I’m sure we’ll get dragged through the mud for this Christmas vacation business class trip to London. But if you love London, love flying, want to spend almost a week (or base yourself) there, are up for a little adventure, and want some Delta Air Lines MQD and MQM, this might interest you.
Please note that Delta Air Lines SkyMiles no longer awards Medallion Qualification Miles (MQM) or Medallion Qualification Segments (MQS). Some of the offers in this post may be expired. This post remains published for reference and historical purposes.
It’s an itinerary spread across three Delta partners: Air France, KLM, and AeroMexico. KLM is the ticketing airline of record. If you want to earn Delta MQM, MQD, and redeemable SkyMiles, choose Delta SkyMiles as your preferred frequent flyer program and enter your SkyMiles number.
(If you’re new to the site: hello! And no, you will not be flying Delta but can still earn Delta miles. Here’s how.)
First things first — and keep an open mind here. This is a roundtrip from Tijuana, Mexico — which is about 23 miles from San Diego International Airport. (If you don’t live in Southern California, you’ll have to position yourself to/from SAN — even or TIJ). Don’t freak out about the cartels. You can enter the Tijuana airport via the Cross Border Express pedestrian bridge from the United States and not have to venture into the city of Tijuana.
The trip departs Saturday, December 23, and flies from Tijuana to Mexico City on AeroMexico. You’ll be in Business Class on an AeroMexico 737 — which is pretty much US domestic First Class. You have some airport appreciation time in MEX — enough to visit the AeroMexico lounges (included with your fare) and/or hit the American Express Centurion Lounge.
Then you’re in an Air France 777’s lie-flat seat-bed to Paris. From there, you go to Amsterdam on an Air France Airbus A320 and then on to London in a 737. That’s European Business Class — which is coach, just with no one sitting next to you.
You fly the route in reverse on the way home. However, this includes an overnight in Amsterdam — which is perfect if you need to burn a hotel credit card’s annual free night certificate!
You depart London at 5:50 PM on Friday, December 29, and return to Tijuana late on Saturday, December 30.
This fare prices out at $2,301.64 USD. That’s about on par for other business class (and shorter) trips from San Diego during the same dates. But this is basically a vacation trip with the added bonus of elevated Delta MQD earnings.
Because of how Delta partner flights earn miles and points WHEN YOU CREDIT THEM TO YOUR SKYMILES NUMBER (please read this), you should earn:
- $6,094 MQD (a return of about 2.64X — not stellar but, hey, Christmas in London!)
- 24,464 MQM (9.4 CPMQM — not very exciting. But did I mention Christmas in London?)
- 16,308 redeemable SkyMiles (before any applicable Medallion bonuses)
If you need help booking the trip — or maybe even tweaking it a little — the Mileage Run department at point.me (formerly Juicy Miles) can take care of you.
Book Soon
Many of the deals we blog about usually disappear quickly after we tell you about them. “Why’s that?” you ask?
- The airline sees it and hikes the price ASAP, or
- Readers snatch up the available inventory, or
- Both of the above
“Can You Help Me Find a Trip That I Like?”
I’m often asked if I have a travel booking service. I don’t — but can recommend one of the best out there.
Please check out the folks at point.me.
They can help you create a fantastic trip using your miles and points (or straight-up cash). Here’s a link to their site. They also have an awesome self-serve future that’s like Google Flights — but using points and miles! Go here and click “Sign Up.” Scroll down to “I have a code!” and enter “EYEOFTHEFLYER.” Kick the tires for free — it’s on me!
Mileage-run wise, if you want something tailored to your schedule, wants, needs, preferences, desires, and assorted other necessities, my friends in the Mileage Run department at point.me (formerly Juicy Miles) would love to help you.
We trust point.me to take care of our readers.
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Eye of the Flyer and its parent company, Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., are not affiliated with Delta Air Lines or any other airline. All information has been conducted independently by the blog post’s author. Eye of the Flyer is not responsible for any errors, mistakes, or failures committed by airlines, vendors, travelers, or the blog itself. This post is for entertainment and informational purposes only.
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klm z is 2x mqm so wouldn’t it be closer to 30k? nice find, but too close to 31dec for comfort…
No. KLM Z — at least, according to Delta — is 1.5X.
Fascinating blog post on experiencing Christmas in London in business class! The opportunity to enjoy luxury travel while exploring the magical atmosphere of London during the holiday season sounds incredible. By the way, for travelers planning to visit London, it’s important to check the visa requirements, especially for those from the UK. This ensures a seamless journey and an unforgettable vacation. Thank you for sharing this enticing opportunity and inspiring us to embrace the festive spirit in London. Keep up the great work of providing exciting travel insights!
Followed your instructions. There is no where to enter your code after clicking on “I have a code” It wants me to use an email address and password. Doesn’t work for me.
It prompts you to create an account so you can log in and out.