may need to make a brief distance run to shore up the shortcomings of their 100,000-mile requirement. I am on the road a lot and often for expensive tickets as a result of work travel, they just aren’t long distance creating a deficit.
Outline
My trip report will be broken into a number of smaller posts. This might not be as extensive as Matthew or Lucky’s multi-country but there were quite a few posts that will be relevant for our readers.
- Status Running
- United’s Polaris Lounge San Francisco
- Polaris Business Class Service San Francisco to Hong Kong
- Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui – Suite
- Hyatt Regency Sha Tin – Suite
- Shenzhen Day Trip
- Too Much Traveling
- Singapore’s Bad Hong Kong lounge
- ANA Business Class Hong Kong Tokyo
- ANA Haneda Lounge Review
- ANA Business Class Tokyo-Haneda to Chicago O’Hare
Highlights of the Status Run
Let’s do this in picture form. Here are some images that highlight my trip and what you should expect coming from the trip report.
Summary
Status runs are getting old and while mileage runs always seemed to be fun and profitable, status runs feel less so. I know that Sriram from Travel Codex has long been a proponent of loyalty-free travel especially when it comes to hotels and politely admonishes me for my dedication. After this year, I am starting to see his point.
Do you still mileage run or status run? Why do you run or how do you aim for re-qualification if close but not quite re-qualified?
I’m on a 1K status match right now so I see a IAH-LAX-SIN run in my near future to keep it through Jan 2020
Happy running.
I had bought two of the $2600 chicago to the Maldives Cathay flights for my wife and myself. When my wife couldn’t go, I said I’m going anyways. Her ticket was refundable with a $300 fee. That Cathay business class round trip earned me about 52k rdm on AA, 33k EQMs, and over $5000 EQDs. So I’m just one more flight away from maintain EXP on AA.
Was it weird staying in an overwater bungalow by myself in the Maldives? Sure but I needed the mileage run.
How long were you there? Was it weird eating in the restaurants solo in such a couples destination?
Is Hong Kong a couples destination? I see it more as a business hub. True, my family often joins me but no it wasn’t awkward to eat by myself, I do it for business trips all the time.
Lol. Not weird. Im alone 80 days a year with family at home.
IMHO, United is the hardest of the three major US carriers for status running given they do not allow PQD earning on partner bookings.
Delta is the easiest by far followed by AA then UA.
Being PIT based like me, I am curious why you prefer UA over AA? After being 1K for three years after moving to PIT from LA I found AA’s schedule to be far superior to that of UA. Admittedly, my ditching of UA was during the Smisek-era where they severely cut capacity to PIT (DEN at one point was both ERJ-145s and IAH did not have a mainline flight on some days), but I think they have restored some capacity back. Still nowhere near AA’s capacity and frequencies. BA’s LHR flight will be a nice treat for Oneworld folks as well.
I agree with most of that but the killer for me was the lack of effort on service for long haul flights (see upcoming United Polaris review). American also made saver flights and eVIPs useless in advance of the flight. I can’t convince my wife to risk it on a flight where we may or may not clear either sitting in one of the best business class seats 16 hours to Hong Kong on an AA 777-300ER or in a 3-4-3 seat if they sell premium economy out.i have been splitting flights this year to non-hubs (connecting anyway) and Houston/Charlotte. I split loyalty this year but leaned toward United. American has more flights from PIT but they share Chicago, I don’t fly to NYC, I usually fly someone else direct to FLL than MIA once a day, and DFW is okay until they switched to 8 seat FC sections on their A319s. I’d rather fly an E-175 in first with 12 seats (better chance to clear) to Houston than coach to Dallas with a connection on a 40 minute flight I clear.
Going on a DL run to HKG via ATL and ICN. Had an expiring bump voucher so I was only out a couple of hundred dollars for 18000 eqm. Staying at the same Hyatt, good use of an expiring free night cert.
This was my first year as Plat on Delta having been Gold or Silver before, It’s quantum leap difference given I exceed 50k miles in business travel anyway so while I won’t fork out $2500, I will take the opportunity if something cheap or “free” presents itself.
Thanks for the link.
To be fair, I’ve historically found much more value in mileage/status running than mattress running. Back when upgrades would clear >80% of the time even as an AAdvantage Platinum, the combo of those, complimentary MCE, lounge access, etc. provided tangible value. The fact that my business trips to India would earn 40k+ miles with all the bonuses was icing on the cake.
As time goes on, though, I start questioning the value proposition of status. Since upgrades have become darn near impossible, RDMs awarded are a joke, and the miles (especially AA’s) are nearly impossible to use anyway, what’s left? Is the free MCE and some change fee waivers really worth a status run today? Personally, I doubt I’d try as hard to maintain loyalty to Oneworld if we applied today’s program structure to my 06-12 travel habits.
And that’s why I left. That’s not to say that the grass has been greener on the other side (nor would a switch to UA really be a positive shift if based in an AA/DL hub city) but it does feel like they try more at United than at AA – at least when it mattered most to me on long-haul flights.
Hi there. Nope no need at least not for status. Mileage runs just for redeemabke miles I never did. Time simply to expensive.
For status:
– FlyingBlue / SkyTeam: i have enough level miles to get life platinum. Ad they go to next year if not used. Just need a KLM flight orso which isnt a problem to keep them active. Further there are always china deals at around 900 euro from east europe. And you get 180 euro back on that. Make sure to book on China southern stock to avoid earnig on spend
– star allince gold: Aegean. OH YES I did a run for 6 legs kn aegean last year. BUT i had a business meeting too. So rather flying direct I did 6 runs. Now, to keep gold its just 2 bizz flights and normally I take Air China 2x a year to Asia on a deal (they sell for like 1200 euro to asia from europe). I need to take anyway those flights.
– oneworld. I am OK with silver at BA (gives me lounge and a free bag). Thats also just 2 bizz flights if routed good. And should be no more as 2×1200-1300 euro. I need to take fligjts anyway.
So. Once you have status. Its not bad to keep it :-D. Yeah Im lucky with SkyTeam but if not then if you re Platinum the 300 xp minus 60 americAn express just 240 CAN be done with 2 bizz flights not costing more as 1200 probably leas.
So with 2 bizz flights per alliance Im more than good. That sets me back around 7000-8000k which is expendable.
I do find myself status running these days – usually on BA, embarrassingly. While they don’t give upgrade certificates, I do find it worth it to maintain Gold with them. They are not shy about upgrading on oversold flights. I also personally find OneWorld Emerald the most valuable alliance status, given the first class lounge experience (especially with Cathay lounges!) and, for a London-based flier, the access to the First Wing at LHR T5.