BEN HUGHES | @RUBIETY | HTTP://FLIGHTLEVERAGE.

COM

T R AV E L H A C K I N G : 



AIRLINES
1 . A I R FA R E P E R U N I T
D I S TA N C E V A R I E S W I D E LY
!

2. MILES EARNED
( M O S T LY ) = M I L E S F L O W N


3 . A I R L I N E R U L E S H AV E
LOOPHOLES
FINDING CHEAP
A I R FA R E
PHL TO PEK: $448 (2.5 CPM)
LA TO TOKYO: $445 (2.7 CPM)
HIDDEN CITY TICKETING
HIDDEN CITY TICKETING
V O L U N TA R Y
DENIED
BOARDING
(VDB)
F R E Q U E N T F LY E R M I L E S
MILES CAN BE 

ACCRUED TO AND
REDEEMED ON

ANY OTHER AIRLINE IN
THE ALLIANCE!
A D V A N TA G E S O F U S I N G M I L E S

• Last-Minute Travel (Funerals, Random Trips, Binds)

• Lower Cancelation Fees, Free for Top Elites

• Flexible Routing Rules

• Stopovers & Open Jaws

• Premium Cabins
I N T E R N AT I O N A L 

L I E - F L AT 

BUSINESS CLASS
I N T E R N AT I O N A L 

FIRST CLASS
D I S A D V A N TA G E S O F U S I N G M I L E S

• Limited Award Availability - Need to be flexible!

• Mile currencies inflate faster than the US dollar

• Airlines can change the rules at any time

 AWARD CHART HACKS
&
C O M PA R AT I V E A D V A N TA G E
B R I T I S H A I R W AY S < 6 5 0 M I : 4 , 5 0 0 A V I O S

• SAN-LAX: $$$

Avios: 4,500 (~$65)

• JFK-YYZ: $$$

Avios: 4,500 (~$65)

• LHR-CDG: $$$

Avios: 4,500 (~$65) + ~$20 Taxes

• Lots of places < 650 mi from AA hubs ORD, DFW, MIA

• US Airways now in OneWorld! Add PHL, PHX, CLT

AA OFF-PEAK TO EUROPE: 20K
PHL-DUB-PHL: 

1 0 0 K U S A I R W AY S M I L E S I N B U S I N E S S
MEX-FRA-ZRH, 
 LUFTHANSA 747-8 UPPER DECK
SWISS A340 BUSINESS
ZRH-BKK-CGK, 

THAI 777 BUSINESS
CGK-TPE-LAX
 E VA 7 7 7 B U S I N E S S
LAX-PHX-MEX
S F O - N R T- S F O : 

220K UNITED MILES IN ANA FIRST
YVR-MUC-FRA,
 LUFTHANSA A330 FIRST
THAI A380 FIRST
FRA-BKK-HKG,
THAI 747 FIRST (TWICE)
BKK-HND,
 ASIANA 747 FIRST
N R T- I C N - J F K A S I A N A 7 7 7 P R I V AT E S U I T E
MILEAGE RUNNING

“ I T ’ S A B O U T T H E J O U R N E Y,
N O T T H E D E S T I N AT I O N ”

• Flights for sole purpose of earning miles & elite status

• Destination & dates irrelevant

• Hoping around airports, going nowhere

BENEFITS GIVEN ON
MILES FLOWN, NOT
P R I C E PA I D
E L I T E S TAT U S
AA 

EXECUTIVE
P L AT I N U M

• 100% Bonus on
Redeemable Miles

• Priority Everything

• International First Class

Lounges

• 8 Systemwide Business
Class Upgrade
Certificates
MIN(CPM)
I TA M AT R I X
SHANGHAI FOR DINNER:

LAX-BNA-ORD-PVG-ORD-MIA-LAX (19,859 MI) 

FOR $741.10 (3.73 CPM)
PHILADELPHIA FOR LUNCH (CHEESESTEAK):

S A N - E W R - Z F V- E W R - S A N ( 5 , 3 5 0 M I ) 

FOR $140.70 (2.63 CPM)
“ N E T C O S T ” A P P R O A C H T O A I R FA R E

$160 Transcontinental (~7,000 mi with indirect routing)

100% Mile Bonus with United 1K: 14,000 mi earned

14,000mi X ($0.017 / mi) = $238 in Mile Value

Net Cost = Paid ($160) - Mile Value ($238)

Net Cost = Negative $78

S A M E - D AY C H A N G E S

• Route further out of the way for more miles

• Monitor F cabin loads for upgrade optimization

• Increase voluntary denied boarding changes

• Deliberate book days off with cheaper fares, intend to

change to day before/after
F L AT- O U T B U Y I N G M I L E S

• US Airways Buy Miles Promo (1.9 cents)

• US Airways Share Miles Promo (1.1 cents)

• American Buy Miles Promos

• Buy Transferrable Currencies & Transfer 


(Starwood Buy Miles Promos)

• United Mileage Multiplier when Flying

ROUND-THE-WORLD

$ 9 9 0 I N L I E - F L AT B U S I N E S S C L A S S !
LOUNGE ACCESS HACKS
ACCESS
HOW?

• Membership ($$$)

• International flights in
premium cabins

• International flights with

elite status

• “Club” or “Executive” CCs

(high annual fee)

• Amex Platinum (American,

Delta, US Airways)
A M E X P L AT
REFUNDABLE TICKETS
B U T… T H E T I M E S A R E C H A N G I N G

• Award Chart Devaluations

• Minimum Spend Requirements for Elite Status

• Move to Fully Revenue-Based Mile Earning (Delta)

• American Airlines / US Airways Merger Uncertainty

 THANKS!
BEN HUGHES | @RUBIETY

HTTP://TRAVEL.BENHUGHES.NAME | HTTP://FLIGHTLEVERAGE.COM

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