Dinner In Paris - The Mileage Run
It happens more often than people realize—the dreaded mileage run at the end of the year to maintain an airline's frequent flyer program status. As the year was ending in 2008, my husband realized that he was going to fall short approximately 6000 miles for platinum status on Continental Airlines. This usually isn’t a significant concern; however, Continental was our primary airline. We flew every month to Mexico and internationally for 17 hours to Israel every year. Losing these perks was going to significantly impact our travel for the foreseeable future, and it was not something that either one of us was looking forward to. So we booked the tickets for the second weekend in December and hopped on a plane from Dallas to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France.
What is a Mileage Run?
For those who don't know, a mileage run is a trip whose primary purpose is to earn elite-qualifying miles or points rather than to reach a specific destination. While the term "mileage run" is most commonly used by frequent flyers to describe flights taken solely for the purpose of earning miles, it can also apply to other types of travel such as hotel stays, car rentals, and even credit card spend.
Why Do People Do Them?
Mileage runs are most commonly done by frequent flyers who are trying to maintain or achieve a higher tier of elite status with their preferred airline or hotel chain. For example, someone who flies 100,000 miles per year and spends 200 nights per year in hotels may be able to achieve "platinum" status with their chosen loyalty programs. However, if they only fly 90,000 miles or stay 180 nights in a given year, they may be downgraded to "gold" status—which could mean losing out on valuable perks like free upgrades and priority boarding. As such, many travelers will take an extra trip or two at the end of the year specifically to earn the extra elite-qualifying miles or points needed to maintain their current status level.
