Traveling beyond your means on miles and points
Jul 30, 2012, 6:30 pm
#16
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 68
Haha. With my husband being a student and me currently unemployed, I have to offer up explanations constantly why I cannot afford to go out to dinner, but I CAN afford to go on vacation.
Jul 30, 2012, 6:41 pm
#17
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 670
I wouldn't be surprised if American's handled money better before CCs than they do now. I also wouldn't be surprised if we saw a similar effect in other cultures as time goes on.
Jul 30, 2012, 6:48 pm
#18
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NJ/NYC
Programs: UA and HH
Posts: 4,346
I'm 22 years old and have earned over 100,000 FF miles between AA & UA just in the year 2012. In the last two years I've made two trips to South America (spent 5 months there total), two trips to Hawaii (second trip to Hawaii was all first class), a two week trip to Sydney, Australia (business class upgrade on the flight back-best flight of my life, I think MSRP one way was about $15,000, rumor mill went crazy after that one) andddddd i just booked a trip to Turkey, open jaw flying home from Paris after new years 2012/2013. If it is hard explaining the points rich cash poor concept to somebody as a 40 year old, try explaining it as a 22 year old. Nobody understands. My uncle honestly asked to borrow $50K from me a few months ago. It is really funny to me, most of the time I just let people draw their own conclusions. It is fun. Earn em and burn em baby!
My wife and I went to PHX to visit her cousin. I paid for 2 suites (cash, $600 total for 2 nights at Hilton Squaw Peak) for her 2 cousins families and Aunt/Uncle. Her uncle has his private pilot's licenses so I was chatting with him about the travel I do and showed him pictures of some of our trips (airline F suites, hotel rooms, etc) along with my flight memory. I explained how I earn miles through cc's, mileage runs, etc and thought he actually understood.
Anyway a few weeks later he called me at work and asked if I would be interested in buying land to develop (they are in construction) that cost about $1.2 million. I had to break it to him that I did not have that kind of money but he just didn't get it and kept referring to all the travel I do. He then asked if I would be interested in buying half and helping him get financing for the other half so I just said I'm not interested at the moment.
I've tried to explain my hobby to a lot of people but the only ones who actually understand what I do and how I do it are my wife and parents, but they all think I'm crazy for actually doing it. I don't even bother trying to explain to friends and co-workers anymore.
Jul 30, 2012, 6:57 pm
#19
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
OK, since you ain't ADK, Jr. how the heck are you bagging these miles? I would have assumed you are just out of college with a low credit score, but do tell! You were in diapers for the pudding game, you also seem a might young to have minted miles and too undercapitalized to have a large scale paper recycling operation. What are you doing - BITS mileage runs? Can you loan your long lost uncle Aloha 50k, too.
I'm 22 years old and have earned over 100,000 FF miles between AA & UA just in the year 2012. In the last two years I've made two trips to South America (spent 5 months there total), two trips to Hawaii (second trip to Hawaii was all first class), a two week trip to Sydney, Australia (business class upgrade on the flight back-best flight of my life, I think MSRP one way was about $15,000, rumor mill went crazy after that one) andddddd i just booked a trip to Turkey, open jaw flying home from Paris after new years 2012/2013. If it is hard explaining the points rich cash poor concept to somebody as a 40 year old, try explaining it as a 22 year old. Nobody understands. My uncle honestly asked to borrow $50K from me a few months ago. It is really funny to me, most of the time I just let people draw their own conclusions. It is fun. Earn em and burn em baby!
Jul 30, 2012, 7:25 pm
#20
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NJ
Posts: 3,335
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Jul 30, 2012, 10:05 pm
#21
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: MKE
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Gold
Posts: 205
Jul 30, 2012, 10:13 pm
#22
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA, AA, US, DL, PC Plat, Dollar, Avis, National, SPG, HH Gold, CC Gold
Posts: 1,212
I always find myself making those same disclaimers. I am a teacher's aide in a parochial school. No money there! My son almost makes as much per hour as I do at his part-time job. People at school always eye me as we go off on yet another vacation, when teachers with decades of tenure can't afford to go. They wonder how we put our son through school and afford vacations to Europe. I have offered to show anyone how to get miles and points, but no one wants to put in the work or thinks somehow I'm in league with the devil. Oh, well, more miles for me!
Jul 31, 2012, 5:42 am
#25
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: AA EXP, AAirpass, & CK 2MM, MR Plat Premier, DL Plat, US Plat, UA RECOVERING GS
Posts: 2,620
+1 to that. People see money as, well, money and miles as free, so they seem much less tactful when asking for free flights and upgrade instruments.
Jul 31, 2012, 5:43 am
#26
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 238
It does happen here and there.
Mostly people are jealous especially in the workplace.
They assume I make way more than I do, i do have an income where i could afford that travel for myself, but not for a wife and a child so I am really glad i have those points><
Mostly people are jealous especially in the workplace.
They assume I make way more than I do, i do have an income where i could afford that travel for myself, but not for a wife and a child so I am really glad i have those points><
Jul 31, 2012, 6:01 am
#27
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: OTP
Programs: PC
Posts: 507
For someone who doesn't make much cash (like me), various promotions and not caring where you go at any particular time are the way to go...I make pretty much all my vacation decisions based on PointBreaks, Hilton Great Getaway rates, etc. Last year for example I went from Bucharest to Warsaw...flew on a promotional LOT fare (so not an LCC & got miles) and had a great paid rate for a very nice upgraded suite at the IC there. Cost: 170 EUR for transport & 2-night accommodation 
On a similar note, I once decided to stay at the AKA Resort Hua Hin on a last minute fare, having already signed up for the SLH Club (which provided free upgrades at member resorts): 110 EUR / night for an upgraded private pool villa seemed like a pretty damn decent deal.
These same things would cost someone who doesn't research status & offers hundreds more, amounts which I definitely couldn't afford on a frequent basis...
On a similar note, I once decided to stay at the AKA Resort Hua Hin on a last minute fare, having already signed up for the SLH Club (which provided free upgrades at member resorts): 110 EUR / night for an upgraded private pool villa seemed like a pretty damn decent deal.
These same things would cost someone who doesn't research status & offers hundreds more, amounts which I definitely couldn't afford on a frequent basis...
Jul 31, 2012, 6:08 am
#28
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
Everybody who knows me knows I am married to someone who lives in another country, and therefore "have" to maximize my points/miles. Also, my company has a large office in Asia, so a number of my co-workers either travel there occasionally (coach, per company policy) or where transferred from there, and therefore want to return occasionally, sometimes with their families. So in those last two categories I'm the "go-to" guy. Once I explain to them how, with the right planning, they can take their whole family home for vacation for free, they don't wonder how I can take my wife to Paris.
Jul 31, 2012, 6:27 am
#29
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
Programs: Several dozen
Posts: 4,820
By now you know old Cardinal Fang is sure we all do the devil's work.
So what's the big deal? Everyone outsources these days!
Poor ADK, Jr. was convinced for years I was up to no good ferrying millions of coins around and slipping in and out of countries like Switzerland and Grand Cayman.
"I have offered to show anyone how to get miles and points, but no one wants to put in the work or thinks somehow I'm in league with the devil."
So what's the big deal? Everyone outsources these days!
Poor ADK, Jr. was convinced for years I was up to no good ferrying millions of coins around and slipping in and out of countries like Switzerland and Grand Cayman.
"I have offered to show anyone how to get miles and points, but no one wants to put in the work or thinks somehow I'm in league with the devil."
Jul 31, 2012, 7:20 am
#30
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: SYDNEY
Programs: *A Gold, HH dia,Hyatt plat,Sixt PLAT,QF , EY Gold
Posts: 1,890
I'm a Ozzie and wish I had the benefits of credit card sign ups. I'm a poor factory worker who has a travel hobby and people/friends can't believe I'm flying in F on a RTW ticket for a family of four. They know I'm broke as a joke but they also know I'm up to something just don't know what. Although some of them think I've won the lottery but really I'm just awake at the right time I.e 4 mile ticket . It's not lucky it's dedication .