I am about 230 days away at my current rate. May get there this year. :)

You're at 9995 now. I hope you're planning to make post number ten thousand truly memorable.

I always thought it was "departed"

I don't know how memorable this is, but...

Time flies, but at least I still have my hair after 15 years. ^ I would note how much air travel has changed, in good ways and bad, over that period. I joined just a few months before 9/11, the singular event that changed the industry profoundly overnight. I joined at the zenith of loyalty programs and in an era with fairly robust competition among a number of carriers. TWA, US Airways, Northwest and Continental were still flying, as were the Concorde, DC-9, DC-10, L-1011 and 727. All are gone now, as is the PIT hub of US Airways, the DFW hub of Delta and the NW/DL hub at MEM. Also gone are ticket jackets, domestic meals in coach, free bags, empty flights and ultra cheap fares. The iconic Pan Am terminal 3 at JFK is also gone. While it was a dump, it was historic and a throwback to another era.

Some things are better. The safety record of US carriers is truly stellar and air travel has never been safer. International premium cabin seating has never been better. The old North Terminal hub for NW at DTW is gone and replaced with a state of the art facility. IFE systems are far better than anything anyone envisioned in 2001. The emergence of the smartphone has revolutionized the travel experience. Finding a restaurant in an unfamiliar city has never been easier and getting lost is a thing of the past.

Some things haven't changed. Atlanta and Chicago ORD are still the 800 pound gorillas of airports in the US. The NYC airports still leave something to be desired in my opinion. LAX is still LAX.

In any case, the past 15 years have been interesting. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next 15 years...

And thanks, FT. This place has been an amazing resource. While I do try to give back, I'm afraid I've gotten more than I've put in. Such is the inevitable result of being able to tap into an extraordinary body of collective knowledge.

10,000!!!! and now a FlyerTalk Evangelist :)

......and already over by 51. Congrats.

Congratulations ^

Welcome to 10K! ^

Thank you.. :)

Quite an excellent #10,000. Welcome to the club.

Well, I guess this post, #10,000, goes here.

I stumbled upon Flyertalk almost accidentally while looking for information about United's elite program amid the CO/UA merger in 2011. I was wondering why I got upgraded sometimes, and not others, and what was going to happen to the FF program and my mileage earning during the merger...Unknowingly, I wandered into one of the legendary forums of FT...which really changed the way I viewed my flying, taking it from a means of transportation to a bit of an OCD hobby. I lurked for awhile then eventually started posting in early 2012. Thanks to the help of everyone on FT, I discovered mileage runs, upgrade certificates, expert mode, same day change, and all sorts of goodies. I got in on the Wideroe deal. I made my first premium cabin international award redemption for my honeymoon, finally having the "ah-ha" moment that miles are not for flying coach around the lower 48. I earned and used my own GPUs on an RTW itinerary. I quickly got addicted and rapidly advanced to Plat and 1K status in 2012 and 2013, while Smi/J sadly gutted the airline that I had spent most of my life flying on.

Seeing these changes and living through some personal hell on trips with UA during my high mileage years, the Alaska forum has become my new home for the past 24 months or so. The community there is smaller, to be sure, but very tight knit and some tremendous resources who have been patient with me -- teaching me how to get status matched, the benefits and watch-outs of MVPG status, and the download on partner airlines and premium redemptions. In the process, I also learned more that I ever cared to know about soup in the Board Room and what a serious matter that really is.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the :rolleyes: gang. To be sure, probably 2000 of my 10K posts are in that thread. However, they are awesome and there is actually some really useful information exchange that I have gathered from the regulars there. Plus, it's a great place to waste time or get a laugh. If you have never "read" that thread (in as much as you can read it), stop by sometime. We welcome n:rolleyes::rolleyes:bies with open arms rolling eyes.

I hope I have added only 10% as much value during my first 10K posts as I have personally received from everyone here. Thanks FT, it's been real. Next stop, Posting Legend. Give me about 10 years I think.

^

Welcome to the 10K club. ^

I do not like(and will not) post padding but I should definitely make 10000 by the end of the year.

Seconded.

Thirded. Welcome onlysuites and PV_Premier. I have enjoyed the recent nostalgic posts here.