PETER01

Going back to the OP's (excellent post) and me also being an FT 'addict' is there a cure or will I forever be chasing Avios/Status?

layz

You will be. Once you go gold there's no going back.

PETER01

Mmmm, food for thought given I am Silver until the end of the month and I will then drop down to Bronze. (my TP's reset to 0 in December)

Not sure I can justify Gold, Silver yes easily, but who knows.........

HIDDY

For some yes but I suspect most Golds especially those who earn it through work travel then change jobs, retire, etc won't give a monkey's.

paulwuk

That's right, as they'll be gold for life

T8191

That may work for some of those who start young enough.

For others, is just a pointless ambition that will "time out" long before the target figure is reached!!

hmansouri

That's so true!! I could never fall below gold the thought of it is just... scary....

I don't know what I would do... long lines in airports... ONE bag to check in.... no lounge access... no priority boarding....STOP STOP I can't take anymore... the HORROR!!!!!

Lefly

The OP post (great one) sounds very familiar...

I discovered FT less than a year ago and joined it after some month of lurking... only to find myself to book (with Dutch help) one of the ex-EU-HNL runs, even if in conjunction with a holiday :P

I like BAFT. Tons of useful knowledge, nice people, friendly attitude also to newcomers and beginners, humor too.
It helped me to decide what alliance to choose for family vacations, and made me realize that we could even reach status, taking advantage of free seat selection from booking and "upgraded" land services when travelling Y around europe.

As for the complains: if things were better before, it's natural that people knowing them have remarks. Ok, some complains are too much "first world problem" but other, IME, are very reasonable, like the ones for the T5 security situation. There are also the ones that, instead, helps to have a more earthy vision of premium cabins.

Personally I have yet to discover the most of BA/OW, as I had done just 2 flights with it, two T5 transit and one lounge stay (for 6 hrs), but I am very curious to try first hand more hard and soft products. Thanks to BAFT, I will do it shortly

Blueboys999

Please let me equally respectfully advise that my wife took the Platinum Challenge in June 2014 and flew discount WT+ on BA from MAN to AUH and will now have Platinum status until the end of February 2016. She did't venture within 3,000 miles of the US nor did she board an AA coded flight.

Blueboys999

If reaching EXP was even close to the ease in which BA Gold can be achieved then I'd definitely be chasing it again after my first year without it this century. In fact now a new qualifying year has just started, like you, I am actually again considering it.

beardoc

The addiction is getting worse for me since dumping QFF for my frequent flyer program (after the "simpler, fairer" changes that made it more complicated and made people choosing to fly on non-QF flights in the OW Alliance to be second class citizens) - switching to BAEC and getting involved in this forum isn't enough now - instead I'm now retaining BAEC GGL/3500TP via a DONE5 annually and a couple of extra flights and this year starting the trek to achieve AA EXP on EQS (120 flights per year!). It happens to the best of us. Once you start, you can't stop. And it's too fun in the process. Hopefully I'll be on my first BA F flight very very soon!

chx1975

I blame FT for my bag obsession, the beautiful, lovely Briggs&Riley backpack, the trusty Red Oxx XS and all these transatlantic business flights on Aeroplan in flat beds. Not to mention the trip I plan next year to Tokyo and Melbourne starting from Honolulu it's only 90k miles

Msshortie

I too find this site hugely helpful in planning trips and how to use my avios. I booked a return to HKG with my avios while sitting in the Flounge last Saturday - out first class with BA and back first class with Cathay. I am now stalking the BA site to use my miles for a trip to Sydney, so yip I am addicted.

I, like others here, do tend to also grumble about things when they go wrong and forget to post when things go well which I will rectify this year - New Year's resolution and all that.

rstlsgirl

Went from 0 to 1K in '14, and '15 will see me on the upper deck of an AF A-380 LAX - MAD for $1200 RT. Thanks, FT!

morges1

T8191 - I was 46, which I guess is young, at least from where I sit now! See post #35 on p3 of this thread!! I'm still doing 130 flights a year - exaggeration, 128 in 2014!