My Extreme Mileage Run on Alaska Airlines To Retain MVP Gold 75K Status for 2023

I am currently doing what I consider an extreme mileage run on Alaska Airlines as I’m writing this post. Although, sitting in an empty Terminal 2 at the San Francisco Airport around 2am while waiting for the American Airlines Admirals Club SFO to open at 4:30am wasn’t fun, being able to take a shower at the airport post-Covid was kind of fun to me. 

You’re probably wondering why would I want to take a shower at the airport? Don’t I have a home, or are there no hotels in the area? Well, continue reading to find out why.

WHAT IS A MILEAGE RUN AND WHY DO WE DO IT?

Simply put, a mileage run is when you take a flight for the sole purpose of (re)qualifying for airlines status, or just to accumulate airlines miles. In my own case, I was flying thousands of butt-in-seat miles back and forth between San Francisco and Boston for consecutive days. 

Having flown a bit lesser in 2022 than the previous years, it was becoming apparent in September that only mileage run could save the day, otherwise I might have to kiss the Alaska MVP Gold 75K and all its’ great benefits goodbye. It was also obvious as at the time of this post that many of those discounted or buy one get one free flights are not coming back anytime soon. The cheapest flight from coast to coast was coming close to $200 (one way). Ouch!

For my mileage run, after checking for months upon months looking for the flight rates to come down after the summer rush, I eventually settled for flights between SFO – BOS at $169 each way. Total cost for a roundtrip ticket was approximately $357.

While I usually frequent San Francisco to Newark or JFK which is about 2,550 miles each way, mileage running between San Francisco and Boston is at 2,697 miles. Which is about 150 miles more, each way. And thankfully, I received a complimentary First Class upgrade on day 1 of my mileage run for both flights.

I began this extreme trip at the Alaska Lounge SFO in terminal 2 after breezing through airport security using the TSA Precheck Lane. Sadly, the Alaska Lounge membership has gone up, and gone are those days of getting the yearly membership for for $100 out of pocket. You can read more about the Alaska Lounge and American Airlines Admirals Club memberships for $100.

At 7:40am after boarding the flight AS1352 from SFO to BOS, I received a push notification from the Alaska app that the return flight AS1352 scheduled for 5:45 pm from Boston to San Francisco has been delayed till 10pm. The flight has been delayed for almost 5 hours. This extreme mileage run is now becoming more and more extreme. 

Our original schedule was SFO – BOS (8am – 45pm), and the same day return leg from Boston back to San Francisco was supposed to be from 5:45pm – 9:22pm which later became 10pm – 1am.

Thankfully, the flight AS1352 to Boston was a smooth one and the time went by so quick. Since I was upgraded to First Class at T24 (24 hours before departure), I was able to preorder my meal. I opted for the Southwest Strata baked with Ciabatta bread and Napoles cactus. 

In my opinion though, I can’t imagine doing this mileage runs on saver fares (basic economy) that is full of very tight restrictions. We arrived in Boston at 4:35pm.

Remember, the initial plan was to do a U-turn in Boston, that is, get to Boston at 4:40pm and depart at 5:45pm before the flight eventually got delayed. With almost 5 hours of waiting at the airport, I took it as the saying goes, “every disappointment is a blessing.”

Boston Logan International Airport has several lounges across its’ multiple terminals. And with my American Express Platinum Card, Priority Pass membership, and Alaska & AA Admirals Club membership, I have several options. I decided to kill some time by lounge-hopping. Afterall, we have almost 5 hours to spend before the next flight.

First stop was the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse BOS, using my Amex Platinum card. While the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses are known for good quality food and service, this one in Boston did not provide a type of service/food on par with Virgin Atlantic. But again, I’ve enjoyed great service at the San Francisco location, and excellent service at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in London Heathrow. (Reviews coming up in the blog later).

Walking from Terminal E where the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is located to Terminal B where American Airlines Admirals Club is located was quite a walk. And since Alaska Airlines also uses Terminal B, I had to do the 30 minutes walk anyway.

After accessing the Admirals Club with my Alaska Lounge+ card, I quickly settled in and even decided to do an impromptu review of the lounge since it was quiet and only a few guests were present. I spent a couple of hours here reviewing the lounge while also keeping my mouth busy with some of the food at the lounge. This review will be posted in a little while.

At 9pm, I headed to gate B35 for my flight AS1352 expected to start boarding at 9:20pm. This flight from Boston back to San Francisco was as smooth as the one from San Francisco to Boston.

For dinner, I opted for the chicken option.

We touched down SFO at 1:05am. You’re probably saying “what a journey” right now. Well, it’s mileage run, the goal is not to have fun, but to earn the required elite qualifying miles (EQMs) and as many redeemable miles (RDMs) as possible.

The flight delay had disrupted my initial plan, now my only option is to spend about 3.5 hours waiting around the empty terminal 2 before the Admirals Club SFO opens at 4:30am so someone can take a shower before his next flight back to Boston.

Am I crazy? No! but sometimes, “a man got to do what a man got to do.”

The shower did some wonders to my body, and I was ready to do this San Francisco – Boston and back again. Though I did not score an upgrade today but being able to pick a Premium Economy seat at booking is one of the benefits of Alaska MVP Gold 75K that I can’t afford to let go for now. I stylishly made myself comfortable in my seat 6C and 6F respectively.

WHEN DOES IT MAKE CENTS (SENSE) TO MILEAGE RUN?

Truth be told, sometimes, it may not even make sense to mileage run. Usually, when mileage running, you would want to book a relatively cheap flight with a fare class that works.  It would make more cents when you’re able to mileage run without leaving the airport, as factoring other expenses like hotels/Uber/Rental Car can make your mileage running not to make economic sense at the end of the day.

Going by the numbers, the flight distance between SFO and BOS is 2,704 miles each way. 4 round trips is coming at 2,704 x 8 which is equal to 21,632 EQMs.

The cost of each round trip ticket was $356.60, and the total cost of all 4 tickets is equal to $1,426.40.

Again, does this mileage run make sense? Absolutely. I think it’s a no-brainer. Though I’ve just spent $1,426.40, but what I’m getting back in return outweighs the amount spent and the time put into it.

At the end of this extreme mileage run, I would have been able to requalify for another year of MVP Gold 75K status, earn a total of 48,672 RDMs from the mileage run since I get 125% bonus on all base miles, enjoy another year of unlimited complimentary upgrade to first class, 50K bonus miles, Same Day Change, Premium Economy seat at booking, and so many more benefits. It’s really a no-brainer. This mileage run was all worth it for me.

In conclusion, while this mileage run works for me, there’s no guarantee that it would work for you. Do you research well, and don’t mileage run for mileage run sake. Only mileage run if you are a couple of thousands of miles short of earning elite status for the coming year, and that you’ll be able to enjoy the perks that the status offers in the coming year.