MilesBuzz! - My Flyertalker Yearly Spreadsheet
Gargoyle
Dec 20, 06, 11:52 pm
I know that a lot of FT'ers track their travels on a spreadsheet. I started doing that at the beginning of 2006, and it has been very helpful. It guided my decisions as to which FF program to credit, how many extra segments to squeeze in, whether I need a mileage run, it let me know how I was doing in upgrades, etc.; I added notes about the segments, my personal opinions of seats, and whatever.
I'm not an Excel mavin; I normally don't use spreadsheets, and I've probably created less than 15 in all my computing years. Therefore mine is a primitive ugly mess, but it still has helped a lot. I know many of you have much better setups, so I'm posting my template just to get the discussion rolling. My hope is that some of you will rework mine, and others will share your spreadsheets, and others will modify the spreadsheets which you share. Eventually this can lead to the creation and sharing of a killer Flyertalker Mileage Spreadsheet. It will be handy as the new year starts.
I can host any spreadsheet templates on my site if you don't have web space.
http://stonecarver.com/flyertalk/spreadsheet.html
Lehava
Dec 20, 06, 11:58 pm
One thing I plan to keep for the next year is scheduled departure and arrival vs actuals. I want to see for a year just how much time delays are costing me!!!!
tom911
Dec 21, 06, 12:30 am
I track my AA free domestic upgrades on Yahoo notepad (53 of 54 cleared this year). As the AA website is pretty reliable with posting, haven't had the need to track actual flight miles (over 500,000 miles worth of flights have posted without a problem). Even with the little I track, I just found it too complicated to do it on an Excel spreadsheet on one specific computer. Google has an on-line spreadsheet application now that would be a good alternative to Yahoo notepad, as you can update as you're out traveling about. Have you tried it?
Major G
Dec 21, 06, 1:00 pm
Suggest you have separate categories for EQM and RDM. Both important things to track.
Glenn
fooko2002
Dec 22, 06, 6:55 am
Thanks for posting your template. Great idea! :)
Gargoyle
Dec 22, 06, 8:29 am
I've added Fastfil1's template to my Flyertalk Mileage Spreadsheet (http://www.stonecarver.com/flyertalk/spreadsheet.html) page. It includes some good ideas and better underlying programming than mine.
Anyone else care to share, or to rewrite either of these spreadsheets? I'd like to see this develop into some good choices before we all start logging our 2007 flights.
btw, if you e-mail your spreadsheet for posting, make sure it doesn't have personally identifiable data, and in particular look under file/properties/summary, delete your name and company name (unless you want everyone to be able to see that).
Gargoyle
Mar 23, 07, 9:16 pm
Bump.
I've added hmc's trip log template to the collection (http://www.stonecarver.com/flyertalk/spreadsheet.html).
skchin
Mar 23, 07, 10:32 pm
I only saw 2 flights since 2006. :D
Gargoyle
Mar 23, 07, 10:37 pm
I only saw 2 flights since 2006. :DThese are just templates, so anyone can modify them to suit their needs. I'm making sure the data in the cells is pretty generic before I post them, no personal identifying info. hmc does a separate spreadsheet for each major trip, whereas I maintain one for each year.
babaamit
Mar 26, 07, 10:54 am
nice, thanks :)
brownery
Mar 29, 07, 3:47 pm
Thanks, very helpful.
Gargoyle
May 21, 07, 10:00 pm
I've updated the miles/flight tracking spreadsheet collection at http://stonecarver.com/flyertalk/spreadsheet.html with some exceptional contribs by McFlyPHL and BRP of the AA forum.
If anyone else has different spreadsheet templates, e-mail them to me through the link on that page and I'll include them.
omahajim
Oct 18, 07, 12:24 am
I've sent my United MP excel tracking sheet to Gargoyle for him to post on his page. I imagine it will show up there in a few days. [edit: it's there now. Thanks Gargoyle for posting it]
It is best for United 2P's and 1P's since I track BIS, E500 earns/burns/balance, EQM, RDM, and some other things. 1K/GS might find it lacking since I don't track instruments other than e500's.
If anyone wants to see it sooner, PM your email address and I will send it to you. This excel sheet is based on the original I created and maintain in Google Docs-Spreadsheets. Google makes it easy for me to track lots of data from any computer with connectivity, I don't need to have my own machine with me. I love Google Docs. [note: I don't work for Google, nor do I own GOOG]
mechteach
Oct 18, 07, 6:13 am
If anyone wants to see it sooner, PM your email address and I will send it to you. This excel sheet is based on the original I created and maintain in Google Docs-Spreadsheets. Google makes it easy for me to track lots of data from any computer with connectivity, I don't need to have my own machine with me. I love Google Docs.
Excellent point - thanks!! My spreadsheet tracking has been pretty simple, since there are no consumable upgrade instruments on US, but it would be nice to access and update that information from anywhere. I've used Google docs for workplace sharing - I don't know why I didn't think of putting the flight sheet up there earlier.
Gargoyle
Oct 20, 07, 4:28 pm
I've sent my United MP excel tracking sheet to Gargoyle for him to post on his page. I imagine it will show up there in a few days. [edit: it's there now. Thanks Gargoyle for posting itThanks forthe contrib. Using a spreadsheet to track flights sure helps; especially this late in the year when getting close to a status level threshold, and you need to tweak those last few EQM's.
trentdeux
Oct 24, 07, 9:05 pm
One thing I plan to keep for the next year is scheduled departure and arrival vs actuals. I want to see for a year just how much time delays are costing me!!!!
Not a bad way to pass the time... while you are waiting on the tarmac.
_______
http://StatusMatcher.com - Travel like a champ!
Gargoyle
Dec 26, 07, 2:24 pm
I've updated the spreadsheet collection with a nice contrib from N515CR, a spreadsheet which tracks multiple airline programs with miles/city pair data built in. http://stonecarver.com/flyertalk/spreadsheet.html