Here’s a United mileage run with oodles of availability I found this morning that I haven’t seen posted elsewhere.
This $99 one-way base airfare between San Francisco and Charlotte was filed back on April 26, and given it hasn’t been pulled yet, this post might stay useful longer than my last mileage run tip. It works in both directions, but I focused on zero- and one-nighters available originating in San Francisco.
Here’s the nitty-gritty and an example itinerary.
Routing: San Francisco to Los Angeles to Washington Dulles to Charlotte r/t
Routing rules: SFO-LAX/DEN-WAS/HOU/DEN/CLE/CHI-CLT
Travel period: Now through January 5, 2014
Dates I found available: Dozens, particularly in Sept/Oct/Nov
Number of nights stay: Many 0-night or 1-nighters available
Day of week restrictions: None
Fare basis: NA14KN, 14-day advance purchase
Fare: $249.40 roundtrip all-in
Premier Qualifying Miles earned: 6,576 (assumes 500-mile minimums)
Cents-per-mile (CPM): 3.79
Example itinerary: (click the image for a larger view)
The above itinerary was found using ITA Matrix, but can be booked on United directly with ease using Hipmunk.
Related posts:
Save Time Using Hipmunk for Multi-Segment Mileage Run Bookings
Looks like Delta matched from LAX…many date options Sep/Oct/Nov.
@shawn: Thanks… and out of SFO, both Delta and American have the same fare filed.
Thanks for the mileage run tip. Hipmunk is a great tool for booking mileage runs, game changer.
@WhatWdJamesDo: Hope you can take advantage of it being SFO-based. I’m dying here in RNO-land now with 5.0+ CPM fares (I miss LAX).
Who in their right mind would even consider a mileage run on United? My god man, what’s the point?
This from an unappreciated 1k of 9 years with over 1.2 million actual miles on United.
Love this blog and I just started flying international for my job this year. I just booked my first Mileage Run to make 1K status (and to go visit my 93 year old grandmother). Flight is $220 r/t from PHX (Phoenix Arizona)to MDT (Harrisburg PA). 4,236 Award Miles ($0.05 / PQM). What’s to do in Harrisburg? Gettysburg war memorial, Hershey tours, go visit Amish country.
I was trying to get to Allentown and was searching Newark, Philly, Allentown/Bethleham and tickets were starting at $500. FOr an 90 minute drive into Allentownwith a family of 3 (I was getting a rental car anyway), I saved $840 total and made it from Platinum to 1K. I will just make it over at 100,040 miles…. Couldn’t have planned that one any better.
@BradK: Thanks and congrats on your first mileage run and 1K status!