In 2016, I earned 49,640 redeemable American Airways AAdvantage miles and 23,820 elite qualifying miles on a single $804 round-trip mileage run to Johannesburg. This mileage run was key to incomes top-tier AAdvantage Govt Platinum standing that yr — however taking this similar mileage run in 2025 can be a lot much less profitable, since I would earn primarily based on fare as an alternative of distance.
Mileage operating appears a lot totally different now than it did in 2016 and even only a few years in the past. For some airline loyalty applications, the mileage run has died off utterly as a consequence of adjustments in the way you earn rewards and elite standing. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless a profitable choice for others — and for some particular conditions.
So, let’s talk about mileage runs, together with what they’re, whether or not you need to ebook one and the way you’d discover the correct one.
What’s a mileage run?
A mileage run is a number of flights you are primarily taking to earn rewards, progress towards qualifying for a better tier of elite standing or each.
Purists may argue {that a} journey is not a mileage run if you happen to truly need to go to the vacation spot and can spend time there, however I consider it is a mileage run if you happen to primarily booked the journey to earn rewards or standing. In different phrases, it is a mileage run if you happen to would not have booked a visit in any respect if not for the rewards or standing you may earn from taking the journey.
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Must you ebook a mileage run?
Every airline loyalty program has totally different insurance policies concerning incomes rewards and elite standing. Nevertheless, mileage runs are normally solely price contemplating for applications the place one of the profitable methods to earn rewards or standing includes flying.
For instance, the associate incomes charts for American Airways AAdvantage nonetheless make mileage runs on choose Oneworld companions profitable. Nevertheless, you must choose the correct mixture of provider, fare, fare class and routing for a mileage run to make extra sense than utilizing a number of the different methods to earn Loyalty Factors.
Mileage runs take money and time, so — particularly if you happen to’re operating for standing — it is price contemplating whether or not the upper standing might be price the fee. It is also price checking whether or not there are different methods you would use earlier than the top of the present qualification interval.
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This is a take a look at a number of of the preferred airline elite statuses, together with learn how to earn every standing:
Typically, reserving a mileage run actually is the best choice. If booked correctly, a mileage run can show a reasonable solution to get the final bit you have to qualify for a extra precious standing earlier than the top of a qualification interval.
A number of latest promotions, comparable to JetBlue’s “25 for 25” promotion and Scandinavian Airways’ EuroBonus problem, have additionally inspired some vacationers to go on a mileage run. For Turkish Airways’ problem for 1 million miles, I went on mileage runs for half of the required continents (Asia, Africa and Australia) because the journey I already wanted to ebook to North America, South America and Europe when the promotion launched made going for the 1 million miles worthwhile.
Associated: Why I don’t care about airline elite standing
Tips on how to ebook a mileage run
If you happen to’ve determined a mileage run is best for you, the following step is to calculate what you want primarily based on the opposite journey you may take earlier than the top of the qualification interval. It is also a good suggestion to double-check the top of your qualification interval.
Then, the enjoyable of discovering a number of journeys that suit your schedule and provide the metrics you want begins. For the latest Turkish problem, I wanted to search out Turkish-marketed and -operated flights that began in or transited by means of Istanbul and landed in cities that Turkish outlined as a part of every continent. Even so, it took some time between my schedule and the wide range of potential locations.
I discovered the best-value flights utilizing Google Flights’ versatile vacation spot function and filters. Google Flights does not provide a solution to eradicate on-line journey businesses from search outcomes, so you may must examine the reserving technique if you need (or want) to ebook straight.
Discovering the most effective mileage run turns into rather more sophisticated if you have to ebook into a particular fare class for elevated incomes charges. The fare class can typically be tough to search out, even when reserving straight with the airline. Typically, you will need to ebook with out realizing the fare class and hope your e-ticket or reserving affirmation exhibits it. No less than on flights that contact the U.S., you possibly can normally cancel inside a set time of reserving and get a refund.
Lastly, as tempting because it may be to rapidly flip round at your vacation spot throughout a mileage run, I like to recommend spending no less than 24 hours at any stops. This allows you to rapidly go to the vacation spot and offers you precious time to recuperate from any delays so you do not miss your onward flights.
Associated: 6 key instruments and tricks to discover the most affordable airfare
Backside line
Some applications provide many various methods to earn rewards and elite standing. However in choose applications, mileage runs are nonetheless essentially the most profitable solution to earn rewards or attain the following elite standing tier. Simply think about the worth you may get from a mileage run to make sure it justifies the fee. Additionally double-check your calculations to make sure the mileage run you are reserving will get you the rewards you need.
