MilesBuzz! - FlyerTalker makes front page (with photo) of USA Today

Today's special section for Business Travel in the USA Today features a main story of our very own Graeme Kingshott (better known as GK to us) complete with a rather large photo of him sitting in the middle of 9 de Julio Avenue in Buenos Aires. The story talks about his ability to make home where his suitcase is. Rather a good story. Only one error in it, it quotes him as saying he has "no friends." Anyone on FlyerTalk has friends, just look around.

Congrats on yet another member of our mist reaching stardom.

Thanks Randy. I am in Cairo now, and haven't actually seen the feature, my boss says it is too large for the fax machine !

There are a number of other road warriors mentioned, do you have ways of contacting them and inviting them to join our family ?

Cheers
Graeme

Graeme... congratulations on the article (wish I knew so I could get a copy of the USA Today!!) Wonder if it's on the USA TODAY website.

But Randy is correct. You are mistaken about having NO FRIENDS. You have friends here. Starting with Sir Edwin Landseer, Yaz Mainecoon and of course the CATMAN http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I think I should call USA Today and request a retraction.

Here is the article on the USA Today site:
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000411/2131803s.htm

Here is the article on the USA Today site:
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000411/2131803s.htm

Here is the article on the USA Today site:
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000411/2131803s.htm

Here is the article on the USA Today site:
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000411/2131803s.htm

Here is the article on the USA Today site:
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000411/2131803s.htm

Here is the article on the USA Today site:
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000411/2131803s.htm

Here is the article on the USA Today site:
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000411/2131803s.htm

Here is the article on the USA Today site:
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000411/2131803s.htm

Here is the article on the USA Today site:
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000411/2131803s.htm

Graeme- great photo! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I hope your "celebrity" is not what's actually been responsible for bringing FT to a crawl! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

And of course Pudding Guy was on the TV show "Extra" last night too! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Here's the link:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/travel/business/2000/ltb076.htm

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dup, finally http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Talking aout a bad "server" day! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/tongue.gif

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Catman,

I saved the section of the paper and will send it to you if you want it. Oh yeah, did you get the picture of the 60 pound cat that I sent via email?

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Addicted to airline miles? Check out: The Airline Mileage Workshop (http://www.mileageworkshop.com)

here is the link:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/travel/business/2000/ltb076.htm

I've also got a copy of the paper if anyone missed it and would like for me to snail mail it to them.

OMNI: Mileage Addict! Thanks for the article. The USA Today's up here disappear as fast as our batch of "Village Voices" on Wednesday. If you can send it, I'd appreciate it.

That cat was 60 pounds!!! WOW!!! Only a THIRD of Sir Eddie's weight. Yet he looks Healthy! I've saved the pix, thanks!

Back to topic: In my mind: We are all stars because we are friends. Who needs celebrity?
Trust me, it's overrated.

Randy, Redrocks was cited for the WSJ article about safety in Rio. We had a little Party in Brazil there. He is too shy to toot his own horn but we should recognize another of our own.

Jim

You know, I read the article, not realizing GK was GK and thought, "Gee, I wonder if any of these people are FT'ers." It's pretty neat to see articles on an FT'er in various papers.

I admire GK for his sacrifice and his work.

That would NOT be me! I may LOVE to Travel but sometimes it feels good to come home to be greetd by two purring and loving "children." IT's also nice have a home base to escape from the workaday work and friends close by to turn to if I need some advice or just a hug. As Judy Garland said "There's no place like home."

Even if it's organized clutter like my place!

Just my IMHO, OK?

GK: keep in mind that you will always have a friend in Jersey City if you ever need one.

So I was waiting to get on my SNA-DEN and a guy notices my 1k bag tag on my carry-on and strikes up a conversation about frequent travel. He was premier last year but nothing this year.

Point is, he goes: "There is this one guy who made a million miles by eating pudding cups." For a baseline point of reference, I asked him if he knew who Randy Petersen was or if he had ever heard that name. Nope. Point being, PuddingGuy is now more famous than Randy http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/redface.gif

I thought PuddingGuy got all those miles for turning in the labels... I didn't know he ATE all those cups too!!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/tongue.gif

I have now finally got to read the article. Thanks for posting the link.

Just for the record, I was approached by USA Today after they heard about my work through contacts at inside flyer/flyer talk.. so who knows, next time it could be one of you..I can assure you that you won't see me on TV either.

Thanks

Read the article while in Antwerp earlier this week. Wondered then if you were someone I've encountered on FlyerTalk, given the vagabond lifestyle revealed. Nice to catch this followup forum on my own return "home". And I agree, friends you've got: I'm sure any of us FlyerTalkers would join you for an evening if you passed through our city.

Update News - I have resigned from my job, so am now holed up in London satying at friends(no miles to be earnt there) thinking about where I want to live and work from now on ! How things change.

I am considering taking a backpack around this summer on oneworld for the new bonus though !

Cheers

Graeme

So sorry to hear about the job, we know that you'll land a new and better one soon, besides your famous now http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif. Well now when we come to London we can meet up for dinner or drinks and discuss all the interesting things about the old job etc. Well here's wishing you the best and keep us informed so we can meet in the near future. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Cheers Scott

Good Luck to You mate. The important thing is that you are happy with yourself and I am sure everything will fall into place nicely.

Your lifestyle may not be as action packed as before you left your job, but at least you can stop and enjoy the Guiness (or whatever your favorite beverage is, like PEPSI!)

Keep us updated!

GK: so, does your leaving your job have anything to do with your newfound fame?

It appears that the article ran long before GK lost his job, ka9taw.

I have to say that while GK's lifestyle sounds cool, it is defintely not for everybody, as was mentioned in the article.

I travel about 350K a year and although it is a hastle I truly enjoy it, but there is nothing better than coming home after a long week (or portion of one) in another country.

I also think I'd go crazy staying at hotels and no home!

BB

Thanks for your thoughts. I have been planning my exit from the job for about six months, and am very happy now ! I resigned on a voluntary basis, and it was not related to the article at all. I am interviewing a lot at the moment, and hope to be back on the road soon.. but with a home this time !
London will probably be my new base, but one headhunter did mention Tokyo to me yesterday.....

Cheerio & Pints
Graeme

All the best to you in your search, Graeme.

Here's to putting down roots somewhere... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

You could also make Jersey City or Hoboken as your home place.

Growing social scene, lots of fun people in nearby HOboken, and the homebase of the world famous CATMAN.

The good news is that I have a new job, working for some old colleagues.. and will be making a victory tour / holiday in the coming weeks. The plan so far includes NYC, MIA, HKG, BKK, SYD and a wedding in AKL. Hope to see some of you on my travels ! If all goes to plan, I'll be in the air mid next week.

GK

GK -- now, i hope that victory tour has CUN as one of the stops! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif the next two to confirm will get 1,500 AA miles at the dinner in CUN.

GK: YOu must tell us when you make it thru NYC so we can throw a victory dinner or celebration (a small one nevertheless) to mark you new chapters in your life.

Congratulations from Sir Edwin, Yaz and meow-self!

Way to go Graeme! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Good luck, GK. http://216.167.74.240/forum/smile.gif

Thanks.. FT the friendliest place on the web. Trouble with starting a new job, they want me to begin soon, so victory tour is now going to be in phases.. Monday night will be the beginning of the HKG/AKL leg. The NYC trip is slightly postponed, to the UK bank holiday weekend in August ! **** employers, they expect me to work for a living !

Open Bar at my new flat in London anytime..

GK

In the short time I have been here online, I have always enjoyed reading your posts. Now that you are a homebody, I guess the posts will be fewer, but in your leisure travel keep 'em coming.

When you make it to North Carolina, give me a hollar and we'll go wreck diving off the coast, real diving, none of those timid Great White sharks!

They are so proud of their roamings. They burn with a bright transcendent light. They seem not so much wanderers as pilgrims, fingering the buttons on their cell phones like rosary beads.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20043-2000Oct16.html

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Graeme is NOT alone! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Do the people featured in that article have no homes, or many homes (home/apartment)?

Unlike GK (I think), they tend to stay in apartments rather than 360 nights of hotels.

Just found this thread. Good on you Graeme!!!!!

Best regards to you and Sean from your German friend!

:)

Graeme! I had no idea you had made the front page of USA TODAY. Shame it was back in 2000, as I'd love to see the article. It's no longer on line.

And now you're in HKG and still traveling to exotic spots all around the world. So things changed and yet stayed the same.

^

-- Dambus