Going the Distance for More Miles

Oct. 28, 2006 — -- In the wee hours of a morning not long ago, David Bolaffi packed for a trip -- essentially to nowhere.

Bolaffi was preparing to fly nearly 5,000 miles in 10 hours, but he wasn't traveling to a beach in Bali or a business meeting in Japan.

He was flying from Oakland, Calif., to Dulles Airport in Virginia and back, with just a one-hour layover.

"Call it extreme, yeah," Bolaffi said as he drove to catch his flight. "I did get up at 3 o'clock. It's now 4:30-ish, and we're on the way to the airport. But it's fun."

The trip was all in the name of the bonus miles at the end of the rainbow.

David is one of thousands of mileage runners who make cheap, quick trips to retain their elite status in frequent flyer programs.

He found this United fare for just $129 on a "mileage run" forum on the Web site FlyerTalk.com.

His reward, more than 4,000 qualifying miles, is almost enough to maintain his superior member privileges on United Airlines.

"Call it an ego boost, but I do like having status," Bolaffi said.

Retaining status means perks like short ticket and security lines, use of airport lounges, and meals and comfort on long flights.

"For them, that is the only way they will end up in first class -- to mass a number of miles in coach at $200," said Randy Petersen, founder of FlyerTalk.com.

In addition to flying to get more miles, Bolaffi also charges everything to his United Airlines Visa card.

Ann Scharpf is all too familiar with that. The Maryland mom once charged $15,000 on her American Airlines Advantage card in two months, earning enough miles to join her husband in Australia and bring her son along too.

"I had gotten to the point where we charged pretty much everything," Scharpf said.

She charged her neighbors groceries, car insurance, even orthodontic work.

"I was fixated," she said. "It was fun. It was kind of like a game. It was like I was gaming the system."

Scharpf even bought 110 boxes of cereal offering free miles.