Edgerfly

I'm on a SEA-LAS flight and was sitting in my coach seat which I had SDC, when I saw on the upgrade list I got cleared.

I clicked the FA call button to ask if I could start moving stuff up to F before the bins were full. She asked me how I knew I was upgraded, and I showed her on the app. Then she said "oh you 75kers know everything. You guys fly more than us!" I then proceeded to ask her if she was serious. We then proceeded to have a conversation about the topic. She said easily 75ker's fly more than them, and asked if I was serious. What?

Now with so much transcon service, Hawaii, and Mexico, that would really surprise me if they didn't do more than 75k a year.

Do 75kers really fly more than FA's? I would find that hard to believe.

rcarovano

I had a flight attendant make that same remark to me before, as well. However, I think that flight attendants fly *way* more than 75K's.

Edgerfly

Yeah I guess they would have no idea as they'd have no reason to keep track. Then again, some of us who do smash the 75k mark, and hit the 90+ on the partners... Maybe?

Kieron

It's the fare class! They're earning 0% EQMs on their flights.

75,000 miles is "just" 3 one-way transcons per month, averaged over the whole year, or 6-7 one-ways on SEA-LAX a month. I'd imagine any full-time FA blasts far past those numbers.

Edgerfly

Good point. How much mileage do you think AS FA's fly yearly?

3ur0tr45h

I just flew my 103rd segment of the year all AS/QX. Some of the QX folks fly that many segs a month doing the WA/PDX routes. Distance wise, I can't imagine any full time FAs fly less. I would believe that they don't have much experience with the consumer facing apps/features though.

Edgerfly

The one I had the discussion in coach with acted as if it wasn't even close and actually asked IF I WAS SERIOUS. I flat out asked the First Class FA, she said a full time FA flies just short of 30,000 a month.

dayone

I know that there is no such thing as a silly question, but this one is in the neighborhood.

Edgerfly

Eh, it was kind of just curious question.

beckoa

I've had them say this before

Some weeks it feels like I'm up in the air more often. Especially when running into the same FA's

tusphotog

Try running in to the same FAs on the same route for several months.

And to answer the OP's question, FAs fly way, way more miles per year, but it wouldn't surprise me if some commuters beat them on segments, especially if the FA is senior, doesn't work a lot and flies high time turns.

3Cforme

The remark ought to be seen as a little bit of hyperbole to flatter and make conversation.

The MIT Airline Data Project shows block hours (door closed to door open) for FAs. On AS in 2015 it averaged 40.8 hours per month. With average speed depressed by taxiing and climb, call it 15,000 miles per month. Do a few flyers rack up more than 15,000 miles a month, AS-metal only? Probably. Average FA to average 75K flyer, though , it's not even close.

http://web.mit.edu/airlinedata/www/2...nes%20Employee

rustykettel

I did consecutive day PDX-LAX MR's with immediate turns. 3/4 & 4/4 FA's were the same on both trips. One was on all four. I felt kind of embarrassed for being a weirdo. Anyways, just doing a simple set like that for 4-5 days a week would be well past 75K qualification.

Interesting data sets on that MIT site. Thanks for the link!

WhIteSidE

Thanks for the MIT link, fascinating.

Working with your 15k miles per month number that's 180/year, which really isn't that much. But even rounding off to 200k per year, there are some fliers who beat that handily - I already have this year.

The one advantage flyers have is that we don't have duty hours, you can just keep stringing stuff together.

Allan38103

Of course FA's fly that much. It says so on the Internet,