Turning Around at Heathrow
 

The clock is ticking. I need @ 8,000 frequent flyer miles to maintain my Premier status on United. I have looked into buying a random ticket to someplace in the US and buying extra "accelerated" miles at a cost of nearly $1,800 dollars. I have found a ticket to London Heathrow for @ $800 and was thinking about a quick "there and back again" trip. Leave Houston on Saturday evening, arrive at Heathrow at 9:40 am on Sunday and turn around and catch a noon flight back to the US. From what I understand, I will not have to go through customs, just another security screening. Does this sound crazy or a reasonable way to get some miles?

It's doable; you'd just go through security and wait around for the plane to board. There are far more "crazy" mileage runs than IAH-LHR and back.

5-6 years ago, I was about 8k miles short of renewing AA Platinum status.

I found an early December flight SFO-LHR for less than $300.

Because I was reaching my goal on the way back, I was upgraded to Biz class.

At LHR, no one knew what I was supposed to do. There is a security, but it's not the total exit security. It turned out to be a transit security inside of the post security entrance.

I did manage to have a few Scrumpy Jacks at the bar. Srumpy Jack is a great cider made in Devon.

You just follow the signs to flight connections and stay in the same terminal (T1 I assume.)

T4 for ex-CO flights.