Milage Run Intro (WIP/ UA updated)

Objective: Minimize spending while achieving required status (achieve the PQP and PQF).
PQP Goal: Money you spent on UA OR Milage flied with *Certain Star Alliance (A) partners. Vary based on the Tier you want to reach. Generally speaking, for milage run, aim for approximately 2 PQP per dollar spent.
PQF Requirement: Achieve the 4 PQF minimum on United Airlines (UA). (aka flight segments on UA, e.g., PVG-ORD-ROC = 2 PQP). UA’s Award tickets counts.
Overall Spend: Estimated $9k-$12k to maintain 1K status with Milage Run. Gold, Plat wait for updates. You can get head start with UA credit card. Or use Status match from other airlines (for the first year).
Million Miler program/BIS: 1 million = Lifetime Premier Gold, 2m = plat, …

UA: Miles are calculated using a fare multiplier. When you buy a ticket on United ticket stock (which is all that flight credit will allow) you’ll receive 1 PQP per dollar spent toward base fare and carrier-imposed fees, excluding taxes.
Partners: Miles are calculated based on full distance, cabin bonuses, and UA status bonuses.
- Calculator: https://pqp.economiles.com/
Advantage: Higher mileage and PQP earning rates with partner airlines.
Disadvantage:
- Flights on partner airlines do not count towards BIS (Butt-in-Seat) miles for UA’s million miler status.
- UA imposes a PQP segment cap on preferred partners.

Routes:
- 3pqp/$ good, 2pqp/$ acceptable
- Premium economy on Lufthansa: ORD-FRA-DEL/MAA/JNB
- Regular/economy flex on Air Canada: SFO-YVR-SYD
- Occasional good fares on Swiss: ORD-ZRH
- ORD - JNB on Premium Econ (Y/N mixed cabin) fares on Swiss round trip $1,588 3,000 PQP
- EgyptAir JNB - CAN died
- DEN-YVR-NRT, DEN-HNL, DEN-PTY-LIM, DEN-NRT on (NH)
- From EWR Swiss YYN economy / premium economy mix to Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) $1,488.10 round trip earn 3106 PQP for the roundtrip (cap)
- Cost per PQP - 48.4868 cents USD each / 2.06 PQP/$
- TUN-IAH in LH/AC J, or MAD/BCN in AC PY 1.8 PQP/$
- JNB - CAN/PVG by Egypt Air only JNB-PVG Alive for 700$ 1500 PQP
- IAD-JNB PE r/t $1500 3000 PQP
- YVR-YUL-GRU-EZE-GRU-YUL-YVR $1367 roundtrip 2850 PQP
Examples of Deals:
- Air India and Turkish Airlines fares around $600 yielding ~1200 PQP.

SIN-yyz/yow-US
LAX-KOA-LAX, LAX-EWR-MCO/MIA/FLL-EWR-LAX, LAX-EWR-BQN/SJU-EWR-LAX. Most of these were sub-4 cpm
SIN-EWR used to be a little more than $1k for 20k miles so closer to the 5 cpm mark
SIN/EWR through SFO fares for under 4 cpm check Toronto and BOS too
100,000 BIS miles with $4,000
4.3 cpm accetable. 3.9 good
For ORD, Id check out Hawaii: HNL, OGG or KOA are your best bets. You should also look into going to Hawaii and then doing a round trip to SJU before heading home
ORD, look into DXB: fares from LAX are low. I typically fly there for $721 round trip or about 3.88 cpm. It does involve an overnight. Id check fares from ORD. Look into SIN too. SIN should generate close to 20,000 BIS miles, though Ive recently found it hard to get reasonable fares

Last modified on 2024-08-01