MilesBuzz! - do you think those with miles and status-mania are filling an empty void?

Let's face it, some of the folks on this board are absolutely obsessed with miles and status. They go to great lengths to increase the number that they see when they login to their various airline/hotel programs.

Part of it I'm sure is ego. It feels good to have "status" and be recognized as someone special.

But I wonder also if there is something about those who are particularly into it and filling empty voids in their lives. Maybe status and points make up for not having a special relationship with a significant other? Maybe it makes up for not having many friends in real life, etc.?

Put simply, do you think there is a link between miles and status mania and either emptiness in one's life or psychological disorder?

Oh, it's like any other hobby really. (... and I say that as someone who's very casually into it - I've never made an MR, but I've had fun using miles that i've earned)

Some people do it as an offshoot of their work. Let's face it, flying all over the place for work could get pretty boring, and playing with FF miles is one way to add a bit of challenge to the whole thing.

Some people do it for the benefits of the miles: free travel, or free upgrades, are like any other freebie - and some of us really like free stuff! :cool:

For some people, it does become their whole life for whatever reason. But I don't think it's really possible to generalize.

But I wonder also if there is something about those who are particularly into it and filling empty voids in their lives. Maybe status and points make up for not having a special relationship with a significant other? Maybe it makes up for not having many friends in real life, etc.?

Put simply, do you think there is a link between miles and status mania and either emptiness in one's life or psychological disorder?

Well my wife certainly might agree with the psychological disorder bit :D, especially when I did three weeks of SFO/LAX-BOS marathons.

I personally enjoy flying but also looked at DBEQM as too good a deal to pass up... 20 months of EXP and eVIPs for less than $3K. Plus I recently sold most of my business so I have lots of time for MRs and to travel.

The OP's question may have been somewhat tongue-in-cheek. However, given some of the anger and venom expressed toward airlines and hotels when people don't get the recognition they think they deserve ("Do you know who I am?? Do you know what level I am?"), I do think that there are some people who use these programs as the one place in their lives where they get some recognition and status.

It could be the other way around with cause and effect, where the time demands for constructing and going on the trips wreck the relationships. It would have a similar effect to, say, video game addiction, or other addictions that take away time from relationships.

Though I gotta say that it was a more intense thing with conditions back in the 1990s, especially the early and mid-1990s. Back then you had EAASY SABRE with monochrome screens (via CompuServe) and you had to bang out command lines like: /FARES,ATL,MCI,DL,K (I think there were other fields as well) and query every fare or seats on every segment individually. No Mega-sites to aggregate and filter data, like Fare Compare. You'd have to check seats on every segment you wanted to fly (more command lines) and then assemble it piece by piece and *hope* it priced out. You could work for 15 minutes just to reach a dead end, whereas now with ITA you can have the computer do all that in a fraction of a second.

LCCs were also a lot smaller, so sometimes tricks like hidden-city tickets and throwaway ticketing (possible then) were needed just to get something affordable. After Eastern went under, for example, there was a really nasty period for fares from ATL.

There was also the great fare war of summer 1992, where transcons were going for $150 or less and there were hourlong hold times for the airlines. Being able to book online was a real novelty then.

So the feeling of being able to beat the system was much more intense (because far fewer people were doing it), but constructing really good trips could be a LOT more labor intensive. (I shudder to think how long it could take to piece together some of the UA barn-burners on EAASY SABRE, given all the dead ends you'd hit with just one segment not having sale seats.)

But programs also were a lot more generous then, so status would mean even more. Upgrade policies were more generous, there would be double and triple mile specials for all fare classes, threshold bonuses and more frequent and better mileage sales. I remember doing a series of short trips to NYC in fall 1993 using an unusual combination of special deals that netted about 20K miles each on $105 each in fares.

So it was a lot more time and more painstaking work back then, but the perks were greater and you really were a pioneer. Both sides of the psychological equation were more intense.

Put simply, do you think there is a link between miles and status mania and either emptiness in one's life or psychological disorder?

Yes.

I had my moment of clarity when I did a SGN-SIN-AMS mileage run to retain my SQ PPS status for the last time back in August 2007 just before the new PPSV rules took effect. Same-day/same-plane (and in SGN, same crew) turnaround and when in AMS, I also never left the secure airside area.

Put simply, do you think there is a link between miles and status mania and either emptiness in one's life or psychological disorder?
Put simply, no.

Put simply, do you think there is a link between miles and status mania and either emptiness in one's life or psychological disorder?

No. Some people love to travel either for work or a hobby. Status makes that travel easier and more enjoyable.

Let's face it, some of the folks on this board are absolutely obsessed with miles and status. They go to great lengths to increase the number that they see when they login to their various airline/hotel programs.

Part of it I'm sure is ego. It feels good to have "status" and be recognized as someone special.

But I wonder also if there is something about those who are particularly into it and filling empty voids in their lives. Maybe status and points make up for not having a special relationship with a significant other? Maybe it makes up for not having many friends in real life, etc.?

Put simply, do you think there is a link between miles and status mania and either emptiness in one's life or psychological disorder?

I definately think there is at least a small connection for some or possibly many. I don't think it is necessarily unhealthy to have an affinity for status or perks, but it can have an effect on your ego I think for you can internally judge your worth by your status.

I think it is like anyone else giving their opinion about you, except this opinion is based on objective data and can be manipulated by our actions and increased when needed. MR are a great example, that it feels good to acheive status and miles that we all want. We set a goal and accomplished it.

Good question.

yes, but it's a void that I would otherwise fill with cheese cubes and beer... so it seems justified.

People love to get something for free...and something expensive like air travel is even better! A lot of people collecting miles through grinding it out wouldn't otherwise be able to travel.

I accept that I do get upset when I am unable to use the airline miles and hotel points that I earned by traveling on my own time and spend boring evenings in a hotel. The sacrifice as well as the false promise that the miles or points can be redeemed at certain threshold leads to disappointment.

I realized long time ago that apart from the airline status, the rest are pretty useless. The Airline status has an impact when there is a disruption in service.

I can see the new additions to the DSM IV list:

"miles and points ism" DSM # 25,000
"first class upgrade ism" DSM #15,000

:cool:

They go to great lengths to increase the number that they see when they login to their various airline/hotel programs.
They? :D

But I wonder also if there is something about those who are particularly into it and filling empty voids in their lives.
I've noticed that I spend much more time on FlyerTalk when I'm bored with work.

When things are slow, I seem to gather much more information about all the promotions and bonuses I'm not getting. Yet when I'm traveling frequently, I can't keep up, and later kick myself for all the bonuses I missed.

For the record, I'd rather be interested in work. :) The bench bites.

I don't think it's ego or filling an emptiness...

After starting a job about 3 years ago that involves lots of traveling the reason that I have and hold onto status is because it makes my travel more enjoyable/confortable. If I stopped travelling for work then I would not be bothered about losing status (QF Lifetime Silver is only a few months away thankfully!!!)

As for MR's and ego, I haven't ever done one and probably never will.

I enjoy it for several reasons.
I commute to work 8 months out of the year RSW to MHT.
Much more enjoyable up front and easier to work on the plane if I need to.
My family lives in England and I get to see my sister much more often by giving her tickets I get for almost free (taxes can be high on F tickets).
My son and his family live in Colorado and get to visit us in Florida at least once a year courtesy of FF miles.
When I have a delay/cancellation it's nice to have the Chairmans Desk.
So, is it ego? Not really. Have I done a mileage run to retain status? Yes. But only once in the last three or four years. Do I like the status? Of course, who wouldn't?
Does it feel good to be able to give my family free tickets? YES.

...I wonder also if there is something about those who are particularly into it and filling empty voids...

Yeah, the empty voids in the F cabin!

Vacuums are designed to be filled but not all FTers have such a vacuum. Many are sucked in by the airlines, hotels and rental car companies hype and PR indicating upgrades, free travel or stays or other goodies without a psychological need. Only with experience we realize much of this is empty promises, hype and unattainable goals. P T Barnum was a master of this years ago.

MisterNice

i travel for work and i like to game everything im involved in

my 3 hotel statuses are worthless to me. hate hotels and service culture in general. wish i had a key to condo wherever i travel. i accrue credit on them to convert to miles because i enjoy travel.

They? :D

...

I suggest that as airlines move to monetize every inconvenience and discomfort of the experience, economic man/woman becomes increasingly important and/or obvious. The $1 billion expected by UA, as reported below, comes out of the pockets of the non-elites, an increasing incentive for any but the most infrequent traveler. As a former gf once said, "Your United and mine are two different airlines". (So she made 1P while we were together...)

http://money.aol.com/article/airlines-add-fees-and-some-fees-on-top/534979

Now, as to MDtR-Chicago's question above... I have a paltry self-awareness*, but there's irony in the OP posing this thread's question. 26,000 posts, and traveling, too... Or maybe it's not ironic. :(

*********************
* When I got into the thousands of posts, I began to wonder what was going on... and yes, I do have well over two and a half million miles over the 26 years.

Put simply, do you think there is a link between miles and status mania and either emptiness in one's life or psychological disorder?


Perhaps for some. Not so for others.

I am near the pinnacle of my career, have a great wife, wonderful teenage daughters, am satisfied with my faith, feed the poor, etc. So what is missing?

But, I am obsessing with miles because I want to be able to take my wife on the trip of a liftime when I retire in a couple of years. (a month hopping around the South Pacific in J, at a minimum, F would be nicer.)

Previously I flew 10-20K miles a year. Since last November I have flown 84K miles and am anticipating doing a total of 150K this year.

Now with status I am racking up double miles and life is just a bit easier whenever I leave home for a week or two.

And yes, I did a MR this year to reach top tier in the hopes of upgrading my family on two west-bound TATLs they will be doing later this year. (Plus the 3x miles didn't make it a tough decision)

[QUOTE=Gamecock;11939040]
But, I am obsessing with miles because I want to be able to take my wife on the trip of a liftime when I retire in a couple of years. (a month hopping around the South Pacific in J, at a minimum, F would be nicer.)
QUOTE]

This is an amusing thread. We tend to get into habits and forget how we got started in the first place.

That's me too. I'd like to be able to treat my wife in the style that she would like to become accustomed to. It's not easy to afford those J seats, but she knows that she deserves them.

Reason #2: I don't smoke. I don't do drugs. I don't drink (heavily). I pay my taxes. I don't call off sick when I'm not ill. So this is my vice. Everyone needs at least one vice.

Reason #3: I'm not lucky. I don't win contests. But I feel like I've won the lottery when I pick up a J seat using my miles.

Vacuums are designed to be filled but not all FTers have such a vacuum. Many are sucked in by the airlines, hotels and rental car companies hype and PR indicating upgrades, free travel or stays or other goodies without a psychological need. Only with experience we realize much of this is empty promises, hype and unattainable goals. P T Barnum was a master of this years ago.

MisterNice

MisterNice is right on...and I guess that's why he is a FT Evangelist! ^

Airline status does make a huge difference in service as noted in many of the previous posts. And hotel status can add some free amenities to a stay, but that really amounts to a larger room, breakfast, or internet access. But IME rental car companies have a lot of hype and very little reward. P T Barnum was right...

No. Some people love to travel either for work or a hobby. Status makes that travel easier and more enjoyable.

Agree 100%

Also, some people like to invest. Some people are workout freaks. Is that to fill a void? Or rather, build a better future? Establishing status, accruing miles etc to a degree is much the same.

I accept that I do get upset when I am unable to use the airline miles and hotel points that I earned by traveling on my own time and spend boring evenings in a hotel. The sacrifice as well as the false promise that the miles or points can be redeemed at certain threshold leads to disappointment.

I realized long time ago that apart from the airline status, the rest are pretty useless. The Airline status has an impact when there is a disruption in service.
This and other cynical comments on this thread seem way off the mark. :eek: Some of us FTers (quite a large number, in fact) have had great success over the years redeeming hotel points and airline miles for very nice (sometimes even fabulous ;)) trips. Maybe some of these cynical FTers need to spend more time on FT learning how to actually make use of all those supposedly "useless" miles and points! @:-)

Anyhow, in response to the OP: isn't life all about filling the void? :cool:

I have to admit I do like the recognition that comes with being a Marriott Platinum. 1K on United doesn't get me much in the way of recognition from the UA employees, just perks like SWU's.

BTW, I find the phrase "empty void" redundant. Who ever heard of a void that was not empty?

Approximately 8-10% of the population is prone to addictive behavior. As one of those that has given up the drink, drugs and smoking, I can easily accept that I may have an addiction to collecting miles.

It seems to me to be a much healthier addiction than some of the other possibilities.

And, I too, have never felt better about my life, myself and family.

As long as the collection of miles does not negatively effect other areas of your life:

"Pitter Patter and Have at Her"

As one of those that has given up the drink, drugs and smoking, I can easily accept that I may have an addiction to collecting miles.

+1

We should compare notes in Ann Arbor! Collecting miles and points is easily one of the healthiest addictions I've dealt with!

Nothing wrong with a hobby. And I'm sure most here would agree its quite a useful hobby

Nothing wrong with a hobby. And I'm sure most here would agree its quite a useful hobby

Drinking is useful too, though.

And I don't think there is not necessarily wrong with having a hobby. This is a very expensive hobby. We're not talking about jogging or playing basketball here.

But I wonder also if there is something about those who are particularly into it and filling empty voids in their lives. Maybe status and points make up for not having a special relationship with a significant other? Maybe it makes up for not having many friends in real life, etc.?

It almost sounds like your question is unique to the frequent flyer world which of course would be absurd. You could ask this same question on any hobby-type board on any infinite number of pastimes. We all have our own "empty voids" as you call them (yes, even the OP) and we each decide for ourselves how to fill them. Hence hobbies and message boards...etc. And to try and make the assumption that an enthusiastic participant of these boards, or any other boards, is an automatic sign of some kind of deficiency in personal relationships is pretty ridiculous not to mention overly judgemental and very offensive. (By the way, if anyone has a cute, nice sister who loves to travel and who would like to go out with a guy who has lots of FF miles, please send her my way.) (You know where I can be found.) (heavy sigh)

Drinking is useful too, though.

And I don't think there is not necessarily wrong with having a hobby. This is a very expensive hobby. We're not talking about jogging or playing basketball here.

When you looks at the many thousands that people spend on other hobbies - mountain biking, hourse riding, classic cars, fine wine, etc, etc the occasional MR is much less expensive than that.

The only "void" that this hobby fills in me is the space between the armrests of a UA/AS F seat before I sit down in it :D

Drinking is useful too, though.

And I don't think there is not necessarily wrong with having a hobby. This is a very expensive hobby. We're not talking about jogging or playing basketball here.

Well tell that to my uncle who had spent over 5 millions in pre-Columbian art over the last years

It almost sounds like your question is unique to the frequent flyer world which of course would be absurd. You could ask this same question on any hobby-type board on any infinite number of pastimes. We all have our own "empty voids" as you call them (yes, even the OP) and we each decide for ourselves how to fill them. Hence hobbies and message boards...etc. And to try and make the assumption that an enthusiastic participant of these boards, or any other boards, is an automatic sign of some kind of deficiency in personal relationships is pretty ridiculous not to mention overly judgemental and very offensive. (By the way, if anyone has a cute, nice sister who loves to travel and who would like to go out with a guy who has lots of FF miles, please send her my way.) (You know where I can be found.) (heavy sigh)

Hmmm. It strikes me that you're taking this a little personally. ;)

Well tell that to my uncle who had spent over 5 millions in pre-Columbian art over the last years

I hope you trained him to use credit cards that give miles and points.:D:D

And to try and make the assumption that an enthusiastic participant of these boards, or any other boards, is an automatic sign of some kind of deficiency in personal relationships is pretty ridiculous not to mention overly judgemental and very offensive.

I don't think that the OP sugests that with over 25.000 posts ;)

(By the way, if anyone has a cute, nice sister who loves to travel and who would like to go out with a guy who has lots of FF miles, please send her my way.) (You know where I can be found.) (heavy sigh)Is this the relationship void postulate suggested by the O/P?

:eek:

Quote:
Originally Posted by brasov02 View Post
It almost sounds like your question is unique to the frequent flyer world which of course would be absurd. You could ask this same question on any hobby-type board on any infinite number of pastimes. We all have our own "empty voids" as you call them (yes, even the OP) and we each decide for ourselves how to fill them. Hence hobbies and message boards...etc. And to try and make the assumption that an enthusiastic participant of these boards, or any other boards, is an automatic sign of some kind of deficiency in personal relationships is pretty ridiculous not to mention overly judgemental and very offensive. (By the way, if anyone has a cute, nice sister who loves to travel and who would like to go out with a guy who has lots of FF miles, please send her my way.) (You know where I can be found.) (heavy sigh)

Hmmm. It strikes me that you're taking this a little personally. ;)

Hmmm. It strikes me that someone is missing the irony. A little too subtle I guess.

Quote:
Originally Posted by brasov02 View Post
(By the way, if anyone has a cute, nice sister who loves to travel and who would like to go out with a guy who has lots of FF miles, please send her my way.) (You know where I can be found.) (heavy sigh)

Is this the relationship void postulate suggested by the O/P?:eek:

Ya think?
Again, the irony here seems to be flying (excuse the pun) over some people's heads here. I guess I'll try and be a little more obvious in the future.

[QUOTE=Gamecock;11939040]
Reason #3: I'm not lucky. I don't win contests. But I feel like I've won the lottery when I pick up a J seat using my miles.

LOL!

I feel that way when I get an opup on a TATL. (3x in my last 4 RTs)

[QUOTE=GetawaysRus;11939328]

LOL!

I feel that way when I get an opup on a TATL. (3x in my last 4 RTs)

I feel like I won the lotto whenever I get an opup...even domestic! :)

Put simply, do you think there is a link between miles and status mania and either emptiness in one's life or psychological disorder?

Yes.
I wish I have a bigger void and fill them with more miles.
Like Mr Burn said, "I'll give it all up just for a little more".

:)

wait just a darn minute ;)

are you saying people take flights to get miles purely to get the miles? that it is sometimes cheaper and more fun to fly the routes than it is to just buy the miles?

Put simply, do you think there is a link between miles and status mania and either emptiness in one's life or psychological disorder?

As a trained psychologist, I can safely say, "Sometimes".

I'm 100% certain that this hobby can become a dangerous habit for some people, but not everyone. For those with severe OCD or other obsessive tendencies, I'm sure it is a kink in their chain, but with them it's possible to obsess about anything, this is just another vice to them. My rule, if it's not hurting you, then it's not a bad thing to be doing. Being obsessive about something isn't necessarily reflective of a disorder - it's only if you're not able to lead your day-to-day life because of the amount of time and resources it is taking out of you.

I do everything in moderation, so I'm safe. But, if anyone out there would sacrifice the quality of their marriage, money that they do not have, or become depressed or suicidal because their mileage run didn't go as planned, then of course they should probably tune it down a bit and seek help.

In other words, it's just another thing for an obsessive person to obsess about. It could easily be gambling, coupon-cutting, or eating. Different strokes for different folks.

(By the way, if anyone has a cute, nice sister who loves to travel and who would like to go out with a guy who has lots of FF miles, please send her my way.) (You know where I can be found.) (heavy sigh)

Ditto.....

Realistically, I'm sure my non-stop travelling and MR-ing isn't conducive to a relationship, which is why I remain single - no girls I've met are footloose enough to just lay back and relax and not worry about life like I am, exploring the world and being on the road for about 180 days per year. They see heavy travelling as "irresponsible" and not ideal for starting a family - which is the last thing I want to do right now. I wish there were more vagabond females out there.....they are indeed a rarity.

Ditto.....

Realistically, I'm sure my non-stop travelling and MR-ing isn't conducive to a relationship, which is why I remain single - no girls I've met are footloose enough to just lay back and relax and not worry about life like I am, exploring the world and being on the road for about 180 days per year. They see heavy travelling as "irresponsible" and not ideal for starting a family - which is the last thing I want to do right now. I wish there were more vagabond females out there.....they are indeed a rarity.

Uh oh...the PMs are going to start flowing into your inbox now! Perhaps the TalkBoard needs to discuss starting a dating forum... ;)

(This from a young, single guy who shares the same view as you... :D)

Ditto.....

Realistically, I'm sure my non-stop travelling and MR-ing isn't conducive to a relationship, which is why I remain single - no girls I've met are footloose enough to just lay back and relax and not worry about life like I am, exploring the world and being on the road for about 180 days per year. They see heavy travelling as "irresponsible" and not ideal for starting a family - which is the last thing I want to do right now. I wish there were more vagabond females out there.....they are indeed a rarity.

roadtripman, I enjoy your observations. They resonate. Especially this one, and I can certainly document it over many years. Some women like it for a while, then... no. Maybe it's in our jeans (sic) and not theirs. But you know more about that than we do.

And it can probably be said that Columbus and Champlain and Magellan et al et al had problems back home that they were running away from. But I have to plead that it's not my problems that I'm thinking about when I get the itch and start thinking about my next trip, soon after getting back from my last one. In fact, I can get to thinking about my next trip without having any problems (or loneliness or dislike of my pied-à-terre) pending. :D I guess it did take me until recently to notice that I've never been happier -- since I figured out that this is who I am. It does help to have FlyerTalk, and you, validate it, however, in the face of more "conventional" wisdom... Thank you.

I once saw a summer home with the sign Windhover and thought, "Shame there's no place to put a sign on a condo." Small price, when you think of everything it takes to keep up a house, and the time it takes that could be better spent in "..." -- as in...
<== :)

(This from a young, single guy who shares the same view as you... :D)

roadtripman, I enjoy your observations. They resonate. Especially this one, and I can certainly document it over many years.

Glad I am not the only one suffering these relationship woes. Ah well, it'll all work out, eventually.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who accumulates miles and points for economic reasons. They allow me to vacation in a style I can't otherwise afford. My friends, who know my financial state, are amazed at--and jealous of--how I travel. And to answer the OP's question, not for me.

Put simply, no.

The answer is no, no, and no.

'Status' is not the point. Saving time, getting a good seat, making travel remotely comfortable and civilized is the point.
:cool:

Ditto.....

Realistically, I'm sure my non-stop travelling and MR-ing isn't conducive to a relationship, which is why I remain single - no girls I've met are footloose enough to just lay back and relax and not worry about life like I am, exploring the world and being on the road for about 180 days per year. They see heavy travelling as "irresponsible" and not ideal for starting a family - which is the last thing I want to do right now. I wish there were more vagabond females out there.....they are indeed a rarity.

On the contrary there are some of us females who love to travel on MRs. I don't travel for work, and all my miles ytd are leisure/mr. I got into MR after reading about it here on FT in January when a google search for discount tickets led me here. I've only recently in the past few months been able to convince hubby to tag along with me since i started my mile runs in Jan and now he is into the game too. We've got a mini competition going on to see who will end the year with the most miles. We both crashed into platinum this week and its only our first year in this hobby. When we play, we play hard. :)

On the contrary there are some of us females who love to travel on MRs. I don't travel for work, and all my miles ytd are leisure/mr. I got into MR after reading about it here on FT in January when a google search for discount tickets led me here. I've only recently in the past few months been able to convince hubby to tag along with me since i started my mile runs in Jan and now he is into the game too. We've got a mini competition going on to see who will end the year with the most miles. We both crashed into platinum this week and its only our first year in this hobby. When we play, we play hard. :)


You are definitely the exception :p Most of the females who I've described my excellent MR & mile endeavors to have responded with nothing but rolling of eyes. "You'll need to settle down sometime, you can't expect to raise children with that kind of instability and constant being away from home" has been thrown at me no less than a dozen or so times.

But, when it works (as in you & your husband's case), it works. Now, just to find a like-minded female who enjoys a bit of instability & chaos in her life, so it can likewise work for me.

You are definitely the exception :p Most of the females who I've described my excellent MR & mile endeavors to have responded with nothing but rolling of eyes. "You'll need to settle down sometime, you can't expect to raise children with that kind of instability and constant being away from home" has been thrown at me no less than a dozen or so times.

But, when it works (as in you & your husband's case), it works. Now, just to find a like-minded female who enjoys a bit of instability & chaos in her life, so it can likewise work for me.

We are Dinks (double income no kids) and will stay that way. I don't think its a matter of settling down (because we've been married 13 years and feel very connected to our friends and community and are involved) that prevents people from traveling but a matter of parenthood. It's a bit impractical to try to jet set around the world with infants [too tiring i'd suppose] but without them, there is great freedom to see the world sandwiched in between work days and other local committments and activities. But then again i don't see a lot of women in their 40s without kids mileage running either. I don't get it. Why go to sleep on a friday night and wake up in your home when you can go to sleep on a plane friday night and wakeup anywhere in the world ready to see new things and meetup new people and have new experiences? It's a no brainer for me!

We are Dinks (double income no kids) and will stay that way. I don't think its a matter of settling down (because we've been married 13 years and feel very connected to our friends and community and are involved) that prevents people from traveling but a matter of parenthood. It's a bit impractical to try to jet set around the world with infants [too tiring i'd suppose] but without them, there is great freedom to see the world sandwiched in between work days and other local committments and activities. But then again i don't see a lot of women in their 40s without kids mileage running either. I don't get it. Why go to sleep on a friday night and wake up in your home when you can go to sleep on a plane friday night and wakeup anywhere in the world ready to see new things and meetup new people and have new experiences? It's a no brainer for me!

i meant to say a lot of women in their 40s where the kids have grown up and left home. i didn't mean to imply i was in my 40s egads! (I'm 33)

We are Dinks (double income no kids) and will stay that way. I don't think its a matter of settling down (because we've been married 13 years and feel very connected to our friends and community and are involved) that prevents people from traveling but a matter of parenthood. It's a bit impractical to try to jet set around the world with infants [too tiring i'd suppose] but without them, there is great freedom to see the world sandwiched in between work days and other local committments and activities. But then again i don't see a lot of women in their 40s without kids mileage running either. I don't get it. Why go to sleep on a friday night and wake up in your home when you can go to sleep on a plane friday night and wakeup anywhere in the world ready to see new things and meetup new people and have new experiences? It's a no brainer for me!


It's a no brainer for me too - I'm 26, and I agree, it's a great lifestyle as long as you aren't in a rush to settle down and have kids. I know of one hardcore traveller who lugs his newborn and his wife along with him, couchsurfing across the world - I see that as child abuse, so they're right in some respect, my current lifestyle isn't compatible with child rearing (though, I'd like to think it is once the child is 4 or 5 and can likewise have "fun" travelling - but I'm by no means a parenting expert :P).

Females at my age are more often than not (at least in my experience) looking for their baby's father as much as they are looking for their romantic partner/husband. So, the travelling ends up being a deal-breaker - it just seems too irresponsible to them. "Life is one big adventure to you, isn't it? All you care about is seeing the world away from home, but you don't care about the world AT HOME, do you?"

*sigh*

Put simply, do you think there is a link between miles and status mania and either emptiness in one's life or psychological disorder?

I don't think so.

I look at it this way: there are things I do every day that can either earn points/miles or not earn points/miles. I can buy a burrito and a Coke for $9. Or I can buy a burrito, a Coke, and 9 Starpoints for $9. Why not accept the nine Starpoints? They're free. (Or, more accurately, they're getting bundled into the merchant's costs of doing business whether I choose to accept them or not.)

As far as acquiring status on an airline, I think it can depend on the situation. In my case, I acquired AA Lifetime Gold because of years of flying to both Chicago and Dallas. Because I needed to be in a western suburb of Chicago for work and then in Irving, TX for work, using WN didn't make sense and using anything besides AA didn't make sense. So...years of Platinum status followed by Lifetime Gold came with the deal.

Likewise, last year I had a mix of cities that collectively were best served by UA. So at the end of it all...1K. I did one trip with a suboptimal routing (time-wise) to ensure I would end the year over 100,000 EQM. I spent maybe four hours "extra" of my life to get 1K. I don't consider that a major psychological disorder to invest four hours to get six SWU's (all six of which will get put to pretty good use). :D

Mileage Runs...I can't comment because I've never done a "pure" MR. I've taken short weekend trips semi-motivated by EQM's or by a cheap airfare, but they've always been to places I wanted to visit or to see friends/family. I don't quite understand the "pure" MR - to me, the value of my time kills off the value of the MR. Maybe if I was sitting on 99,000 EQM on Dec 31 I'd think differently and bust a quick same-day MCI-ORD-MCI...so far, that hasn't happened to me.

I can buy a burrito and a Coke for $9. Or I can buy a burrito, a Coke, and 9 Starpoints for $9.

Just be glad you aren't a disadvantaged Canadian like me, I only am able to "buy" 4.5 Starpoints in this transaction. That is, unless I buy 1,111 orders, then they might give me the other 4.5. But only if I order all 1,111 orders before my anniversary date. If I buy 1,110, I still get 4.5.

Damn you Canada.

I just realized: I've probably ordered enough burritos in my life for at least one nice Category 3 free night.

I don't have a psychological problem - I have a burrito problem! ;)

Ditto.....

Realistically, I'm sure my non-stop travelling and MR-ing isn't conducive to a relationship, which is why I remain single - no girls I've met are footloose enough to just lay back and relax and not worry about life like I am, exploring the world and being on the road for about 180 days per year. They see heavy travelling as "irresponsible" and not ideal for starting a family - which is the last thing I want to do right now. I wish there were more vagabond females out there.....they are indeed a rarity.

OK, OK, I'm just kidding. But when you "grow up" (read older), I think you'll find a lot more female company. I have two lovely single daughters, neither of which is looking for Mr. Responsible with whom to settle down and start a family, but trying to blast them out of the tiny farm community where we all live is a daunting task.
Me: "Wanna go to Belize next weekend?"
Them: "Nah, I gotta drywall." (or similar)
I, on the other hand, dropped out of college to become a FA, so it must not be specific to the XX. Now, youth definitely in my past, I've found it much easier to find other women to travel with--the men in my life are the ones hard to motivate.
So, back to the topic--am I filling a void with my newly acquired dedication to attempting EXP? No (beyond the philosophical question of life being a void we all fill). It's a challenge, provides a lot of diversion and opportunities to try new things, meet new people. It doesn't cost nearly as much as my horse hobby, and I don't have any responsibility to the components of the mileage quest when I'm off doing something else. And, with the bennies maybe I can induce the kids to get out of Dodge. (My granddaughter is showing much promise :) )
Thanks OP, and SPs, it's been an interesting read.