"Weirdo"
 

On a recent run SFO-LHR-MAN-SFO, the immigration agent at LHR asked why I was returning the next day. I told her I was doing it for the miles, and she called me a "weirdo."

So are we all. It may not have been her place to point that
out, but that issue might belong in TS&S rather than here.

How did you respond to that?

Hopefully, just laughed it off and said something like "You may be right".

Or, if you are single and she was attractive, "You are probably right, so how about you and I hit an airport bar and chat more about this? Clearly, you are fascinated with me. You have 45 minutes to find out all you can about me before I'm whisked away on another adventure." :)

Proud
 

Only folks who ever questioned all the turnarounds in my passport were the Swiss. Never a peep from the Russians, the Chinese, the Arabs or the US on reentry.

:) Yes...absolutely I laughed...I'm re-reading my first post (and the first response) and realizing what I said might sound like a complaint...far from it! I just wanted to share the experience. Actually she was a lot of fun, and quite cute...but I am happily married and wish to stay that way!!!

Am not!

I did sound to me like it was more of a put down than a remark meant in jest. Had it been a flippant comment not said in jest I think I would've taken umbrage with said staffer.

I found it easier to get into many countries regardless of length of stay. I even entered Bali 3 times in a few days span. US was tougher on me then most other countries

I just have had the head shake. Not been threatened with divorce yet.
My mother gets concerned "All that flying isnt good for you" she says.

It gets worse than weird. After a while, stepping onto a plane seems as simple and stress-free as taking a shower. You just do it. Two Sundays in a row of SFO-ORD round trips, one with a 90 minutes layover (left home at 9pm, back at work in time for opening the next day at 11am) and IT WAS JUST TOO EASY! Oh, and that one I purchased the ticket less than 24 hours prior when I noticed a reasonable fare had just gone up.

And I'm actually getting work done while flying that I haven't been able to do at home or at work due to interruptions. Plus your smart phone brings the office to you, whatever airport you're in.

It's a bizarre lifestyle, to be sure.

This is very true. Everyone gasps when I tell them I fly over 100k a year, like it's a big deal. They ask how painful it can be. Well, first I get upgraded, but second, it's very second nature to me. I feel like the whole world is a lot smaller. And like you said, it's as easy as "getting into the shower."

Entering Canada at YVR this summer, the agent didn't know which was weirder: only planning to stay one day (even though I told her that AKL-SYD-YVR-yyz-DCA was way too much airplane for one day for my tastes and I needed a proper bed for a night) or that we'd gone to SYD twice within a year. I just laughed it off, and felt bad for her, as she probably hadn't been anywhere fun in a long time.

I agree. You get used to it, and then getting on a plane feels as natural as anything else. In fact, oftentimes when I walk down the jet bridge toward the aircraft door, I think to myself "I'm home!" There really is something comforting knowing that for the next few (or many) hours, all I have to do is sit there, and somebody else is responsible for taking care of everything. It is an escape from reality.

I also can be very productive on airplanes. In fact, I did much of the preparation for my Ph.D. comprehensive exams while flying back and forth between JFK and SFO during a promotion years ago. Traveling in AA's NGBC on the 763, it really didn't feel any different from my office. Plus, and more importantly, there is NO Internet, NO texting, NO calls, etc...

Keep in mind that most people would not consider it "fun" to spend time on aircraft, and most people tend to minimize their amount of time doing so each year to the bare minimum. I would include immigration officers among these people. So, it might be quite a shock for them to learn that so many of us intentionally spend money and time flying just for the sake of miles. It is indeed "weird."

But, you know what? It is our hobby. Many people have hobbies. Some people collect stamps or model airplanes, some people go fishing, some people raise alpacas. Some people have very unusual hobbies. People spend a small fortune on these kinds of hobbies every year. We, in turn, choose to spend a portion of our disposable income and free time to requalify for our status each year. When you put it in the context of hobbies that people have, it doesn't seem as "weird."

Keep in mind, too, that MRing is a hobby that yields ongoing benefits that can be work-related. Earning or maintaining status can help you with upgrades the following year on non-discretionary travel, such as for work. It is not the case for all of us, but some of us are willing to fork over a few thousand of personal funds per year in order to make a year of business travel more tolerable.

I did a mileage run to Dublin (from Newark) two weekends ago. Spent 48 hours there and on the way through US Customs in Dublin Airport, the agent asked the purpose of my trip. When I told him it was air miles, he said "Oh, the $378 fare?". Apparently there were tons of us that went through that weekend and he mentioned he was jealous we saw the fare.