What Year Did You Join Your First Frequent Flyer Program and What Was It?
#46
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Lincoln, CA
Programs: HHonors/Marriott/Starwood/SWA Rapid Rewards
Posts: 240
What a great thread ! It takes me down Memory Lane!
I got addicted to the Frequent Flyer game sometime in the 1997/1998 era I believe. It was my nightly obsession after a long day at work to log on to Flyer Talk on the computer after kids went to bed to learn from all the savvy people! Holy Moly, did we benefit (as a family)! All the promotions - HHonors - 50K promo - Publix coupons - Kelloggs cereal (the Pudding Guy era). I remember on the 50k HHonors promo, I learned I could book and guarantee hotel rooms in faraway places that I had no intention of using. But, I got the big bonus! The room was only about $27 (back then) and I'd net 20k or 30k for the charge on my credit card. From all of the promotions, we took so many free flights (3 to Hawaii for family of 4) (1 first class to Florida from CA for fam of 4 for Thanksgiving one year), 5 nights @ the Waikoloa in Hawaii, several trips to Michigan for family events, 5 nights free at the Tapatio Cliffs in Scottsdale/Phoenix, Many cash and points stays at Union Square (Westin St. Francis). My husband and I never travelled for work so doing the credit card promos and other promos (cereal coupons) (or even just calling w/ codes to Hhonors) was how we did it. We always pay our balance each month on the credit cards so we didn't pay interest ever. What a great life we have had in the way of vacations. I just flew round trip to Guam to meet our first granddaughter! That was free thanks to Chase Sapphire + United Explorer Cards, which saved me between $1500 and $2000 (Our first grandchild..I would have gone even if I had to pay). Life is Good! Thanks to all of you for sharing and for the OP for bringing up the topic!^
#47
Join Date: Jan 2000
Programs: UA 1k, AA EXPLT, NZ GE, VA PLT Hyatt Diam, Marr Plat, HH Diam
Posts: 3,445
My user name is a reference to the old "FT" program.
#48
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,602
We joined Pan Am sometime in the 80's. It was the most rewarding program ever! We even earned full miles on award flights!!! - all I had to do is ask for the miles and send the boarding passes. In addition, our babies, who only paid 10% or 20% of the ticket earned full adult miles.
#49
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: MIA
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 493
#51
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New York and Vienna
Programs: PA WorldPass Platinum, AA, DL, LH. GHA Black, SPG and HHonors Gold
Posts: 3,870
Same here! 19Jul83 enrollment with PA. However, first "mileage run" was on PA a few years earlier when, after a pilots strike, PA offered a free ticket (can't remember if dom or int'l) after just 1 r/t flight. So, did a $30 fare to get the free ticket.
My user name is a reference to the old "FT" program.
My user name is a reference to the old "FT" program.
#52
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY, USA
Programs: SPG GL, AA GL
Posts: 2,591
NWA 1987. I have always been serious about miles I thought (checking news letter, trying to switch phone companies every so often back then), . Until I stumbled on this site in late 90s. Time flies.
#53
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: BNA (Nashville)
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 6,225
WorldPerks with NWA in 1987. I had a Piedmont Airlines cobranded credit card in the 80's that gave me discounts, but I am not sure if there was a Frequent Flier program. I joined SWA Rapid Rewards in the mid 90's and AA in 1999.
#54
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Potomac Falls, VA
Programs: AA Plat 2MM, MR Gold, Avis Pref
Posts: 41,109
I took one flight a short hop shuttle of some sort and rec'd 3000 miles
I never took another one with that airline but at some point I rec'd a letter saying it was now a DL account and that started me on DL. DL was my first airline of choice (back when the program was good) until I was forced to abandon them in the mid 90's because my employer was AA/UA only.
#55
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Hustletown
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), Marriott lifetime Plat
Posts: 211
United December 1985 -- and I'm finally nearing Million Miler status. (Took me long enough! I should have focused more.)
One reason I didn't accumulate more miles on United sooner: I too took advantage of the terrific TW 50,000 mile First Class redemption offer. Cairo was wonderful...
One reason I didn't accumulate more miles on United sooner: I too took advantage of the terrific TW 50,000 mile First Class redemption offer. Cairo was wonderful...
#57
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY, SK, TK
Posts: 7,591
I think I joined somewhere by 2001, having flown some work flights already before but had no idea about FF. Actually, the much hated (at least in companies where there are strict and brainless policies) travel secretary was the one who told me to join, literally she did the work and enrolled me while I was uninterested "I don't know why, but well go ahead" I can't believe it! I must confess also that it took a long while before I started to see in the program benefits. Oh how much miles I had lost by not knowing...those were the times when flying was always in business class!
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Programs: UA Million Miler (lite). NY Metro area.
Posts: 15,069
TWA in 1985.
AA in 1987.
UA in 1988, when one of my vendors paid for the ticket. I wasn't happy about it until a year later. I had to start all over again with a new program... building my mileage bank. When a friend told me that UA had a better upgrade program, I was all-in. I'll never forget the first time UA called my name for an upgrade. It was biz class on the old 3 class 767 JFK/LAX. I felt like a million bucks.
I was upstate NY at the time. I heard a commercial on the radio about this, and called the airline to inquire. I thought what I heard was too good to be true. I had 2 transcons booked at the time. 5000 miles x 3 = 15.000 miles. With 2 trips, that totaled 30,000 miles. I had 20,000 AA miles at the time, so this yielded 2 'free' tickets to Orlando.
Dan
AA in 1987.
UA in 1988, when one of my vendors paid for the ticket. I wasn't happy about it until a year later. I had to start all over again with a new program... building my mileage bank. When a friend told me that UA had a better upgrade program, I was all-in. I'll never forget the first time UA called my name for an upgrade. It was biz class on the old 3 class 767 JFK/LAX. I felt like a million bucks.
Dan
#60
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,121