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This whole setup doesnt make sense for me. Flying as a whole is not that comfy even if you are flying first class. Pack + taxi + controls + wait in lounge + wai

This whole setup doesnt make sense for me. Flying as a whole is not that comfy even if you are flying first class. Pack + taxi + controls + wait in lounge + wait boarding and etc. I believe not needing to fly is more luxurious life than flying. If your job requires you to fly, than business class is there just for that purpose :) (company pays)

eganist 7y ago
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I just finished a mileage run. It made sense for me because I already had the status this year (not from a prior mileage run), which meant I ended up being upgraded on every flight and e.g. flying overnight and showering in airport lounges rather than burning time in hotels. I used it as an opportunity to catch up with old friends in far away places. Worked out pretty well.
- toomuchtodo 7y ago
  I think it's one of those things that you have to be "in the know" to understand and experience the benefits, and why a mileage run or other status qualifying event is worth the time and effort. Same reason some folks have no value getting Global Entry, but for a frequent traveler, being saved from one missed flight due to border control time deltas (looking at your YYZ!) makes the $100 fee and the interview worth it.
  - eganist 7y ago
    I think you're largely right. I derive pretty good value from the programs I'm enrolled in, so a mileage run makes sense to keep doing the things I'd like to do next year at a relative discount.
  - yibg 7y ago
    Nexus is probably one of the best investments I’ve ever made. The amount of time saved from that one little card has been incredible.
    - asciimike 7y ago
      I don't live on the border so I had to stick with Global Entry, but I totally agree that Nexus is the way to go if you can swing it. I also got the APEC Business Travel Card ($70 addon to Global Entry) that gets you the diplomatic line in ~20 countries while on business travel. Has literally saved me hours in line in Tokyo, Taipei, and Hong Kong.
    - wenc 7y ago
      Agreed. Nexus also bundles access to Global Entry and TSA precheck at no extra cost -- a good investment for $50 over 5 years (works out to $10/yr!). It's the best deal ever, not only for travel between U.S. and Canada, but also from any other destination to/from U.S. and Canada and within the U.S. and Canada domestically. I travel regularly from U.S. to Europe and I get full GE and Precheck privileges through Nexus. I usually clear customs in less than 5 minutes as opposed to 1.5 hr line at larger airports like ATL.
- not_a_moth 7y ago
  Ha I have United Platinum status and I rarely get upgraded to business. My typical flights are international or fully booked coast-to-coast, where being in business would actually be nice to lie down. I almost always end up having to purchase the upgrades outright if prices aren't jacked up. Really the only value I care about from the status is premier check in desks across star alliance, which isn't that enviable. More than signifying anything enviable, top airline status basically just means you get a crap ton of extra radiation exposure every year (e.g. SFO to Tokyo is a chest x-ray per hour, 20 microSv, if you didn't know). Really not worth going out of your way to get.
  - chrisseaton 7y ago
    > Ha I have 100k United status and I almost never get upgraded to business. I get upgraded transatlantic with just Gold occasionally so not sure why you are being so unlucky.
    - not_a_moth 7y ago
      You won't get upgraded if it's a full flight and most biz seats are paid for, even with GPU. With gold especially unlikely, that will put you in the middle of a usually 50 person waitlist for 3 or 4 available seats. All depends on how busy chosen routes are.
      - asciimike 7y ago
        Can confirm (1k with 125k+ BIS miles). My GPUs rarely clear on any reasonable route.
    - asciimike 7y ago
      You must be sweet talking the gate agent, because UA CPU's aren't applied for transatlantic flights: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/mileageplus/awards/upgrade.html https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/mileageplus/awards/upgr... I'll shill caniupgrade.flights which has info on which flights can be upgraded using various instruments. I need to update it for PlusPoints, but otherwise it's accurate.
deleted 7y ago
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JumpCrisscross 7y ago
> Flying as a whole is not that comfy To each their own. A lay-flat seat is like a mini-vacation strapped onto work trips. I’ve never done a mileage run, but I’ve certainly increased spend on a route (e.g. buy buying a nicer ticket upfront) to hit thresholds because those thresholds are meaningful to me.
- asciimike 7y ago
  Flying up front is vastly different from being in the back, especially on a premium fist product (Lufthansa or ANA in *A, or Cathay, Emirates, Qatar, etc.). I used to fly to India for business and I could always score a first upgrade BLR -> FRA, which meant I could use the LH first class terminal (separate building) during the layover back to the states. 200+ bottles of whisky, a cigar room, an entire leg of jamon iberico, bathtubs where you could grab a bottle of champagne off the wall and drink while you lounged, dedicated customs, and a Porsche to drive you directly to your departing aircraft. I wouldn't pay O(10k) for a ticket, but it's a pretty good time when you can upgrade it.
  - ethbro 7y ago
    It seems like there are two divergent characteristics that lead to the differences of opinions on this. 1) Has someone ever flown in a premium class on a non-US carrier? 2) Has someone taken advantage of the end-to-end amenities? E.g. premium lounges, etc. Personally, first class on American is an order of magnitude worse service than business on ANA or Cathay. So I could see someone saying "What's the point?" if they primarily fly domestics.
    - yibg 7y ago
      Big difference between domestic and international too. United international business class is pretty good (not Cathay, Ana etc first class good but on par with day Cathay business class) lounge and all are pretty up to par I think.
      - asciimike 7y ago
rolltiide 7y ago
Learn how to pack and its not a chore. A woman taught me some techniques to optimize packing and space, and ironically other women say its only possible because I am a man. When you have preauthorization from the government for security the controls are not time consuming, and means less variance in how long you need to get to your plane So that means much less waiting, but if you wish to wait then you typically have several lounge options to choose from if you desire And with status you board earlier which also means less drama regarding getting on or whats going to happen to your carryon bag It requires some finesse but its a much more parallel experience to casual travelers subject to the full stress of air travel Also with the points you are more frequently booking convenient flights that would otherwise be economically irrational
- ghaff 7y ago
  With Pre-Check, I'm usually through security in the US pretty quickly. But I hate feeling rushed or worrying about being late so I still normally leave plenty of time and, as you say, can usually hang out in a lounge and/or get a meal so it's pretty comfortable. I worked for a guy once and when we traveled together (pre-9/11) he'd get a cab from our downtown location to the airport planning to arrive 30 minutes or whatever before the flight. Drove me crazy.
- Aloha 7y ago
  I'm on the road 150+ nights a year. Packing can be easy. For example, I roll everything, makes it much easier to tetris them into the bag and they don't come out as wrinkled on the other end, they also compress a little better. Similarly TSA PreCheck is a must, yes, I hate effectively paying a bribe to bypass the security theatre, but I also hate dealing with getting undressed at the checkpoint - the fact is, the security theatre exists to keep the infrequently flying public feeling safe - and if that results in more relaxed travelers, that also makes my life better. I mostly focus on Hotel Status over airlines, thats gonna change, I'll likely try for status this year or next at American.
  - ghaff 7y ago
    I don't find hotel status buys me a huge amount. I prioritize Marriott all other things being equal and I probably get upgraded more than the average joe as a result. But I don't find perks like lounges that big a deal and often stay in suite hotels anyway where they don't even exist. I'd rather stay in a convenient location than do unnatural acts to stay with a specific chain. There also tend to be much bigger cost differences among hotels than airlines.
yibg 7y ago
While not exactly a mileage run I did pick United over an alternative cheaper flight just to get to the next status tier. I agree flying sucks even in business / first, but if I’m gonna fly (which for sure I’ll have to next year), might as well make it a bit more comfortable.
supercommand 7y ago
Sounds like you’re in America. Elsewhere the ride to the airport is a quick cheap train. Electronic boarding so no need to checkin. But even if you do you’ve got a dedicated counter with someone waiting for you. Controls are under 2 minutes. Less than that if you have status you essentially walk through. (Fuck the American tsa those incompetent fools). And lounges overseas at a decent airline are like high end spas or better. Checkout cathays first class lounge in hk. Or Singapore’s lounge for pps. Then again, status at airlines that are not American come with some pretty excellent perks that are not found in America. I’d take a long haul to retain status. The routes I fly and the frequency makes it a necessity. Taking a hot shower the minute you step off a plane before you meet a client is worth every dollar.

eganist 7y ago

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I just finished a mileage run. It made sense for me because I already had the status this year (not from a prior mileage run), which meant I ended up being upgraded on every flight and e.g. flying overnight and showering in airport lounges rather than burning time in hotels. I used it as an opportunity to catch up with old friends in far away places. Worked out pretty well.

toomuchtodo 7y ago
I think it's one of those things that you have to be "in the know" to understand and experience the benefits, and why a mileage run or other status qualifying event is worth the time and effort. Same reason some folks have no value getting Global Entry, but for a frequent traveler, being saved from one missed flight due to border control time deltas (looking at your YYZ!) makes the $100 fee and the interview worth it.
- eganist 7y ago
  I think you're largely right. I derive pretty good value from the programs I'm enrolled in, so a mileage run makes sense to keep doing the things I'd like to do next year at a relative discount.
- yibg 7y ago
  Nexus is probably one of the best investments I’ve ever made. The amount of time saved from that one little card has been incredible.
  - asciimike 7y ago
    I don't live on the border so I had to stick with Global Entry, but I totally agree that Nexus is the way to go if you can swing it. I also got the APEC Business Travel Card ($70 addon to Global Entry) that gets you the diplomatic line in ~20 countries while on business travel. Has literally saved me hours in line in Tokyo, Taipei, and Hong Kong.
  - wenc 7y ago
    Agreed. Nexus also bundles access to Global Entry and TSA precheck at no extra cost -- a good investment for $50 over 5 years (works out to $10/yr!). It's the best deal ever, not only for travel between U.S. and Canada, but also from any other destination to/from U.S. and Canada and within the U.S. and Canada domestically. I travel regularly from U.S. to Europe and I get full GE and Precheck privileges through Nexus. I usually clear customs in less than 5 minutes as opposed to 1.5 hr line at larger airports like ATL.
not_a_moth 7y ago
Ha I have United Platinum status and I rarely get upgraded to business. My typical flights are international or fully booked coast-to-coast, where being in business would actually be nice to lie down. I almost always end up having to purchase the upgrades outright if prices aren't jacked up. Really the only value I care about from the status is premier check in desks across star alliance, which isn't that enviable. More than signifying anything enviable, top airline status basically just means you get a crap ton of extra radiation exposure every year (e.g. SFO to Tokyo is a chest x-ray per hour, 20 microSv, if you didn't know). Really not worth going out of your way to get.
- chrisseaton 7y ago
  > Ha I have 100k United status and I almost never get upgraded to business. I get upgraded transatlantic with just Gold occasionally so not sure why you are being so unlucky.
  - not_a_moth 7y ago
    You won't get upgraded if it's a full flight and most biz seats are paid for, even with GPU. With gold especially unlikely, that will put you in the middle of a usually 50 person waitlist for 3 or 4 available seats. All depends on how busy chosen routes are.
    - asciimike 7y ago
      Can confirm (1k with 125k+ BIS miles). My GPUs rarely clear on any reasonable route.
  - asciimike 7y ago
    You must be sweet talking the gate agent, because UA CPU's aren't applied for transatlantic flights: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/mileageplus/awards/upgrade.html https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/mileageplus/awards/upgr... I'll shill caniupgrade.flights which has info on which flights can be upgraded using various instruments. I need to update it for PlusPoints, but otherwise it's accurate.

deleted 7y ago

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JumpCrisscross 7y ago

> Flying as a whole is not that comfy To each their own. A lay-flat seat is like a mini-vacation strapped onto work trips. I’ve never done a mileage run, but I’ve certainly increased spend on a route (e.g. buy buying a nicer ticket upfront) to hit thresholds because those thresholds are meaningful to me.

asciimike 7y ago
Flying up front is vastly different from being in the back, especially on a premium fist product (Lufthansa or ANA in *A, or Cathay, Emirates, Qatar, etc.). I used to fly to India for business and I could always score a first upgrade BLR -> FRA, which meant I could use the LH first class terminal (separate building) during the layover back to the states. 200+ bottles of whisky, a cigar room, an entire leg of jamon iberico, bathtubs where you could grab a bottle of champagne off the wall and drink while you lounged, dedicated customs, and a Porsche to drive you directly to your departing aircraft. I wouldn't pay O(10k) for a ticket, but it's a pretty good time when you can upgrade it.
- ethbro 7y ago
  It seems like there are two divergent characteristics that lead to the differences of opinions on this. 1) Has someone ever flown in a premium class on a non-US carrier? 2) Has someone taken advantage of the end-to-end amenities? E.g. premium lounges, etc. Personally, first class on American is an order of magnitude worse service than business on ANA or Cathay. So I could see someone saying "What's the point?" if they primarily fly domestics.
  - yibg 7y ago
    Big difference between domestic and international too. United international business class is pretty good (not Cathay, Ana etc first class good but on par with day Cathay business class) lounge and all are pretty up to par I think.
    - asciimike 7y ago

rolltiide 7y ago

Learn how to pack and its not a chore. A woman taught me some techniques to optimize packing and space, and ironically other women say its only possible because I am a man. When you have preauthorization from the government for security the controls are not time consuming, and means less variance in how long you need to get to your plane So that means much less waiting, but if you wish to wait then you typically have several lounge options to choose from if you desire And with status you board earlier which also means less drama regarding getting on or whats going to happen to your carryon bag It requires some finesse but its a much more parallel experience to casual travelers subject to the full stress of air travel Also with the points you are more frequently booking convenient flights that would otherwise be economically irrational

ghaff 7y ago
With Pre-Check, I'm usually through security in the US pretty quickly. But I hate feeling rushed or worrying about being late so I still normally leave plenty of time and, as you say, can usually hang out in a lounge and/or get a meal so it's pretty comfortable. I worked for a guy once and when we traveled together (pre-9/11) he'd get a cab from our downtown location to the airport planning to arrive 30 minutes or whatever before the flight. Drove me crazy.
Aloha 7y ago
I'm on the road 150+ nights a year. Packing can be easy. For example, I roll everything, makes it much easier to tetris them into the bag and they don't come out as wrinkled on the other end, they also compress a little better. Similarly TSA PreCheck is a must, yes, I hate effectively paying a bribe to bypass the security theatre, but I also hate dealing with getting undressed at the checkpoint - the fact is, the security theatre exists to keep the infrequently flying public feeling safe - and if that results in more relaxed travelers, that also makes my life better. I mostly focus on Hotel Status over airlines, thats gonna change, I'll likely try for status this year or next at American.
- ghaff 7y ago
  I don't find hotel status buys me a huge amount. I prioritize Marriott all other things being equal and I probably get upgraded more than the average joe as a result. But I don't find perks like lounges that big a deal and often stay in suite hotels anyway where they don't even exist. I'd rather stay in a convenient location than do unnatural acts to stay with a specific chain. There also tend to be much bigger cost differences among hotels than airlines.

yibg 7y ago

While not exactly a mileage run I did pick United over an alternative cheaper flight just to get to the next status tier. I agree flying sucks even in business / first, but if I’m gonna fly (which for sure I’ll have to next year), might as well make it a bit more comfortable.

supercommand 7y ago

Sounds like you’re in America. Elsewhere the ride to the airport is a quick cheap train. Electronic boarding so no need to checkin. But even if you do you’ve got a dedicated counter with someone waiting for you. Controls are under 2 minutes. Less than that if you have status you essentially walk through. (Fuck the American tsa those incompetent fools). And lounges overseas at a decent airline are like high end spas or better. Checkout cathays first class lounge in hk. Or Singapore’s lounge for pps. Then again, status at airlines that are not American come with some pretty excellent perks that are not found in America. I’d take a long haul to retain status. The routes I fly and the frequency makes it a necessity. Taking a hot shower the minute you step off a plane before you meet a client is worth every dollar.