# Point Chasing



## GBNorman (Oct 14, 2018)

For '17, I missed United Premier standing by some 500 miles. Aside from a cursory peek if you could "buy your way in" (you can't; you have to "fly your way in"), I ignored it with a "so what"('18; "not even close" - only three round trip flights).

However, others are not of same mind as this New York Times article appearing today reports:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/travel/points-southwest-short-trip.html

Fair Use:



> On the shortest day of 2017, a day with less than eight hours of daylight available in my corner of the Northern Hemisphere, I squandered any opportunity I had to soak up some vitamin D, choosing instead to sit in planes and airports. I was a woman on a mission. An inane, pathetic mission, but a mission nonetheless.
> 
> Three weeks earlier, I had decided to fly from Baltimore to Providence, R.I., have lunch with a friend, then return home in time for dinner. Projected time on planes: two hours, 30 minutes. Projected time in airports: three hours. Projected time in cabs to and from airports: 70 minutes. Estimated time in Providence, not counting airport or taxi: two hours, 20 minutes. And that was if nothing went wrong a big if four days before Christmas.


At least, the reporter had a friend with whom she rendezvoused on her "points run".

While I know many here take Amtrak joyrides, as did I pre-Amtrak, but still, how many will take a commercial airplane flight simply for the joy of flying?


----------



## jis (Oct 14, 2018)

I have done it on many occasions. Last year I did it to make 1K. I might do so again this year. Those 6 GPUs are potentially worth over $10,000. I used two GPUs for RT to Athens, which came to a value of over $6,000.

Last year my 1K qualifying points run (well it was more of a dollars run) was to London and back. At the destination there were five days of intense train riding on a Britrail Pass and a Eurostar RT to Paris. Not bad.


----------



## railiner (Oct 14, 2018)

The ultimate 'joyriding' I enjoyed, was back when this incredible deal was offered....

https://worldairlinenews.com/2012/07/14/prop-it-up-mohawks-incredible-weekends-unlimited/

Then there was this amazing offer, if you could afford it (and not subsequently lose it for alleged abuse)...

https://thehustle.co/aairpass-american-airlines-250k-lifetime-ticket/

As for "the joy of flying"....I think that it might be a lot more "joyful", if instead of flying commercially in today's environment, you invested those funds in getting a license, and flying yourself...


----------



## BCL (Oct 14, 2018)

I've only chased points with Amtrak Guest Rewards. That one was meant for gaming when they had the 100 point minimum per segment. I'd do all sorts of crazy things including breaking up trips using multi-city booking - even with a $13 ticket price. Also some points runs taking 2.5 hours.

I thought that United had already moved to price-based points. Way back when, one popular points run was SFO-OAK just to get one or two last segments, or perhaps the 500 minimum miles per segment.


----------



## jis (Oct 14, 2018)

I chase Select+ with Amtrak mainly because I wish to contribute some to Amtrak's financial health. Otherwise I have relatively little use for it anymore since its main attraction for me, lounge access to Metropolitan Lounges, I can usually get because in the ML cities I usually travel by Sleeper or BC. The upgrades, unless I manage to donate to someone, mostly goes waste, since there is nothing to upgrade to in Florida.

On United OTOH, if I am traveling 90,000' miles and $9,000 anyway, it is worth chasing after 1K. With the increase in qualifying requirements for 2020, it will become less worthwhile. But the 6GPUs can be worth well north of $10,000 if one gets to make good use of them. The value of Platinum level is considerably less, and I have it by default anyway, so even if I don;t fly at all I still have it from lifetime miles.

United is priced and miles based. 1K is 100,000 miles and $12,000 for 2019, $15,000 for 2020. For upto Platinum level one can convert PQMs from the Presidential Plus Card stash of PQMs to reach the mileage threshold, but have to meet the dollar threshold on its own. No such use of Presidential Plus PQM are allowed for 1K.


----------



## GBNorman (Oct 14, 2018)

Don't know how, but somehow my three flights (ORD-MIA-ORD; ORD-MUC-ORD; ORD-RIC-ORD) got my United miles this year to 20255 and 24212 PQM (guess that means Premier Qualifying Miles).

So I suppose some will say to take a 788 mile round trip flight somewhere before the end of the year?

I'm off to Atlanta this Friday, but I'm stopping in Nashville to see friends, so that means drive. Uh "not about to" text my N'vile friends with a "catch u whnevr" line and fly at a last minute fare just to get those points to be Premier.

Off hand, what is Premier to me? In order to get priority with TSA, you have to sign up and pay up for Pre-Check. Since I fly First or Business when available, I get Group 1 for boarding anyway (if a 50 seat ERJ-145, who cares about boarding group?).


----------



## jis (Oct 15, 2018)

Premier is not worth much. That is why it also does not take much to become one. A BF intercontinental trip to almost anywhere in Eurasia gets you to Premier or close to it.


----------



## GBNorman (Oct 15, 2018)

There's much to suggest that "general population" at ORD, works as well with TSA as does any United priority checkpoints, save I guess the TSA sponsored "Pre-Check".

This past August leaving for MUC and flying Business, the "greeter" at the priority checkpoint said "the quickest way through is with Economy. They have seven Agents down there; here there are only two".

RIC last week, it wasn't a case of "General Population"; it was a case of "what population". Step right up and be through in sixty seconds.

At MIA this past January, riding Metrorail, I met this very nice gal who worked for a concessionaire on the concourse United uses (they're just a bit player at MIA). "Just stay with me, I get you through TSA on the quick". She said something in Espanol to an Agent, checked ID, scanned me and my bag (I haven't checked a bag in probably thirty five years), and that was that other than give this gal a heartfelt "Gracias".


----------

