1600 Miles
on 12.20.07, 06:55am in life • Comments (7)
After a quick glance at my year-end mileage statement, I’m approximately 1600 miles shy of MVP Gold status on Alaska Airlines. Once you hit MVP Gold, you get all sorts of goodies: unlimited first class upgrades, ability to upgrade a person traveling with you, express lane at the security line, etc.
The problem: I have until December 31st to fly the the last 1600 miles, and have no trips booked.
So now I’m contemplating taking a day trip: Fly to vegas (watch a movie on the iPhone), get off the plane for a few hours and screw around, get back on a plane and fly back (watch another movie on the iPhone). Just to get the miles.
Sick? Perhaps, but it feels worth a day of pain just to get the extra perks for next years travel.
Fiver (December 20, 2007 @ 7:49 am)
Some airlines partner with credit cards and have offers where if you spend a certain amount (or even just sign up in the first place), you can earn miles. Of course, you have to be sure they’re not just “bonus” miles that don’t count towards your qualification status. Then go talk your company into letting you pay for something they need with your card and get reimbursed for it!
smakofs (December 20, 2007 @ 8:40 am)
Yeah, already looked into that. If you “buy” miles, or get “bonus” miles, they don’t count towards MVP. You actually need to fly. Grr.
Omar Shahine (December 20, 2007 @ 9:18 am)
Call them first and see if they will comp you. Tell them how much you plan to fly next year.
If that doesn’t work, fly to Vegas. It is well worth getting MVP Gold.
Me, I managed to rack up 1,000,000 miles on American over a 7 year period and have been given lifetime Gold status and I never need to qualify again.
Clacy (December 20, 2007 @ 12:08 pm)
Give them a call and ask to see what they will do for you, I did this last year and they gave me the status even though I was about 500 miles short. If not, take the trip, it is so worth it. I have a friend who flew to Denver then to Cali then to Vegas and then back to Seattle, just to get the miles for status. He actually called the airlines and figured out the best way to get the miles he needed.
Jonathan (December 20, 2007 @ 3:59 pm)
Make the call…make the trip…do whatever it takes, but get MVP Gold status! i just finished qualifying on my last trip to Seattle, and boy am I ever glad. Head over to FlyerTalk to get tips on mileage runs. They have a ton of members, many on the Alaska Air forum. You can get some ideas there.
Don (December 29, 2007 @ 12:39 pm)
LOL. Going into my fourth straight year with MVP Gold and I can relate to this need to get ‘one more flight’ in. 696 miles per leg is earning it the hard way. Now if San Jose airport would just provide a Gold security line…
smakofs (December 30, 2007 @ 7:04 pm)
They do have EasyPass — but can’t seem to justify it..