So it’s coming up to that time of year again when I visit the USA.
As I’m on limited time to, there will be little time for mileage running, or doing great hops here and there. So what’s the obvious answer? Either nest a trip inside a trip (which 9/10 times isn’t allowed) … or try to maximise mileage vs cost. So whilst A) is a nice idea – it isn’t going to happen (least of all I’ve only got a few leave days left this year!), it has to be B – Maximising Mileage!
Lets go back to Math 101. Simple addition.
The calculations I’m going to use exclude elite non qualifying bonus miles but added BMI’s minimum elite mileage bonus (flights <600 miles get 600), routed on Star Alliance Airlines only (Confused? Good…).
| Segment Start | Segment Stop | Segment Length | Route Total |
| LHR | ORD | 3942 | 3942 |
| LHR | EWR | 3465 | |
| EWR | ORD | 719 | 4184 |
| LHR | PHL | 3545 | |
| PHL | ORD | 678 | 4223 |
| LHR | IAD | 3677 | |
| IAD | ORD | 600 | 4277 |
Or for those graphicly challenged:
Calculations based on the Great Circle Mapper Lets now play with these figures to give us our magical pence per mile. (Note: Codeshares excluded. It muddys things at this point)
| Airline | Via | Cost in GPB | Route Total | Pence/Mile |
| United | Non Stop | £327 | 7884 | 4.18 |
| US Airways | PHL | £340 | 8446 | 4.03 |
| Continental | EWR | £372 | 8368 | 4.45 |
| United | IAD | £332 | 8554 | 3.88 |
There are lots of ways to cut this up, but the net result is this: I’m going via Dulles it seems.
Oh joy……..
However, there is a part 2 to this post after I spent some time with United.Bomb and USAirways.bomb. More a bit later… 😉
