A Delta Points Mileage Run to Wenatchee (EAT) – Planning & positioning for the run
A Delta Points Mileage Run to Wenatchee (EAT) – The run to EAT & back
A Delta Points Mileage Run to Wenatchee (EAT) – The SPG Four Points by Sheraton MSP
A Delta Points Mileage Run to Wenatchee (EAT) – The CLUB at SEA
A Delta Points Mileage Run to Wenatchee (EAT) – The totals and points earned
So let’s do the numbers as they say. But first, some reflections on this run and what worked and what did not work.
All of us “runners” (gosh that sounds too 70’s Logan’s Run-ish) should clearly know that MQMs are based on distance + fare class and getting an SDC or Same Day Change can still greatly increase the yield on a run (if you can find the same fare class that is under the latest coach SDC rules).
Naturally with that in mind I called and the only thing open was a suggestion to take 3 legs to MSP. I “reluctantly” 🙂 agreed and made it to MSP with time to spare for a really fun dinner with readers.
The run went well and it was great to get to see so many folks doing the same run as me and TexasYankee. On the return there were no bump options, but I was able to pick up two segments and again earn more MQMs on the way home.
I also ended up burning 8k SPG points for two nights at the Four Points by Sheraton. One of the nights I chose the breakfast but for the other, points so I ended up saving a few points all in.
Oh I forgot to mention the best part of my positioning flights. Flying out of South Bend is rather costly but flying out of Midway in Chicago is not. There was a rather massive schedule change (E8) resulting in, since the two airports are less than 100 miles from each other, a change to go in and out of my home town airport. Just tops!
The numbers for this run, including positioning thanks to SDC adjustments, worked out really well. Here are the results I paid all in $307.80. However I had $150 in voucher’s to burn so it worked out like this:
- Cost for run including positioning flight $157.80
- MQMs earned 8228 and just 0.019 CPM net
- Under the cursed $kyRubles 2015 just 3386 SkyMiles
I guess if you consider the last bit, worth at least 1 cent each with PWM and thus $33.86 back this little junket was very reasonable to be able to earn the better part of 10,000 MQMs or the same as you can get for applying for, being approved and spending just ONE dollar on either the Delta Personal AMEX Reserve card or the same deal for the Delta Business AMEX Reserve card that comes with a non-waived fee of $450 (however that also includes 10,000 SkyMiles).
What to take from all of this craziness is simply this: Delta is only looking out for Delta. They are cutting earnings. They are cutting redemptions. They are clamping down on picky rules to extract max fees from us. They are playing hard nosed with more on the way. If we just play by their rules – we can enjoy the perks that whatever medallion status we are striving for allows! – René
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Hi Rene,
I have been following your EAT mileage run with great interest. I hope you enjoyed our fabulous pacific northwest. On Saturday I took a mileage run PDX-SEA-LAX-SEA-PDX for $201.00 on Alaska. Here’s my tally:
2908 EQMs
2908 MVP Gold bonus miles
1908 SEA promo miles
2000 bonus miles for using the new web bag check for my empty bag
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9724 total miles awarded.
Alaska bumped me to first class on all four legs.
On my layover at LAX, I had lunch at Tito’s tacos in Culver city by way of the Culver City bus for $1.00 each way.
Rene, you inspired me to take this mileage run, thanks.
Rene this series on the EAT run was quite in depth and on point! As read it again I am reminded of many good times such as meeting more @Deltapoints readers and Frequent Fliers face to face, getting the bumps that paid for the entire series, and finding TSA agents that actually have a personality like the 5 agents at security in EAT. I think that after my 2nd of 6 trips through they remembered me (was it the bright Hawaiian shirts?) and I was actually able to converse with them! Oh but wait there is more! The actual warm omelet and sausages for breakfast in FC on the MSP-SEA leg and the totally amazing serving of a large cheeseburger on the SEA-MSP flight! After 3 flights like that the Asian salad like meal somehow did not compare.
The bad or inconvenient part of each run was the need to have the return EAT-SEA boarding pass printed by Alaska Air prior to leaving SEA for EAT. Such a shame that Deta IT cannot figure out how to link to Alaska to print a boarding pass. (we are well into the new millennium …)
Also to every FF who made these runs check your DL mileage balance to be certain that the miles posted for the Alaska portions … (HT to Yohanson on FT) as it may take a nudge to get missing credit for the EAT-SEA leg.
Also having to position and stay in MSP I was able to have different fantastic burgers every night!
For the first time the “cursed $kyRubles 2015” worked in my favor. Just did a quick MSP-AMS-MSP flight in company paid business class (Delta One) for business meetings in Europe and as a Gold elite I earned 67,512 $kyRubles. :))))
@Santastico – Great. Just try not to spend 2-3x as much for an award now (ie always find level 1 awards ONLY)!