I spent $2,700 flying around the world just to keep my airline status. I got stuck in Qatar and ran out of clothes, but it was worth it.
I spent three days flying around the world to keep my airline status for another year. A missed connection stranded me in Doha, but I'd do it again.
The journalist spent $2,700 on a 13,000-mile mileage run to maintain their British Airways elite status. This required a trip through Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the United States. The journalist missed a connection in a conflict zone, resulting in an unexpected 18-hour layover in Doha, Qatar. They also ran out of clean clothes during the trip.
Although the journalist questioned the extravagance of the endeavor, it ultimately saved them around $10,000 and preserved valuable travel perks for another year. British Airways recently made it harder to earn elite status, so the journalist used a workaround involving miles earned on fellow Oneworld airline Qatar Airways. The journalist's flight from London to Casablanca was on Royal Air Maroc, and then they flew Qatar Airways from Casablanca to Washington, D.C., via Doha.
The journalist managed to find a comfortable Q-suite seat on Qatar Airways, which they appreciated despite the flight's challenges. They faced a surprise maintenance issue and a three-hour delay in Doha, but the airline provided them with hotel, transportation, and meal vouchers, and rebooked them on the next flight to Washington, D.C.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
