I must be mad

I'd accumulated ~ 1M miles earlier in the year saving up for Necker Island (which needs 1.2M miles), but have since paid for a mate's 25 anniversary special trip to the US in UC, so back down to 860k miles. I've decided to really go for it and am aiming to get the remaining points within the next 4 to 6 weeks (!)

Here's my crazy plan...

Flying

At the beginning of November I have booked:

[*]LHR -> EWR (UC) - immediate turn-around to
[*]EWR -> LHR (PE) - straight on to
[*]LHR -> JNB (PE) - same day turn-around
[*]JNB -> LHR (PE) - straight on to
[*]LHR -> JFK (PE) - overnight
[*]JFK -> LHR (PE) - 4 nights at home then
[*]LHR -> SFO (UC) - 5 nights on business
[*]SFO -> LHR (UC)

So 4 visits to the LHR clubhouse in just over a week! I'm shortly booking a couple of round trips in K to HKG with a same day turnaround for late November to round it off.

Miles Booster

I'll buy double miles booster on all of the flights, plus I think I can apply retrospectively for a HKG UC flight I took a few weeks back. As the last miles booster bonus was in September I don't think I'm going to be lucky enough to see it again before the end of November

Other miles

[*]Transfer from the Mrs (21k)
[*]Tesco clubcard conversion (21k)

I reckon I'll still be a little bit short on miles, so will need to pay the 1.5p per mile

Not sure what frazzled state I'll be in by the end of November, but with an eye on the goal of Necker it'll be worth it!

"I must be mad"

Yup

David

Yikes! Best of luck to you. How do you actually get there, ANU and a boat?

Yes Barking Mad if you ask me

Thats an achievement... I think I know what I will aim for now.

Anybody know how you see 'redemption' availability for these Necker fare buckets (partially joking.. partially serious!).

Also, does the 1m miles include the return flights and transport, or is that something that needs arranging separately?

[mitchja]

Necker Island is now 1.2M miles and that doesn't include your flights. From this page:

1,200,000 miles for a 7 night stay for two people sharing one room on Necker Island during a Celebration Week.

Stays are based on two people sharing one room for 7 nights and include all food and drink including alcohol, activities on island and return boat transfers to Necker Island from Virgin Gorda or Beef Island.

Flights are not included.

Celebration Weeks take place on selected weeks each year.

This offer is subject to availability, black out dates, and all Virgin Limited Edition terms and conditions apply.

Yes, sorry, forgot to mention it's 1.2M miles that's needed for Necker Island - no flights included.

Why not skip Necker & go straight for Virgin Galactic flight.

Why not skip Necker & go straight for Virgin Galactic flight.

Or.. if you have serious miles to burn... both?

Think I would rather do Ulusaba Safari stay for 660,000 miles

How much is the 'crazy' part going to cost in pounds/shillings/pence.

Really, is it worth it?

How much is the 'crazy' part going to cost in pounds/shillings/pence.

Really, is it worth it?

I'm hoping so! It looks it'll cost me ~ £3.5k to get the remaining 340k miles

With Necker retailing at $30.7k for the week it seems like a good return to top up my existing miles.

Wow ,
What. Few days
At least you have the delights of the clubhouse and hopefully a upgrade or two on the way

Yes you are mad! It makes some of those on flyer talk doing BA tier points to HNL to get gold seem positively sane!

But to be practical but you might end up with some interesting conversations with the lovely ladies and gentlemen of the US CBP with so many admissions into the US in a short period.

I'd be worried about your b2b at EWR with needing to clear immigration and reclear security and back to the gate in significabtly less than 2 hours at a busy time of day.

How much is the 'crazy' part going to cost in pounds/shillings/pence.

Really, is it worth it?

I'm hoping so! It looks it'll cost me ~ £3.5k to get the remaining 340k miles

With Necker retailing at $30.7k for the week it seems like a good return to top up my existing miles.

Did you set the time limit just because you ARE mad or because you need it to be done by then. Sorry, I'm not usually this nosey, but most of us would probably wait the churn time on the CC bonus sign ups.

How much is the 'crazy' part going to cost in pounds/shillings/pence.

Really, is it worth it?

I'm hoping so! It looks it'll cost me ~ £3.5k to get the remaining 340k miles

With Necker retailing at $30.7k for the week it seems like a good return to top up my existing miles.

Did you set the time limit just because you ARE mad or because you need it to be done by then. Sorry, I'm not usually this nosey, but most of us would probably wait the churn time on the CC bonus sign ups.

That seems incredibly cheap for all those flights, considering so many are back to back and not including a Saturday night stay.

Not that I would personally consider doing anything remotely similar, but I'd imagine DXB wouldn't be a bad route for this sort of thing. One of the cheapest on the network and you earn almost identical miles to NYC. I'd prefer the flight times, too.

But to be practical but you might end up with some interesting conversations with the lovely ladies and gentlemen of the US CBP with so many admissions into the US in a short period.

Agreed - have a good plausible story ready as to why you entered the USA & then left within hours. It will flag up at check-in that you have not provided a US address on your API - ditto at US Immigration & on the Customs form / APC Kiosk receipt. No idea how immigration treat this - as if you were flying into, say, Miami, you could easily be joining a cruise the same day - but there is a specific option for this on the API.

As to is the OP mad? Respectfully, yes. That said, what I have seen of Necker Island on the TV does make me think otherwise. I also agree that for the miles run he mentions, circa £3.5k for the flights seems almost unbelievably cheap - unless he is booking through a corporate agent who has a favourable deal with VS.

I would live to listen in on the conversation with US Immigration- business or leisure sir?

yep, mad

four CH plus onboard, not sure my liver could take that

but rousing cheers, huzzah and pip pip for the effort!

Oh my goodness! Good luck! That is pure madness
We will be expecting all the obligatory waves along the way, you know ;)

But to be practical but you might end up with some interesting conversations with the lovely ladies and gentlemen of the US CBP with so many admissions into the US in a short period.

Agreed - have a good plausible story ready as to why you entered the USA & then left within hours. It will flag up at check-in that you have not provided a US address on your API - ditto at US Immigration & on the Customs form / APC Kiosk receipt. No idea how immigration treat this - as if you were flying into, say, Miami, you could easily be joining a cruise the same day - but there is a specific option for this on the API.

As to is the OP mad? Respectfully, yes. That said, what I have seen of Necker Island on the TV does make me think otherwise. I also agree that for the miles run he mentions, circa £3.5k for the flights seems almost unbelievably cheap - unless he is booking through a corporate agent who has a favourable deal with VS.

Thanks. I'll just tell them I'm on a mileage run, which is the truth! If you put transit and the flight number on the API form that should suffice.

FlyingCo upgrades from K to G on 2 of the sectors. Then a nested trip i.e.

Sat LHR -> EWR
Sat EWR -> LHR
Sun LHR -> JNB
Mon JBN -> LHR
Tue LHR -> JFK
Wed JFK -> LHR

LHR -> EWR PE return ~ £640
EWR -> LHR -> JNB -> LHR -> JFK return ~ £1300
LHR -> HKG return ~ £900 (or £450 in EC)

The SFO and one of the HKG segments are on business so not out of my pocket.

Then around £700 to £1000 for mileage booster

A fair few CBP officers are familar with people doing a 'miles run' but a 'tier point run' apparently confuses them!

I work out you'll earn 26 tier points for that lot as well (you might have to call to get the PE TPs for the 2 upgraded flights) so that's pretty good too!

I was there four weeks ago and it was the best place I've ever been to. Do it!

Completely mad

Could you not churn some Virgin CC also??

You can get both the White and Black at the same time.