Right after 9/11, with the advent of the various "security" restrictions (including, but not limited to, the limit of only 1 carry-on item) I predicted that there would be far less frequent flyers because: a) it was a lot less fun, and people wouldn't even try to do it; b) it would be virtually impossible to accomplish the schedule necessary to justify it for business.

For the record, when I say "frequent flyer" I am not talking about people who just do the minimum to be top-tier in an airline program. I am talking about people who do over 300,000 (miles, not points) a year. (When I qualified I was doing about 500k/year, all domestic U.S.).

How many people here have *become* frequent flyers (by my definition) after 9/11? How many people here have *stopped* being frequent flyers after 9/11?

By your definition of frequent flyer, I was never a frequent flyer.

So, are you saying the frequent short haul flyer, like myself, isn't a frequent flyer at all?

I do about 80,000 BIS (Butt In Seat) miles a year. I feel like a frequent flyer! You were flying about 10,000 BIS miles a week? Domestic?

I realize not everyone buys my definition. But to clarify, a "normal" week for me was:

LAX-JFK on Sunday afternoon
JFK-LAX on Tuesday afternoon (at one time I could leave Wall Street at 4:45pm and catch the 6pm nonstop from JFK-LAX)
LAX-DCA on Wednesday afternoon
DCA-DFW on Thursday afternoon
DFW-LAX on Friday afternoon

2 transcons a week, every week, for 1.5 years - record staying home - 6 days over Xmas week

Regarding the short haul flyer - okay, let me be fair - 200+ segments a year

i actually became more of one... Started out doing light flight activity but later, got into miles and then got even more:

Obtained all of dad's miles from all his previous trips on AA #11 to Cali from BOS...

MM

now I get them myself!

That's a good question...

I usually don't pay attention to BIS miles.

My trips are usually less than 1,000 miles for a domestic RT but are counted in credits. Over the past 5 years, I think I've been flying between a low of 28K to a high around 50K.

As for many of my trips, I leave in the morning and fly home in the evening.

It's FEWER.

I've seen a huge jump in the number of top-tier frequent flyer numbers flying out of India and China. Much higher post-9/11 than pre-9/11. An increase out of Europe too.

Fewer top-tier frequent flyers in the US now than before? I would not be surprised.