I wanted to take a time out of my busy schedule (and time out of your schedule, since you're reading this) to say thank you to the FT community. I am a non-business traveler based in Seattle and have been following the discussions on FT for the past few years.

With the help of the people here (and other sources as well) I have managed to experience all manners of travel that I never expected:

• Trans-Atlantic flights to Italy in UA Business and Lufthansa First flights
• Free one-way flights
• Free nights at Hotel Eden in Rome
• Free nights to celebrate my wife's birthday and our anniversary at the Nines in Portland (including presents from the hotel and club lounge access -- with no status)
• Free flights to New Orleans
• Reimbursements for excursions on an Alaska cruise

What is even better is that I have been able to help friends that we love to travel with do the same thing. They joined us on our trips to Italy and New Orleans. We were also able to bring my wife's parents on an Alaskan cruise. We thought this would be a once in a lifetime experience for them, but after doing it once, they're ready for more! Sharing these experiences with our loved ones has definitely made the trips that much more special and memorable.

We are looking forward to our next big trips now. Next spring will bring a trip to Singapore, the Maldives, and Dubai (time to shower in the skies). Hopefully the next year will bring us on an African safari. Our friends that I have been coaching are heading off to England, Ireland, and Scotland next year too. And of course, we all hope to enjoy "little" trips in between.

People on this board are very helpful and kind (although I suspect that some of the responses I read are from people who are extremely jet lagged and temporarily grumpy). Thank you for helping us! Happy New Year!

so good to hear^