Wow, this thread goes WAYYYYYYY back. What the heck, I'll add to it...

I'm Tim, 39 yrs old and I guess you could say I am employed by the DOD (hah!). I've travelled all over the world in various modes of transportation; stayed in 5-star palaces and sleeping bags under the stars. I've eaten on 5th Avenue and in Thai Mess Halls.

Right now, my employer has me milling about the middle east, my home (Japan), the USA, and a point or two in Europe.

I like to write reviews on here (FT Reviews), because they serve two purposes--advice to fellow travelers behind me and they serve as kind of a personal log. I also like to read your tidbits of advice, and kick myself for not finding this board any sooner!

My wife worked for a national airline (YX) for several years, and we non-revved all over the USA. As such, I really didn't get into the mileage game--in fact, we were pretty spoiled by the Best Care in the Air until the financial crunch hit them.

I decided to start banking mileage and hotel points over the past two years.

My "epiphany" came about recently. Coming back to the states (after flying all over the far east), I was on a Delta Flight.

I had no idea what the hell "Boarding Group 6" meant...really! So here I am, showing up for a 767 flight from Tampa to Atlanta, not hearing the announcements, I try to board. The gate agent accosts me for trying to board early (they were only at boarding group 4) and then asks me if I was an Elite (no!). Of course her reply was "you will have to wait until your boarding group is called, SIRRRRR". Sheesh, I turned back dejectedly and waited with about 4 other yokels. On that flight, I thought that status is everything nowadays and I better get in the game otherwise I'll get treated like dirt. And I fly a lot! So I got the clue (and I'm not a status type of guy).

So, here I am in the middle east. Most of my flying is arranged by travel agencies. Sometimes they honor my request for Star Alliance, sometimes they don't. That's okay. I'm hoping to fly on Bengladesh Biman and Emirates one of these days--just to say I did it.

I like Hiltons and UA. I'm a Premier Exec (it will be real close whether I make that next year or not). I live in Japan, so I fly a lot on ANA, OZ, CI, and NW besides UA. Unfortunately, UA is the only one I fly enough to make "status".

The wife and I also like to travel on our own dime. We try to fly in business on our own dime and eat in posh places--it's our time together and we can only do it once or twice a year, so we figure we earned it.

I like to dive and geocache. I'm in pretty good shape and like the outdoors. My "dream" adventure is to re-trace the south georgia Shackleton crossing--maybe I'm nuts. I am a commercial pilot (that means absolutely nothing, I just paid a lot of money to not fly for an airline) and love soaring.

My post has grown real long, time to close it out. If you want to chit chat, feel free to drop me a message!