essxjay

Gah! Too many moments to say what definitively has been the best moment but at this point but three contendahs emerge:

• Embarking on my first mileage run, PDX-MUC (in Y!) as a result of everything I'd read on the UA forum about the perks of status. Leaving home at zero-dark-thirty one Saturday morning many, many Novembers ago I thought to myself that this was surely the stupidest thing I'd ever done in my life. Less than 48 hours later I couldn't wait to plot the next adventure.

• Coming here in the hours and days after 9/11 to find comfort if not answers to the tragedy as it unfolded, and witnessing the extraordinary generosity offered to FTers stranded around the world. I felt truly blessed to be part of the community. :-:

• Meeting Randy Petersen for the first time, about five years after I first became a mod. I couldn't put my finger on what made FT so special until that day when it all finally made sense. ^

Princess1

I can't compete with meeting Randy, but have 2 most special moments. First, the phx mini do set up by Sweet Willie when I finally came face to face with live FTers. The second, when Gemac told me to stop whining and start doing, pulling me out pretty dark depths, and got me on the road to Moscow.

Gemac... Making the plans for next year, and taking my son!

Did I mention getting to change my profile to silver? Lowly status to you guys, but after 5 years of mixing airlines, big achievement.

Djlawman

For me, an original member, but one who has never frequented the Do's (although I have met a couple of FTers), my best FT moment would have to be the LatinPass run.

We all sat around our computers back then (early 2000), pricing out itineraries, and egging each other on about going, until I finally told me wife we had to do it. (And then one of my partners, her husband, and her brother came along too.) Crazy idea, said many, but using those miles on trips to Paris, Italy, Costa Rica, Spain, and at Marriotts and Hiltons throughout the world has been a great experience. And the trip itself was generally fun as well.

Undoubtedly the craziest thing I have done in my life, but certainly one of the most rewarding also. Very very high cost/benefit ratio.

(It should be noted, though, that the burden of the several hundred LatinPass runners, most from FT and almost all who must have gotten their info from FT, probably put LatinPass/GlobalPass out of business eventually.)

I also consider so many of my great vacations for the last 12 years to be "FT Moments" because I got all these miles and points from here on FT to be able to accomplish those trips.

Counsellor

I'd have to list three:

First for me is clearly the PiP. I enjoyed meeting so many fellow-frequent-flyer-nuts, watching Rudi and Koko's infamous tennis match (subtitled "Win Rudi's SWU" back when SWUs were very rare indeed), and meeting Randy for the first time and his magnificent staff as well.

I'd have to list one of the Düsseldorf Dos magnificently organized by Bernie. Any of them, really -- they were each unique and absolutely delightful!

And finally, the various informal get-togethers in Munich. What a great group of FlyerTalkers have visited Munich!

Wonderful memories, all.

Mynameismud

No DO so far for me too, so it was also posting my first TR and hitting +10000 views (13828 exactly )

cawhite

One of my favorites, too.

Also:
+ A few years ago when we had Chicago lunches what seemed like at least every other week...what fun we had.
+ BooDoos...all of them.
+ BaliDo2005 (and also the flights with CGK & MovieMan in SQ F en route to BaliDo2006)

+1. Those friendships have also led to some fantastic off-FT moments. Including a cruise along the Napali Coast last November.

tom911

Rudi giving me the workout of my life on the slopes of Wengen would be pretty high on the list. I have never been so sore, for so long, after any other activity I've ever participated in. And I loved every minute of it.

Have to admit the terrain there is spectacular. You just want to stand and be in awe and toss the skis to the side (of course, then you'd never get down the mountain).

And to think I showed up there just with plans to look around the village and drink some beer.

From the Jungfrau (took the train up there--I'd probably fall into a glacier if I tried to ski down from there):

wijomas

Every moment spent with or around FlyerTalkers gets better and better. How could I possibly limit to just one (or three?)

Rudi

Tom - I tried my best to prepare you and give you a chance to beat Body Miller at the men's world cup downhill race 'the Lauberhorn' @ Wengen this weekend (jan-15-2011)

tom911

I was in Kitzbuhel, Austria, when he was skiing there in 2007. There was a booth selling Bode Miller souveniers but I didn't buy anything. I was more interested in seeing all the hot air balloons hovering just above the snow. PHOTOS

Oh, he was featured in a snow covered advertisement at the train station. I'll post that.

CMK10

Last month I chose to travel to a Do for my first time. I'd been to a few beforehand but they were always where I was living. I flew from RDU to Chicago (with a connection of course, this being Flyertalk) for the Dinner with Captain Flannigan Do. I was a little nervous it wouldn't be enjoyable and I'd feel stupid for basing a trip around it, but it ended up being a great time. I met some wonderful people, got some great UA swag and enjoyed 3 and a half hours of miles related conversation.

I'm already planning another trip to a Do for February so it must have worked