When is it enough?
 

I was just thinking the other day, when will I give up my pursuit of FF elite status on multiple airlines, elite status at hotel chains, and the joy of accumulating a ton of FF miles?

I have been flying long hauls since I was 3 months old and haven't stopped since then. At least one RT long-haul / year until I was 11. Then minimum 50,000 miles / year from 11-22. And then I started working and have been flying 200,000-320,000 miles / year since then.

Recently, I have started getting tired of traveling all the time for work. (The new security measures and long lines have definitely contributed to the stress of weekly travel.) I still love to travel for lesuire even if it is a weekend trip to Europe or even Asia to see friends. So I started asking myself, when will I give it all up and just fly with no status?

My conclusion is that I enjoy the recognition of status which brings upgrades and priority waitlists, etc... basically traveling in First or Business and staying in Suites in nice hotels. So, my aim is that I will be making enough money to be able to pay for all these nice things in life without getting them complimentary as part of some status.

So my question to myself is do I have enough miles to sustain my current style of traveling until I can truly afford every trip on my own nickel? My answer is that I probably need to travel for another 1-2 years and then I will have enough miles to sustain my current style until I can truly afford everything on my own.

So when do you feel you have had enough?

The same question lingers in my mind from time to time and it would usually take another (non-flying) person to recite the question... My conclusion is pretty much the same as bagold's...I like being treated well on the air and at the destination when I travel and I will always set aside funds to ensure my comfort. And with the decrease in my travel fund next year due to a recent home purchase (and all the subsequent unexpected expenses), so would my travel. I will fly enough to make mid-tier and that's where I am stopping. Of course one thing I would NOT do is a 12-hour mileage run. I like to stay at least for a day or two AND actually leave the airport.

I think it is time to stop when you get lifetime status. Imagine your card expiring and not receiving a new one http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I never imagined that I would ever start tiring of traveling but it is slowly getting to me. My friends who know my love to travel even if it is to see friends for 24 hours on the other side of the world is wondering what is happening to me. They (like me) never thought I would ever want to reduce my flying pattern.

Jamester, I'm glad to see that others to have these moments of weakness! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

ScottC, hmmm... it is almost impossible to get lifetime on BA. It is not documented but I have read on FT a few people have but I'm far off from that. UA, I only really started flying seriously in the last 3 years so i'm still a few years away from 1MM. If I get at least get 2MM on AA before I reduce my travels, then I might be in good shape. But then again, I am ready to give up all my status when I reduce my flying pattern... (but I don't know when that will happen)

My goal for my Fl-IRA is to attain 10,000,000 miles, 5,000,000 hotel points and lifetime status on UA and AA. At this point in time I think that will be enough, but, if I ever get there, I may still prove to be even greedier than I currently imagine. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Interesting. I just booked three F-class award tickets SFO-SYD for me, my husband and son. When I priced them out they were $34,500 - just more than we spent on travel all this year. I travel all for leisure, usually monthly, and really can't ever imagine having the money to pay for international first-class air travel - even if my son is out and paying his own way and my husband is back in the cockpit jumpseat. I do, however, know pretty much what our retirement income will be and it will be pretty much the same as it is now, even adjusted for inflation. So I anticipate continuing to at least make mid-level status and collecting miles on leisure travel until the day I can no longer walk down the jetway.

I don't save miles, but rather burn them almost as quickly as I can, because I figure saving them only makes me more at risk for devaluation.