Mileage Runs: Are They Worth It?

It’s the last two weeks of the year, which means ‘tis the season to exchange gifts, watch those cheesy Hallmark movies, and make your New Year’s resolutions. 

But, as we approach the end of the calendar year, some points and miles enthusiasts might ask, should they do a mileage run? 

My opinion: Mileage runs are only worth the effort for a very small subset of few travelers. Otherwise, don’t spend your time on it.

Why mileage runs may not be worth it

First things first: A mileage run is when you fly just for the purpose of earning elite status. Since most airlines determine elite status based on actions from the year prior, if you want to have elite status for next year, you’d need to work to earn it this year.

Note: Delta and American's qualification periods for earning elite status end in quarter one 2025. 

You could also do a mileage run to earn more frequent flier miles, which you could then redeem for an award seat on a future flight. 

The problem is mileage runs don’t give you the same bang for your buck that they used to. (Kind of like going to the grocery store these days.) 

There are two major reasons why mileage runs are a lot less lucrative these days: Airlines changed the rules for how to earn elite status, and airlines often devalue their frequent flier miles. 

1. Most airlines don’t award elite status based on actual distance flown anymore.

Airlines used to award progress toward elite status based on the mileage you actually flew. (Makes sense, right?) So, if you were to take a roundtrip flight from Chicago to Paris—roughly 8,000 miles, you’d earn that same amount of miles toward elite status. If you had several international flights in a year on the same airline, you’d rack up miles to elite status fairly quickly.

Not so anymore.  

In the past decade, the three major domestic airlines—Delta, United, and American—moved to awarding elite status through dollars spent on flights with the airline. Generally speaking, this new revenue model makes earning status harder.

Remember that roundtrip flight from Chicago to Paris? Let’s say it’s a Delta flight costing $600. If you were flying today, that ticket will get you $600 Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) toward Delta elite status. You need to earn $5,000 MQD to earn Delta’s lowest tier of elite status, Silver Medallion. You’ll have to buy and take that same flight to Paris eight times to achieve this status. 

2. Airlines often devalue their frequent flier miles.  

Airlines regularly devalue their frequent flier miles, which means it requires you to spend more miles to redeem for an award seat. A mileage run will yield you some miles, but it likely won’t be enough to make your desired redemption.

There are two parts to this calculation: the amount of miles it costs for a redemption, and the rate at which you earn miles. 

Let’s first take a look at redemption costs. If you’re looking at a roundtrip economy award seat for an international flight, you might need to redeem 66,000 Delta SkyMiles.

That’s a lot of miles! Two or three years ago, the same seat might have cost you somewhere in the ballpark of 35,000 SkyMiles.  In other words, your miles have less purchasing power than they did several years ago. 

OK, so we know that it now costs more miles to redeem for a seat. But what about earning miles? Is the rate at which you earn miles per flight lucrative enough to pay for this redemption?

Let’s go back to that previous example of the $600 for a roundtrip ticket: For that flight, you’d earn 5 to 11 SkyMiles per dollar spent on your tickets, depending on your elite status with Delta. 

Even if you have the highest tier of elite status, you’d only earn 6,600 SkyMiles for the flight. For most regular people (myself included) who don’t have elite status, you’d get about 3,000 SkyMiles. 

Either way, you’re not going to earn enough miles on this flight to cover the cost of a redemption. This is why mileage runs to rack up frequent flier miles is somewhat of a fool’s errand.

But, there’s another way. 

Credit cards are a shortcut to a mileage run

Instead of doing a mileage run, you can save yourself the time and effort by strategically using credit cards. 

Credit card perks can mimic elite status benefits

While there is currently no co-branded airline credit card that gives you automatic elite status with an airline (there are several co-branded hotel cards that give hotel status), several cards can mimic a lot of the perks you would get through earning elite status. 

For example, some co-branded airline cards get you airport lounge access, priority boarding, and free checked baggage. More premium airline co-branded cards may also offer a head start toward earning the revenue thresholds for status. 

While this is not the same as earning elite status, it's less trouble to pay an annual fee and get a bunch of similar perks. 

Welcome bonuses can earn you miles more quickly

If you’re thinking of doing a mileage run to earn more frequent flier miles, co-branded airline credit cards can come in handy here, too. 

Many co-branded airline credit cards offer welcome bonuses worth tens of thousands of airline miles. To earn a bonus, you’d need to spend a predetermined amount within the first few months of having your card. Depending on your destination goal, that welcome bonus could get you a free flight. 

Should I do a mileage run?

OK, so you know my opinion on the issue: Getting the right credit card for your travel plans is a lot easier than doing a mileage run. But is there ever a time when a mileage run is worth it?

When to do a mileage run

• You’re very close to elite status (or to the next higher tier), but not quite there. Maybe just one flight will push you over the top.
• You plan to fly with only one airline next year.
• You want to take advantage of the seat upgrades that come with elite status.  
• You plan to do lots of long-haul international travel next year. This will enable you to take full advantage of the perks of elite status.
• You’re a character in a Hallmark movie. If you’re going to make a last-minute decision to fly to your small town for the holiday, you might as well get credit for it.  

When not do a mileage run

• You’re starting from scratch. 
• You’re planning to mainly fly domestic next year or just one or two international flights.
• You don’t know your travel plans for next year.
• You aren’t loyal to one airline or prefer the flexibility to choose the cheapest flight.
• You want to earn more frequent flier miles to redeem for a free flight.

Earn a companion pass instead—just wait until early 2025

If you really want to work to earn something, your efforts are going to be better spent earning the Southwest Companion Pass. You’ll only pay taxes on your companion fare—and as long as it’s valid, you can use it as many times as you like.

Several airlines offer companion passes by virtue of holding a card, but most of those companion passes are limited to once a year or cost you an extra fee. With Southwest, you need to earn it, but the value is a lot higher. Fortunately, credit card welcome bonuses on Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards can count. 

Here are your options and the current welcome offers on each:

The best part is that the Southwest Companion Pass lasts for almost two full years: the calendar year you earn it in and the year following. That’s why you want to wait to earn it until at least January—if you earned this month, 2024 would be the first year it’d be valid, and that’s nearly over. 

Aim to complete earning it in early 2025, and you could basically get two years of nearly free flights for a companion. 

Some things are better left until next year.