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Also--the ITA Trip Planner website ([matrix.itasoftware.com]) is an awesome tool for booking travel, mileage runs nonwithstanding. I was able to book a trip to Bogota, Colombia and save almost $600 because the website found a flight combination no airline website would provide.
I second the recommendation for ITA - I just used it to price out a great fare to Delhi to get me to the top tier of american airlines status, and I'm doing it in business class. I don't get a lot of time to spend in delhi, which is too bad, but that's due to my schedule, not anything with the fare.
Mileage runs are a lot of fun if you're into planespotting. Last year I went Philadelphia to Los Angeles, outbound via Miami and Mexico City, return via Salt Lake City and Atlanta--McDonnell-Douglas twinjets galore!
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I used to do mileage runs when I was in grad school. Would show up at the airport with just a msgr bag with some books and paper in it. But I did get stuck in Miami that one time [aborted take off]. Gah!
Earth pigs, the lot of you. All those emissions to rack up miles is more than a tad selfish, no? God bless America....
I chuckle as I type this. I am sitting in St. Louis, waiting to return to Denver. I needed about 1,300 miles to hit 50K on United. I am able to pick up the 1,300 miles on this DEN-STL-DEN run.
To Shanaynay.... \"Emissions\". Sure the plane produces emissions, but it is going whether I am on it or not. Also, my drive to the airport today probably produced less emissions than if I had gone into work.
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@shanaynay: You do realize that those planes will fly their scheduled flights whether empty or full.
Mileage runs are fun, there is no question about it. I need another 1250 miles to hit premier exec on UAL this year, anyone got any ideas for a cheap mileage run out of DEN?
@AB3I: I just got back from DEN-STL to hit Premier Exec (see my earlier post). That will get you the miles (1,540 total), not sure what the current fares are.
Looking for a good start? Northwest is currently running a sale to Germany...try anywhere Northwest flies in the USA to a city in Germany and you'll likely come across fares below $500, even out of NW fortress cities in the Midwest. I found one to Frankfurt that'll route me through Minneapolis, Chicago and Amsterdam on the way there and Detroit and Minneapolis on the way back over Martin Luther King weekend.