My mother is retired from a municipal career. She has never taken a flight for business reasons. She has accumulated over 1.7 million miles on AA over the past 19 years from flying and her elite bonuses (she has been gold or platinum for the past ten years). She flies to Europe three or four times a year during the off-season when fares from DFW average $350 or so. She spends less than $2,000 a year to maintain her Platinum status.