hjohnson

Oddly, for me, the flights I've enjoyed the best have been the ones where i'm sitting sideways on a transport plane, or similar. Admittedly, though, the absolute best was the summer I spent jumping on Blackhawks every other day as I travelled through the sandbox... I've read stories of how war correspondents become completely addicted to the life, and having done a bit of it myself now, I can totally understand.

becreative

Never had status when I worked as a consultant. But now as a graduate student I have generally clear over 150k miles per year for the last 2 years. Helps that school and work/family are across the pond. Love to travel but hate the YYZ-LHR redeyes as you cross 5 time zones in 6 hours and can barely sleep for more than 4 hours. The day tripper is much better though.

0zenon0

I live in London, UK and fly back to BC two or three times a year. This year I will make Elite for the first time due to a few extra trips back. I fly intra-Europe for business which used to help but it's getting harder to avoid non-elegible fare classes on partner airlines. And now that BMI is gone it will be een harder as I fly to Dub a fair bit. So basically, its all a result of personal travel.

canadatosiberia

Wowza - for a father or 2 that stings. That being said, I have heard it before and don't disagree entirely. Maybe my wife will win out now, and if/when another comes along she will get her name choice - little Corby M**** will arrive in style.

You are one of the greatest - a legend in my mind. Been a fan back to 91/92 living in Humboldt (I heard that Spy 66 had a get together last year in Saskatoon - not sure if it spawned anything more). The baselines are amazing. Still a huge fan - keep on spreading the good word, the real "good" word.

HomerJ

....so I have reps and distributors across the nation who need me to visit customers with them on a regular basis.

Needle Hill

I like to travel and I like my family so I travel with them. Made it to SE for two years when we fell in love with the wide open space of Downunder. Cost me a lot because I paid for all the trips and all my holidays are unpaid. Thing are going to change as the kids are growing up and they probably like to go their own way without mom and pa.

Thanks to this tread. I may consider changing career to be a consultant and have all my trips paid by someone else.

morphius909

+1.

I'm away from home for 17 full days in June. Even though I get to hit up the US and Europe, and fly J, it's going to be very tough with my 2 little ones left at home and wife busy with her career and juggling all of that.

jnswinnipeg

I own an association management company. What is that you ask...

My travel is mainly domestic with three or four US trips per year and lately one international trip. All travel is T+ or Lat flight pass (YWG-YYZ) and my upgrade success domestically and internationally is very good.

I have been E for about seven or eight years (when did the Flight Passes launch?) and expect to end 2012 with 60,000 QM and 40 segments. Last year I made E with 50,000+ QM and 50+ segments.

Luckily most of my trips are just a night or two and I try very hard to plan travel around family commitments.

Flying Tree Farmer

Salesperson:

I cover North America plus one trip to Europe per year. SE the hard way (legs) usually by June.

I'd rather fly than drive. I have made many travel friends and every new city is an adventure.

Hint: dont stay at airport hotels. Go someplace interesting.

imapilotaz

I worked in the airlines for 8 years and traveled extensively for work (I did a lot of small community flying that included significant sales & community relations work), so although not until I became a consultant did I acrue airline miles, I did acrue close to 1,000,000 holiday inn points. Ive twice commuted for work over 3 months each (not fun living out of a suitcase/hotel and only home with the family 1 day a week). I now travel 3-4 times a month, but since I'm a consultant, I work around my family's schedule. I'm able to coach my kids' sports teams, at all their school events and the flexibility of working from home enables me to do alot of things at their school that is otherwise impossible. But with that flexibility (or desire for it), I have alot of very early or very late flights. Its not uncommon to coach my sonss baseball game and then head to the airport for a 9pm flight out to a client.

The work and travel is definitely not for everyone. I'll end up pushing 125k miles flown this year (and not one leg beyond 1700 miles). I absolutely love traveling, to sit back and read a book while listening to music on my Ipod. I go through 100+ books a year thanks to traveling. I dont feel I've missed my kids growing up, but there is absolutely nothing more heartbreaking when a kid says "i dont want you to go" or "you have to leave again?"

PhotoJim

I'm only a P, but:

My day job is insurance, but I serve on the board of a national non-profit organization in an industry cognate to my own. That position takes me on three Canadian trips a year and one US one.

Combine that with one or two personal trips - usually to the US, next year overseas I hope - and opportunistically adding segments via connections where it makes sense - and I get enough segments to squeak into P.

It takes a lot of flying to be an E. That, or flying to some pretty distant places more than occasionally. Our proposed trip to SYD next year, I thought, would cinch me for E (at the 35,000 mile level anyway; alas, that is no longer E) but no such luck. My wife will be able to get P for the first time, maybe... and I'll still be a P too.

bakersdozen

That's quite a bit of information for someone wanting to remain anonymous Obviously it's the Marriott with 18 brands... and hotels in time square. Hilton only has 10 brands and and Starwood 8 or 9...

skofz

Long-distance relationship, about 20k miles flying back and forth with some oddball routings to rack up a few extra status miles. Toss in a business trip to India and that got me E.

We're no longer long-distance, which is fantastic, except that I think I'll be lucky to make P this year...

threevic

I'm a little disappointed in some of the colder answers... That said, i'm in venture capital...I have a few exploration companies that are publicly traded, so fundraising is a big part of what i do which at my level (venture/risk capital) its all a measure of trust so being face to face is huge.

When it comes to flying, sometimes I have 5-6 weeks stints where I am on the road as I like to tie the flights together and to exercise economies of scale.

I find you tend to become overly critical and a little jaded of the airlines, hotels etc as you expect a level of perfection that non frequent flyers wouldn't. this actually does suck...I can't tell you them amount of nights a plane has been my bed, which starts to hurt after a while.

Last year i did 296k miles for a total of 197 segments and didn't pay for 1 business class tix (trying to keep costs down.)...this year already at 100k, and now that an excellent opportunity has presented itself in south america...It looks like i'll be picking up the pace.

these perks and the special treatment makes sense to me as guys and gals over the 250k travelled miles per year are spending more time on a plane that the staff does, so you kind of do want it to feel like a second home.

that's my two cents

JPCAG

Can totally relate. Three children 5 and under. Already 54 nights in Sheraton's alone this year. Away June 10-July 1. Costa Rica, Hong Kong among other places all in J but still away from home a lot. Bonus is between Delta and AC I can fly family many times with me on points. Gotta keep big picture front and centre or its cave time.