Well, it’s hard to believe but the end of the year is just a few weeks away. With that most of us have a pretty good idea of where we will land in terms of airline elite status. However, many of us will realize that we’re “right there” and will miss the next tier or elite status by just a few thousand miles. When falling short there is always a decision to be made. Do you accept your lowly status for the next year or do you take a last minute mileage run. Today, I wanted to share a two mileage run ideas that I’m eying just in case I fall short or Executive Platinum status in 2018.
When Does Mileage Running Make Sense
While attaining a higher level of elite status may seem appealing, you must first decide if mileage running makes sense for you. If you didn’t fly enough to qualify for AAdvantage Gold in 2018 does it really make sense to go for it? Will you fly enough in 2019 to make that status worth it or will you fall short again. If you don’t fly enough to hit Gold status I wouldn’t recommend mileage running to earn status this year. Instead, I think there is more value in being a free agent these days. However, if you’re about 1,000 miles short or a segment or two short, then a short domestic mileage run makes sense.
AAdvantage Platinum
If you’re very close to getting AAdvantage Platinum status (within 10,000 miles) I’d argue a Mileage Run is worth it. That’s because while you might not fly enough to get many benefits from American, you could take advantage of the benefits offered by OneWorld Sapphire status. When you have OneWorld Sapphire status you can use OneWorld Business class lounges when traveling internationally. You can also pre select seats on many OneWorld partners which could save you a ton of money when traveling abroad. Finally, you also get complimentary access to Main Cabin Extra seats on American which again can save you a lot when traveling internationally. So, if you’re just short of Platinum I’d say go for it.
AAdvantage Platinum Pro
Going for Platinum Pro is a tougher decision in my opinion. If majority of your travel is domestic on American then I’d say you should absolutely go for Platinum Pro. That’s because you get unlimited complimentary upgrades domestically whereas you have to use 500-mile upgrades with Platinum status. Likewise, you are higher on the upgrade list which means more of your upgrades will clear.
However, if you earn your status by traveling internationally and don’t get much value from domestic upgrades then I wouldn’t recommend going for Platinum Pro. Platinum Pro maps to OneWorld Sapphire so there is little benefit of being a Platinum Pro vs a Platinum AAdvantage customer when traveling with OneWorld Partners.
AAdvantage Executive Platinum
This one is very tough. I’d argue if you fly enough to hit Platinum Pro organically that you should absolutely go for Executive Platinum. First off, you will be at the top of nearly every upgrade list when traveling domestically. This year, I’ve only missed a few upgrades as an Executive Platinum elite and most of those have been between Chicago, Charlotte, and New York. On nearly every other route I’ve flown I’ve been upgraded. Having Executive Platinum status really came in handy on my recent A321 Transcon flight.
Also, reaching Executive Platinum status grants you OneWorld Emerald status. That means you can access OneWorld partner First Class lounges when traveling internationally. Thanks to my EP status I’ve been able to visit some of the most incredible lounges in the world, for free, even when traveling in economy. Cathay Pacific Lounges in Hong Kong (Pier & Wing) and London are particularly nice.
Finally, as an Executive Platinum customer you receive four systemwide upgrades each year. Systemwide upgrades are incredibly valuable. In most cases I’d say each upgrade is worth at least $500. So, by flying an extra 25,000 miles you get approximately $2,000 of value. I’ve used my Systemwide upgrades to upgrade to London twice and am using the other two to upgrade my girlfriend and me on our Auckland to LA flight.
So, if you reach Platinum Pro naturally I’d argue that mileage running for Executive Platinum status is always worth it.
2018 AAdvantage Mileage Run Option #1
My first mileage run idea is by far the most straightforward. The first idea I had is to fly from San Francisco to Hong Kong (or Singapore) in Premium Economy on Cathay Pacific. Currently, Premium Economy flights on Cathay from SFO to HKG cost just $1,358. For that you get to fly on Cathay’s new Airbus A350 the whole way.
If you’re looking to book this option it’s important that you only book Cathay Pacific (CX) flight numbers. Booking an AA flight number will negate the benefit of taking this flight.
The above example covers a distance of about 13,800 miles and books into the “E” fare code. That means, per the below chart, you’ll earn 1.5 EQM per mile flown and 20% EQD per mile flown.
So, since the flight is 13,800 miles you’ll earn 20,700 AAdvantage EQM and $2,760 EQD. That’s nearly enough EQM and EQD to skip up an entire level of elite status on American.
I mentioned that this fare is also great for travel to Singapore. Singapore costs about $1,450, but covers a distance of 17,000 miles. So, you’d earn 25,500 EQM and $3,400 EQD for that routing. In many cases, one of the HKG to SIN flights books into Economy Class so the earning might be slightly less.
Overall, I love this option because the lounges in Hong Kong are fantastic and because you could do it over a weekend if you’re brave.
2018 AAdvantage Mileage Run Option #2
The second idea that I had is a little more complex, a little cheaper, but also reasonable. For my second mileage run idea I found flights from Oslo to Los Angeles or San Francisco in Premium Economy for about $907. This one is a little more complex because it requires you to first position to Oslo, but I like the option because it allows for an extended stay in the United States (home). So, if I were taking this option I could break the mileage run into two weekends in 2018 or push the return leg into 2019 to get a head start on next year.
Again, if you look to book this option you need to make sure to book with British Airways (BA) or Iberia (IB) flight numbers. Booking an American (AA) flight number will negate any of the benefits offered by this mileage run.
This mileage run covers a distance of about 12,000 miles and earns the same mileage accrual offered by Cathay.
So, with this example you’d earn about 18,000 EQM and about $2,400 EQD. As I mentioned, I especially like this mileage run if I only needed half of these totals to qualify. If that were the case, I’d book a cheap award flight or cash flight to Oslo and then use this as the return in 2018. Then in 2019 I’d have a head start on my qualifying year.
Final Thoughts
When looking at mileage run opportunities I think many forget these long-haul premium economy flights. Many probably think Premium Economy is too expensive to qualify as a mileage run, but I’d argue the opposite. Premium Economy flights are typically only a bit more than economy yet offer far superior mileage accruals.
Overall, I think I’m all set this year for my 2018 elite status, but I will keep these options in mind for 2019 as these prices haven’t moved all that much this year. For the Cathay Pacific flights I’ve seen prices as low as $1,100 and for the Europe flights I’ve seen prices as low as $650.
For what it’s worth, if I was trying to decide between these options I’d choose Cathay Pacific. The A350 is new an quite comfortable. Service and food on Cathay is superior to British Airways as are the lounges in Hong Kong and SFO.
