schriste makes an interesting point above. My business for 20 years has been dealing with stamp collectors.

Collecting is a passion with lots of people. some collect stamps, others coins, others Wedgewood figures, others empty beer cans, others Bowie knives, others flyer miles.

Very few living collectors sell me stamps. their relatives do when they pass away.

With that happy thought, I'll glance at my ballooning Starwood and UA and Amex statements, and go back and watch the Olympic opening ceremony!




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~ Glen ~

While I do love the game of collecting miles, the real victory for me comes when using miles for trips that would otherwise not be possible.

All of my travel is for pleasure and paid for out of my own pocket. Seeing the world via Businees Class on QF to Australia (past) and Business Class to New Zealand (future) are both way out of my budget... but with miles - these things become possible!!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

For myself, I almost never use miles. I want to be earning them instead! Nearly all of my miles go toward free tickets for family members so that they can accompany me.

The argument that miles are worth less every year is sound. I used 400,000 Delta miles last year so that my wife and I could fly the Concorde to Paris. That is impossible to do now and may not be possible ever again.

I try not to have too many miles "on hand" at any time, but I keep at least enough for a couple of last-minute tickets anywhere I might want to go. At present, I have half a million unused Delta miles. But I've used many millions -- and gotten my money's worth!

Bruce

Let's see. I've earned 241,868 UAMP miles YTD. That's mostly on UA metal with bonuses, about 1,700 on *A flights, about 5,000 from Hilton a few hundred from Hertz and the rest from the UA First card, etc. As always, earning these miles has been a mixed blessing: Weekends away from home, but the thrill of going places and meeting people.

I've spent 145,000 YTD...less than in years past 'cause UA has been stingy to date with bonuses (pre-True Flyer deposit in Jan.) and I like to keep my balance around 300,000 +/- 50,000 and I spent a bunch of miles last Christmas. I also spent zero miles on upgrades for the first time ever this year thanks to the 1k systemwides and NA confirmeds. I spent my miles this year on: 80,000 sending my in-laws to MCO for their anniversary, 40,000 as a birthday present to a friend and 35,000 for RCC for myself and wife. As always, spending these miles has been a true joy. Giving loved ones things that neither I nor they could afford otherwise is the biggest thrill I get out of the whole mileage game.

I really don't pay THAT much attention to the total balance though (other than keeping it around 300,000). STATUS miles, on the other hand, I obesess over like a derainged miser... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by kokonutz (edited 09-15-2000).]

Both.

I love the quick fix of earning miles (yes I show signs of being an addict) but real joy comes when I can fly my wife and child somewhere without spending a dime. This was especially true this past summer as we took a wonderful beach vacation -- the warm memories still linger . . .

I too thought about the "lost miles" while I was on the plane, but the joy of a great vacation overshadowed that quickly, and our vacation budget still shows a surplus for the year. Now, back to earning more miles.

I love "the chase" too. That's why I mostly use my miles for upgrade on trips out of the country. If you by the lowest upgradeable fare, you earn the miles but reap the rewards by upgrading to business or first. You get the best of both worlds.

I don't fly a lot for business so for me the only way to accumulates is with the credit card (almost 85% of my miles). We are three in the family and four in a near future so the ticket price is x4 ... My home is not a Air Canda Hub so everytimes i go somewhere for leisure it cost me a lot. I use the points everytime i can keeping in perpective the 2 cents rule. And by the way i enjoy a lot taking a 500$ flight for 15000 miles (short haul in Canada).

Christian

My goal for miles is twofold:

1. To always have 120,000 miles available in a major airline account, so I or a loved one can get anywhere in the world on short notice in an emergency. When my grandmother passed away in March in Greece, my dad ended up finding a cheap coach consolidator ticket on 24 hours notice. But while he was doing that I had piece of mind that I had booked a business class award ORD-ZRH-ATH on Swissair if he needed it.

2. To have other people join me on vacations. I've taken my parents to Paris, and various friends and cousins on domestic trips. I use miles for their tickets, pay for my own ticket to earn more miles, and they pay for a fair percentage of the ground costs. It makes those trips much more memorable.

Collecting miles is my hobby, using miles in F or Bus is my wife's and my passion.

It's both with the scale tilting towards using them.

Not just for me and not just for guaranteeing upgrades (based on availability) on United. But occassionaly giving some miles or tickets to friends who need them.

After all what's the point of having points and miles if you can't share them?

those are hard earned nickle and dime miles, 500 here and 1000 there...not to mention innumerable sleepless nights searching for them.... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
takes a long time to save up 25,000 for a domestic ticket, that is why i am really reluctant to let it go... would rather pay than redeem....

Earning is a lot of fun. I too enjoy the thrill of the chase.

But seeing what they can bring is very nice. I used miles to upgrade a friend's wife when she flew to Europe. Never flew in FC before. The profuse thank yous were well worth 20K (could only upgrade 1 way).

Ditto when I was able to send a friend to visit his brother and nephew in Alaska.

I save money because money = security. I'll spend miles because miles = fun.

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"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

I enjoy accumulating the miles but I also enjoy using them just as much for the free trips and getting the upgrades. It's interesting how these promos and bonus opportunities influence behavior. Especially now that I travel more and more for business.

I'm sure there are mileage program marketing managers out there just rubbing their hands together thinking of the best way to tap into our obsession/addiction/afliction et al and get us to do something for the miles.

What a bunch of lab rats we are! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

I'm an earner until I've requalified for at least Delta Gold Medallion each year then I'm a spender.

I will use miles for upgrades on a paid fare even if I haven't yet requalified.

Where my parents and family are concerned I'm always a spender. Just knowing my Mom brags to her friends that her son sent her first class to Las Vegas for her birthday makes me smile. Mom and Dad are on a trip to China right now and I helped them upgrade to First with Diners Club Rewards miles.

But 'ya know, I'd really rather earn miles!

Jim

And talking about miles and upgrades,
sure beats talking about the Clintons!