I almost passed over the story in the dead-tree edition from reading in my subscription copy. Once I realized what it was I had to sit down and read more closely.

Fifteen years ago something like this would be feared to start a noob invasion, but with print media declining in influence and the audience for it getting older it's less of a fear now. It's in the summer RS double issue, even though the issue is normal-sized.

Also, noticeably, they don't tease the article on the cover.

As for content, it seems fairly well-researched, though it's another one of those "freak show" type things leaving the reader scratching his head but thinking, "OK, but WHY?" Someone who gets so hooked on both the miles-collecting and the constant travel and pampering (the luxe part being presumably a huge part of the appeal) that they do it constantly.

In the "Up in the Air" movie you had a mile-hoarder as a main character, though his job was responsible for most of the travel and he liked the special treatment but kept piling up unused miles. Also a bit out of the zone of relatability to the average person.

This can't be the reason seminars fill up...there must be a more balanced version that most people are aiming for. Yet stories in the media tend to make it into more of a freak show.