Able to take a week off during January 2022? Can you get to/from New York’s JFK airport? Because we have a whopper of a mileage run find.
The overall trip is expected to yield over $12,000 Delta MQD and 46,000 MQM.
It involves a pair of JFK to Madrid business class runs on AeroMexico. And everything is currently scheduled to fly on 787 Dreamliners! We’re talking lie-flats on every single one of your eight flights.
Your out-of-pocket cost for flights is about $3014. That comes out to around 6.5 CPM.
Remember that $15,000 MQD is the Diamond Medallion spending threshold; $9,000 gets you Platinum. Depending on your MQM rollover next year, you could easily soar into the top status tiers before February — and keep that status for two years.
We think these prices could disappear rather quickly — so you might want to book now. Remember that you have 24 hours to cancel if you realize it’s not possible for you.
The New York to Madrid AeroMexico Runs
Here’s the basic schedule for your week:
- Sunday: Depart JFK
- Monday: Arrive in Madrid
- Tuesday: Free day in Madrid
- Wednesday: Depart late at night (you may need a COVID test before you depart)
- Thursday: Arrive at JFK and spend the night in New York.
- Friday: Depart JFK (you may need another COVID test in US good for return Sunday flight)
- Saturday: Arrive and depart Madrid
- Sunday: Arrive at JFK.
This could be a great way to use some hotel points and/or anniversary night certificates from hotel co-branded credit cards.
These are what the flights look like:
Each run travels 15,440 miles and is an AeroMexico “I” fare (see code below from a booking). Because of how Delta SkyMiles recognizes partner itineraries, that combination should yield for each run:
- ~$6176 MQD
- ~23,290 MQM (per Unofficial SkyMiles Calculator)
- ~31,052 Base redeemable SkyMiles before any applicable elite status bonuses: Diamond + 120%; Platinum + 80%; Gold + 60%; Silver + 40%
(Heck, even one run is pretty darn good.)
Take both runs and you’ll end up with:
- ~$12,352 MQD
- ~46,580 MQM (per Unofficial SkyMiles Calculator)
- ~62,104 Base redeemable SkyMiles before any applicable elite status bonuses: Diamond + 120%; Platinum + 80%; Gold + 60%; Silver + 40%
Right now, we see it available every week in January.
Keep in mind you may need to find somewhere to get a COVID test before reentering the United States. And you must adhere to whatever health requirements Spain has.
Purchasing the Run
Here’s a route to consider: start your purchase through TopCashback. Then click through to Priceline. You should get $4 back per itinerary you book. (Hey, it’s better than a kick to the head.) Don’t pay for seats. Once you book your trip, take your AeroMexico PNR and go into AeroMexico’s website to select your seats.
The way Priceline codes purchases is interesting. In the past, some people reported they received 5X Membership Rewards points when paying with their The Platinum Card® from American Express and 3X Ultimate Rewards points with a Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Your mileage may vary. Just food for thought.
Or if you have The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, consider booking through AmexTravel. You can get a 35% rebate on any Membership Rewards points you apply against your purchase. So if you used 301,400 Membership Rewards points to pay the entire trip, you’d still reap all the MQD, MQM, and SkyMiles benefits — and ultimately spend only about 196,000 Membership Rewards points. (One trip alone pays the card’s annual fee twice over and then some.)
I’ve heard from some people who booked or are interested in the ORD-Madrid run. A few are enlisting the help of Juicy Miles‘ Delta and SkyTeam expert to do the heavy lifting for them. If you have difficulty finding the itinerary and/or are understandably a little apprehensive about booking MQD runs, it’s worth your time and money to consult Juicy Miles. They have a staff of fellow mileage run nerds like us. They want to make sure you get every single MQD and mile possible.
Even better: save money! Pay with Membership Rewards points through Juicy Miles’ new American Express partnership.
Final Approach
If you have the ways and means to take a week off in January and get to New York, this could help make you Platinum or Diamond before February. You’d have the status through January 2024 — and could spend the 23-ish months racking up roll over MQM.
- Don’t miss a single run. Subscribe HERE mileage run email alerts!
- Need to learn how to find a run? See THIS Rookie post for a how-to guide!
- Want a custom-built run from your home airport? You can find one here.
Featured image: ©iStock.com/SeanPavonePhoto
To see the rates and fees for the American Express cards featured above, please visit the following links:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express (See Rates and Fees)
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (See Rates and Fees)
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Chris-
From the Juicy Miles team; a great deal you found there! Yes, we have been booking several clients on this (or similar) and many other Mileage Runs. Looking ahead, we’re hoping that many more destinations open up for travelers.
A reminder to anyone booking, two things:
1) Aeromexico does (and often) make unannounced schedule changes and even flight cancellations. The Juicy Miles team monitors these for all our clients,
2) Aeromexico’s cancellation policy is a strict 24 hours; not until midnight the following business day (just a head’s up for readers)
Thanks for mentioning our service and we know your readers will find many more great values from your posts!
How do you get to 12,000. MQD’s when spending just around 3,100.? Thank you!
@Thomas – The MQD is based on a percentage of distance flown and fare class on partner airlines. See this post to learn more: https://renespoints.boardingarea.com/2017/10/09/protip-the-2019-delta-medallion-elite-year-rewards-mileage-runners/
This is interesting because the flights on AM site are like $3000 but via priceline, it’s $1501. When this was ticketed, it did confirm in Business with seat selection? On the AM site, it showed “Comfort” for this fare.
@JJ – See screen shots in post from a ticket i.e. YES!
How do you get status for 2 years? is it because you earned it in 2022, you get to keep it for 2022 and all next year?
Correct.
@Gene – Keep in mind after 1JAN2022 you are earning status for 2023 flying year. Once you hit whatever status you get it “free” during 2022 and fly the earned year in 2023. That is how you get 2 years of status.
Also how about the MQM part. Looks you will be low on that, or is it only MQD part that counts?
As I wrote, “Depending on your MQM rollover next year…” I know people who are rolling over anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000+ MQM next year. So the allure for them is the MQD earnings. If you start the year with 0 MQM, then you’ll earn Silver status with this plan and be just short of Gold. But you’ll also be about 80% of the way to Diamond’s MQD requirement — and well past Platinum’s. Then you can focus more on MQM earning (Delta Amex Cards, MQM runs, “normal” travel, etc.). And maybe take another run to hit the Diamond MQD level and score a bunch more MQM.
This is an amazing run: thank you for posting! Juicy Miles is brilliant for their hard work on this! The 787-9 flat-bed makes it nicer. Let me ask the odd-ball hard “gut feeling” question–about your sense of health and safety issues forecasting about what it will be like come January in both Mexico and Spain. Each of them has been really hard hit now, terribly so. And going through the customs/immigration line in Mexico’s airport–not a fun experience where it’s possible to imagine social distance would be maintained. Are you comfortable “ballparking’ the safety issue on the mileage run? May I ask if you would be comfortable doing it?
My pleasure! I love finding and posting runs.
I’m vaccinated and will get a booster, if recommended. So I’d be comfortable doing it. Several people I know and trust are doing the run.
Does anyone know where in either JFK or MEX to obtain the required COVID-19 tests to enter Spain. Then on the return side where to obtain the required test to enter the USA? Is a test required to enter MEX ( I don’t believe it is required) Will AM require the test to board in Spain or will they only require the test to board in MEX for the USA and if this is the case is testing available in the MEX airport. I’m interested in doing this great mileage run, but the COVID-19 testing makes it difficult to commit.
@Bill – See the links in the post for testing info from the US government. Now keep in mind these rules may change by JAN2022 (if that is when you plan to run them). If you are doing a “turn and burn” run you can get tested in the US the day before you fly and be inside the 3 day window and present that in Spain to board. If a longer layover or the two runs as shown in the post you will need to find a place to get tested in Spain to present to fly home (again under current rules that may change by then).
This blogger has some good info for you to read up on: https://blog.wego.com/covid-test-madrid/
You can also check with your insurance provider if they cover the costs of COVID testing.
My personal hope is that by that point in time proof of vaccination i.e. some kind of vaccine passport will remove the need for testing. Time will tell.
Rene, thanks for your advice. Here is my situation. I’m DM now with 220k MQM because of a mr in Jan 2020 and will meet the card spend, but not MQD, this year. If I wait until 2021 to do the MR, Delta will take 75k MQM and I’ll be PM for 2021 if wait until 2021 to do the MR, so I may do 2 MR this year. I hate to burn 75k MQM this year and then burn 125k early in 2021. I really don’t want to do 2 “turn and burn” but even after reading the blog I’m nervous about testing in Madrid. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks!
@Bill – The math question really is up to you and what you want (I plan to go into 2022 as Silver and end JAN as Diamond). As to testing – per the way I read the “3 day rule”, if you do the run suggested above, you can get a test at JFK (or near JFK) on Sunday that would be good for return on Wednesday eve flight starting your return. Then, test again on Friday in JFK (or near JFK) for the second run. That way, if you happen to test positive, you will not be suck 10 days in Europe.
Does this help?
Thanks Rene. That does help clarify my options.
Rene, I have been DM since the program began, but have a rookie question. Because am a 2MM member, Delta “gifts” me GM status and have done so for 2022. I have those 220k MQM. If I purposely don’t meet the card spend requirement with Delta by shifting my spending to another card and do not fly at least 25k miles in 2021 (& I likely will not) will the 220k MQM rollover to 2022? If they will, I’m just going to wait on the mr until January 2022 like you. I ought to know the answer but with all of the changes because of the pandemic, I just do not.
Thanks for putting up with dumb questions from an old rookie.
Bill
Not a dumb question at all. The MQM
Will not rollover, unfortunately.
Well heck I was afraid that was the case. Back to the drawing board. Thanks!
@Bill – I am 1MM and have gifted Silver but still must EARN Silver ie MQMs and MQD to have any rollover. That is my plan i.e. to enter 1JAN2022 as Silver, rollover a ton of MQMs, and make Diamond again by the end of JAN 2022.
A possible solution: book a Delta partner run that gets you $3k in MQD and 25k in MQM. (Our Delta & SkyTeam specialist at Juicy Miles could whip up something for you.)
Thanks to you both.
I’d better start finding enough flights to earn 25k miles.
@Bill – Your rollover MQMs count – you just need the other part of the math i.e. either MQD waver via CC spend or MQD via flight spend. Clear?
Remember, too, that Delta is giving 50% boosts to MQM and MQD on Main Cabin and Basic Economy tickets (including award bookings) through 2021. Premium Cabin (first class, PE, C+, D1) get 75% bonus. Consider that first class tickets have 50% bonuses before that. So you can hit 25k and $3k without too much pain.
Well duh!!
Got it.
Travel & planning travel once washout easy.
Make that so easy.
Need to check before posting
Rene & Chris, just thought I would let you know that I finally just booked two JFK-MAD flights, both in Jan 2022. I’ll stay in Madrid a couple of days ( hopefully not just in the airport as may be required now) on the first, then do a “turn & burn” on the second. By JAN 2022 hopefully all of Europe including Spain will open up to those of us who are vaccinated.
@Bill – Fun! I do also really really really hope by JAN 2022 COVID testing for fully vaccinated is a thing of the past.
Just an FYI,
As we have been helping lots of RenesPoints readers book these Mileage Runs, we have been seeing Aeromexico re-adjust fares on many dates significantly upward. Since we use two licensed travel agents to support our Mileage Run system, we have access to see inventory (seat & fare class) availability. As we can see, Aeromexico is incrementally beginning to close the door on many dates.
So, if you are on the fence, this may be the last opportunity for some of these great Mileage Run fares.
I’m in the middle of this run right now, in Madrid. Curious about how long does it takes for credit to show up on SkyMiles account?
Generally within a few days of trip completion. Make sure to keep your boarding passes and other documentation just in case there’s a hiccup crediting your points.
Have a great trip!
Steve,
Miles Jackson here from Juicy Miles.
From our client’s experience, we’ve seen earnings posted as quickly as 2 hours — and as long as 10 days.
We just had a couple fly from Paris to Nice and stay two nights. She was Silver Medallion departing Paris but Gold on the flight back!
There’s no rhyme or reason. Delta advises waiting two weeks before getting concerned.
Thank you.
Hey Miles,
The JFK-MEX-MAD route hit the account in 4 days. Thanks again for the info.
Steve.
Steve-
Glad to hear it! You’re very welcome.
Now, who’s looking ahead to early 2022 requalifications? Hmmm?
Hey Steve,
Did you get a Covid test in Madrid & if so where? Cost/timing?
Thanks
Got 4 different places for Madrid, I think from ministry of Spain website. Went to closest one from hotel. Clinamat c/Francisco Silvela No46. Just minutes walk from Diego de León metro station. 30 min on results that I waited for. They said 45 but got it in 30. I’ve had terrible cell service here and wifi so I wast risking getting cut off from an emed binax test I brought.
Thanks Steve. I’ll check the website before my MR.
Covid tests are no longer available in the Madrid airport effective 12/31/2021. With the OMRON now in Spain, tests are in short supply and I have not been able to schedule at test anywhere in Madrid. Has anyone had better luck getting a test and if so where?
I may have to cancel this MR with Aeromexico. Has anyone done that and gotten a refund?
@Bill – Order fast: https://store.optum.com/shop/products/abbott-binaxNOW-COVID-19-ag-at-home-test-kit-3-pack/
Rene thank you for the info, but their website says to expect delay in filling/delivery. I’m afraid I’ve waited too late to get their test.