This is my 2,000th post here on FlyerTalk. In commemoration, I thought I would devote it to thanking you all. I have learned a lot, laughed a lot, made a bunch of new friends, and been able to travel far and wide with a frequency that I never would have imagined over the years as a direct result of my participation in this wonderful group. Before I came to FT, I didn't even know what an elite program was except that I didn't qualify. Now I've been an elite in multiple airline, hotel, and car rental programs ever since and have been able to reap tremendous rewards from the loyalty programs. Moreover, my overall experience of traveling is vastly superior.

Sadly, I had to take about a one year hiatus from FlyerTalk and only really returned this past December. I see that a lot has changed and most of the juicy deals and schemes have gone underground, but things grow and FT has always been about a LOT more than juicy deals for me. It is fun. It is communal. It is cathartic and cheaper than a therapist. It is hilarious. Most of all, it is immensely informative. I hope that I've been able to add some value and help people out as much as you all have helped me.

peace,
~Ben~

seoulmanjr's Personal FT Hall of Fame

Here are some of the most memorable deals that I was able to take advantage of and tips I've gotten since joining FT in 2004. I can't thank you all enough!

• ebay Anything Points, Points.com, and AA miles scheme
• JFK-KEF for $61 -- Bought for my family
• Gift card churning for miles
• Opinion Place when it used to be around and pretty decent
• WAS-SJO for $155 -- Crashed with a friend in SJO and took a road trip to Nicaragua
• Miles for movie theater dumpster diving!
• Memorable DC FT Happy Hours at the Brickskeller, Five Guys, etc. -- I miss you DC FTers!
• All of the Cigarman CO DOs! Tremendous!
• Intercontinental Ambassador Status, one free night, and 25,000 DL miles for $150
• Help with getting miles for engagement and wedding ring purchases
• Getting over 65,000 DL miles after one $150 domestic flight and a hotel promo
• WAS-PWM for $28 all-in (I bought 12 tickets, camped Acadia, and ate a lifetime's worth of lobster that summer...)
• The free nights in PWM to go along with that fare due to a best rate guarantee
• Wonderful, wonderful currency conversion problems for multiple tickets in F to India! :-)
• Cash rebates to fly from RFD (Rockford, IL) to CDG for next to nothing in refundable fare classes!
• Proper approach to "stink shield" construction
• BOS-MAD for $115 -- An awesome week spent with my family in Andalucia and the first time I was able to treat them all to anything.
• Help in booking F awards on AF to MRU/RUN for my honeymoon
• Viajero Joven's Mileage Run Seminars!!!
• Other MR FTers teaching me everything from ITA syntax to how to find some jumbo deals!!!
• Over 400,000 HHonors Points for about $2500 to Walk for Hope (tax deductible!) -- I booked a week at Mauritius Resort & Spa, three nights at Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and was able to cover the hotel rooms for our entire wedding party in Houston
• Piggy-backing into clubs before I had access from helpful FTers who saw my awesome, bright yellow FT luggage tags. I happily pay it forward now!
• WAS-HNL for $349
• Understanding how to take advantage of the B.U.M.P program
• BWI-PPT with 6 nights hotel for $499 all-in -- best spring break ever.
• The closest In-n-Out to do via drive-thru in a cab on a LAX layover
• Avis Chairman's Club membership!
• How to destroy a "Knee Defender" through precise application of leverage during recline!
• How to get by just fine sleeping on the beach in HNL for weekend mileage runs
• YYZ-OTP for $235 -- went with my oldest friend and took the night train to Istanbul for a memorable week
• MSP-LGW for $556 in Y
• MDT-STX for $211 in F -- Sent my parents in style for their anniversary
• Buying Travelers Checks with AmEx Gift Cards and churning like crazy
• Getting a free ticket for buying three pairs of Dockers
• MCO-OGG for $278
• NYC-FCO for $285 -- Took my lovely wife for a romantic weekend in Roma
• Help in burning 500k-600k NW miles at PerkSaver rates in int'l J in 08 once the merger was announced
• Probably a lot of other stuff that I can't remember...

Since joining FT, mt international travels have taken me to the following places. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE HELP, TIPS, AND GOOD TIMES ALONG THE WAY!

2009 International Trips: Panama (Peacock Bass fishing in Lake Gatun on the Canal), Hong Kong, Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket/Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai), and more to come very soon, I'm sure...

2008 International Trips: Kenya (Nairobi, Shaba, and Masai Mara), Turkey (Istanbul, Ephesus, and Anatolya), France (Paris), Netherlands (Amsterdam), Morocco (Marrakech and the Ourika Valley/High Atlas Mountains), Greece (Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini), and Canada (Toronto)

2007 International Trips: Botswana (Okavango and Chobe), Zambia (Zambezi and Victoria Falls), South Africa (Jozi), Namibia (Zambezi and Ntwala Islands), Mexico (DF and environs), Turkey (Istanbul), Romania (Bucharest), Bulgaria (Sofia), Brazil (Sao Paulo, Rio, and Foz do Iguacu), Argentina (Iguazu Falls), Canada (Toronto), Italy (Rome), and Hawai'i (Oahu and Big Island)

2006 International Trips: Baja Mexico, Mauritius, Reunion, France (Paris), Netherlands (Amsterdam), Sweden (Stockholm, Gotland, Glasriket, Kalmar, Bromma, etc), Ecuador (Quito, Guayaquil, Andes, Lago Agrio, Amazon), and South Korea (Seoul)

2005 International Trips: Hawai'i (Oahu), Peru (Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu), Canada, South Korea (Seoul), Japan (Narita), Hawai'i (Oahu), Canada, and Spain (Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Andalucia)

2004 International Trips: Bangladesh (Dhaka, Srimongal, Sylhet, Dawki), India (Meghalaya, Assam, Sikkim, West Bengal, Calcutta), UAE (Dubai and desert), Oman (Hajar Mountains), Canada, Costa Rica (San Jose, Rincon de la Vieja, Guanacaste, Monteverde), South Korea (Seoul), and Canada

Congradulations on post 2000.

I also have many friends whom I've meet as a result of being a member & everyone I've meet & know are wonderful people.^

Congrats on 2k and welcome back Ben. ^

While I haven't travelled as much I did manage to snag some of the same deals and meet some fellow FTers in person in recent years, which I also enjoyed immensely. It's all good.

A very nice summary, Ben. I've done some of the same deals you have, and they bring up nice fuzzy memories.

Congratulations - Nice to see you're still around on FT. Belated congrats on the marriage - hope you're enjoying NY. Drop a note if you have plans to visit DC anytime soon.

Congrats to your 2k post ^

if the good deals have gone underground, could someone point me in the direction they went? alternate websites?