UA, $220, 3.5 cents per mile

United Airlines
$220.00
6278 miles
5 segments
3.5 cents per mile
$44 per segment

SJC-IAH-ORD-LGA-IAH-SJC

UA, $171.50, 3.3 cents per mile

United Airlines
$171.50
5158 miles
5 segments
3.3 cents per mile
$34.3 per segment

SAN-IAD-PHL-EWR-IAH-SAN

First Class to Shanghai under $3000

The past couple days I thought about booking this.  I almost pulled the trigger to see the sights and the Great Wall of China.  It just doesn't fit with family schedule.  So tempting!

United Airlines
$2951.30
19,558 miles
6 segments
15.08 cents per mile
$491.88 per segment
Global First Class

MIA-EWR-SFO-PVG
PVG-SFO-EWR-MIA

UA, $87.60, 3.9 cents per mile

United Airlines
$87.60
2210 miles
2 segments
3.9 cents per mile
$43.80 per segment

MCO-IAD-DEN

Other dates in February are available.  Round trips and reverse trips are available.

UA, $178.20, 4.9 cents per mile

United Airlines
$178.20
3578 miles
4 segments
4.9 cents per mile
$44.50 per segment

MCO-IAH-COS-ORD-MCO

There are several dates available in January 2013 for this same day round trip.

US, $55.60, $27.80 per segment

US Airways
$55.60
1202 miles
2 segments
4.6 cents per mile
$27.80 per segment

DEN-PHX-DEN

Return flight arrives just after midnight.  A truly same day return costs $10 more.
For those needing to top off their accounts before year end, there is good availability in December 2012.

UA $152, $38 per segment

United Airlines same day round trip.
$152
2163 miles
4 segments
7 cents per mile
$38 per segment

RIC-CLE-BOS-EWR-RIC

RIC-CLE-BOS
925 miles
1163 miles for those with status

BOS-EWR-RIC
528 miles
1000 miles for those with status


Wide availability in early 2013.

Forfeited US Airways Miles

Logged in to US Airways website to a message that my miles were forfeited due to lack of activity.  There were enough miles for a domestic ticket, and they offered to reinstate for $150 or a flight before the end of year.  I found a same day round trip for under $100 at 5.2 cents per mile.  The same day round trip will have me back for lunch.

I noticed when the short flights get really cheap, the taxes and fees keep the price per mile above 5.  Without taxes and fees it would be 3.3 cents per mile.

Midway through the trip, I went to a service counter and asked to put set the remaining flight to a different Star Alliance carrier.  They said I couldn't do that because it would be fraud.  After more discussion and the person making a phone call to ask, I was told the entire booking can be on only one frequent flier account.  So I was not allow to split the trip on two of my Star Alliance accounts.


Read Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins.  This book explains geopolitics of finance, oil and energy, and war.  Excellent book that explains why the USA is in constant wars around the world, and how finance is a key driver to enslave societies.

Read this page from the book.

Matrix Flight Search

ITA Software, owned by Google, has a sophisticated flight search.  I am finding the lowest published fares with this tool.  For those wanting to have multiple legs on their ticket, this tools allows it.

A simple search to Hawaii.

Mileage Run to Florida

I booked a trip to Clearwater, Florida.  This will put me a couple hundred miles into the first level of status (Premier Silver, 25,000 miles).

While I found some itineraries with two stops each way, I was unable to book these both ways on united.com.  I was able to book enough legs to put me above 25,000 miles for the year.  With all fees, the trip will cost 5.5 cents per mile.

Read The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success.  Good message in a nice story.

Read In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin.  Good historical book that went faster than the page count.  Learned about the cultural underpinnings of the era which allowed the laws to be passed.

United Credit Card

United is sending offers that sweeten the bonus from 40,000 miles to 65,000 miles.  Apply at www.UnitedExplorerCard.com/65K before the end of October.

Track Flights

When a ticket is purchased and the price drops, some airlines allow refund of price difference.  Track your air purchases with a fare tracker from Yapta.

Common Carriers, Rules, & Tariffs

Common carrier airlines serve the public using their published tariffs.

American Airlines provides their rules.

Booking Class Availability - Is there a seat available at this booking class?  The fare rule may be in place, but there still needs to be a seat available.

Most airlines publish fares to the Airline Tariff Publishing Company.  Once published to ATPCO, the fares are available to distributors and other airlines.  In Asia, there is a competitor company.  It is possible to purchase a published fare data feed subscription.
This article states fare data "... will cost you a minimum of $35,000 per month, no matter how you slice or dice it, directly from ATPCO..."
This document describes travel agent access to fares via Global Distribution Systems.