I find it the opposite actually. When I offer family members or friends my miles, they are normally very suspicious. The usual questions are "What's the catch?", "How can this be legal?", "What if I get stranded?", "Is there a tax liability to accept them?", etc...

I even have a cousin who was taking a vacation that would have earned her *G status. This would have been very useful for her as she travels regularly on *A carriers in Economy for work and this would give her access to lounges, priority lines, free baggage, etc.. I signed her up for a program, added her number to the PNR and then she called me one day in a panic before she left saying that she didn't think it was right to take advantage of the system like that and that she was removing her numbers. She now also complains about the long lines and baggage charges every time she flies.

Some people just don't want to be helped.

I've told the story elsewhere about how my DW was suspisious about the whole elite status thing, until I got her upgraded on several TATLs using SWUs. But there are still some lingering doubts.

Anyway, last Sunday we took my oldest daughter (who is AA GLD) to LGA for her flight back to CLT to return to college.

The airport wasn't as bad as I expected for the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but the economy check-in line was rather long. My daugher walked right up to the 1st Class check-in, checked her bag for free, got her BP, which included was a sticker upgrade to F. After our goodbyes she walked down the elite screening line ahead of maybe 200 people waiting in the groping regular line.

My DW looked at me and had an ah-ha moment and said: "This obsession of yours really is about our family getting through the airports without a huge hassle, isn't it?"^

I'm happy to give (non CC) miles to friends or family to help them make trips they wouldn't otherwise be able to make (although they never ask). What I want out of a loyalty program is status!

Can I be your friend?

I've been asked a couple of times by co-worker who know I travel a lot for work. We laugh it off so it's never been awkward. But I'm sure they were half-hoping I'd say yes.

But my family (parents / brother) never ask for them. I, of course, share my AA EVIPs and hotel rewards with them when we travel together, which is pretty often.

Even at 300k members here, I find it hard to believe anyone here deserve my 5MM more than me.

Id fork it out in a second to anyone near eligible.


Im PC RA, (gifted status), still some ***** managed to PM me to gift him/her status^

Im on FT because the world is xxxxxed.

I've given my parents miles a couple of times over the years, but they never seem to be interested unless I flat out offered. (I mean, they never even hint about them.) And they know I've taken a handful of trips in int'l J on them, so it's not like they're clueless.

These days, my family still doesn't ask, and all my wife's family knows is that we "get really good deals" when we travel. My wife wanted me to "find a deal" for her mom last xmas. TBH, I told her that mom can use kayak just as well as I can. I realize that she wants to impress her mom, but in the markets her mom would travel in, the cheapest flights will not be the most convenient (Ever see a CVG-IAD ticket priced less than DAY-BWI?) and I don't feel like playing travel agent and the whole "but can't you find something cheaper out of a better airport" thing.

I do tell people that you don't find deals, deals find you... but if I hear of a good mileage earner, I'll tell you.

Although tailored to computer help more than travel help, this communicates that point very well.

+1. I'm my family's travel ..... now.

Like others I take great pleasure in helping others earn their own miles and in occasionally surprising a family member with a free trip.

Hotels prove more difficult. Traveling on leisure with another couple we had the chance to stay in Venice in a hotel where rooms started at $500. The cost was either 12,000 Starwood points or $90 plus 4,800 points. Valuing the saved 7,200 points at more than $90 I took the deal. But what about my friend. For 4,800 miles I offered to fund the miles if he paid the $90. BTW without being asked he paid enough water taxi fares to more than even things up.

Had I not offered the miles he would have stayed at a $300 or less hotel sort of nearby. That would have been inconvenient for us both. I am now looking at a similar situation but may this time just save my points and stay in the cheaper hotel.

2 of my relatives needed to go to Australia/NZ next year. (open jaw to NZ & out of Australia). I signed each of them up for 2 CitiAA cards (75K bonus for $1500 spend). They got 153K miles each for spending $6000 total & 2 credit inquiries each.

I used 150K miles out of their accounts to get them their ticket. When I mentioned about the credit card deal, they asked "where do I sign up?" I took care of things for them as I was there to visit them & it didn't take me very long.

Now they have over 150K miles left which could be used for 6 domestic RT tickets.

I am lucky that they don't ask me for my miles but for my knowledge to get miles/points.

I tell them if asked for free miles that miles have value of 2 c each and if I sold it to them I could have my account locked.

If not asked for them, I give miles to friends and family. After a while, you know who your real friends are by the favors they do for you back.

The happiness of free elite status, upgrades when not expected really make people know how much you appreciate them.

I just sent 2 sets of friends and family last week to SIN for the cost of 1600$ each plus taxes in LH F -ORD_FRA_SIN, a remnant of the miles I bought in April May with the double bonus snafu (212k @1cpm cost for each account x 11) for sharing miles on US. (alas now gone - I should have kept quiet)

when you can pry them from my cold. dead. hands.

I'm the hunter/gatherer for myself and 3 non-revs, so I'm stretched pretty thin.

Seriously, though, I've stopped mentioning miles opportunities to family and most friends, as the usual cycle runs:

Them: Hey, where can I get miles to fly to XXX?
Me: Citi/AAdvantage, 75k for personal and business, do the minimum spend and you'll have 150k in your AAdvantage account in under two months. Here are the links and instructions (via email).
Them: Great! I'll do that!

two months later...

Them: Hey, where can I get miles to fly to xxx?
Me: Did you follow through with the Citi/AAdvantage plan?
Them: No, it was too complicated....
Me:

we both have full time jobs, no kids, and tend to spend weekends away. We do not talk about our finances or FF status, but they have manged to figure out. I've even tried to help them with their finances/investment and airline deals, yet they do not pay attention. Its too complicated, they rather have someone else do it for them. I really do not think it is complicated, at least the airlines deals. I get asked to find deals for others, unfortunatley, they are not loyal to any carrier, and yet they cry foul at paying for luggage, carry on, seat selection, etc, even standing in line. Guess I'm not the only one with the same problem.