Thank you FT. BECAUSE OF YOU....
 

I became a FT addict in 2001 and learnt/achieved the following
1. Mileage run
2. Maximizing miles on a Oneworld RTW
3. Tricks in becoming Platinum in AA by challenge
4. Undocumented benefits
5. Buying tickts in Sweden, SA, Thailand
6. Exchanging awards, miles, VIPOWs, SWUs and HK49s
7. Understood the above terms and YGM
8. Cybermet some fantastic people and a few odious ones too
9. Flew my butt out to become 1K and EXP and got branded as "THAT MILEAGERUN FREAK" by friends and family
10. Learnt how to upgrade
11. Learnt how to and where to complain usually with no luck
12 Finally despite taking Aspirin, Plavix, drinking lots of fluid and wearing support socks developed Thrombophlebitis and banned from flying for 8 weeks and itching for it to be finished.
Any more to add? I hope this thread runs till end of the year

I forgot
Gifted items I dont need and felt great

13. See my shrink regularly now http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I have become a obsessive compulsive FT reader and doer

...I have the equivalent in miles and points of 14 RT domestic tickets and 2 or three weeks in hotel stays.

...we had a free vacation to Maui/Kona in Feb of this year!!!

...my co-workers think I'm obsessed but were dumbfounded recently to learn how many miles/points i have since I don't even travel for business.

My shrink phones me every day for travel advice http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Just learnt about Miles and More advantages from Rudi

When I first discovered FT and became obsessive about mileage my wife thought I nuts. We are going to HWV. Care to guess who has her own mileage cards now? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gifFT you have created a monster.

... have my Amex travel agent ask me for scheduling "advice"! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

... wondering when mileage-earning credit card issuers will finally give me referal bonuses for the dozens of cards I've helped them issue.

I became an addict in 2000 while researching the LP Million Mile bonus. Not only did I get my million miles (plus a great month-long, crazy trip traveling around Central and South America) I really got sucked into bigger world of FT benefits:

1. I now have 60K NWA miles without having flown a single mile.
2. I'm PLT on AA because of the ChAAlenge.
3. I'm Gold on DL because of the double-base mile bonus last year and a run to Tokyo (on which I was Op-upgraded both ways!) Didn't even know what an Op-upgrade was until then.
4. Countless other bonus offers I wouldn't have known about or how to take adavantage of.
5. I've also gone from being the "Mileage Freak" at work to the more respectful "Traveling Guy" who is always willing to share tips on airfares, mileage and finding hotel deals. I haven't traveled for business in years and I get so angry with those people who do travel for work and don't take advantage of the opportunities! So I guess I'm still a bit a of a freak!

Thanks to all of the very helpful people on FT!

1. Because of Flyertalk.com, I have been able to convince a few of my friends who are CPA's that flying all over the country and obtaining 120,000MI then cashing out for a RT 1st class trip to Europe is better than simply buying the ticket outright.

THEY GET IT!!!!

Have been stuck on FT ever since I retired 5 years ago. And to think I wondered how I would spend my time! I don't know how you people do this and hold a job also.

Have only traveled for pleasure, and presently have over 400,000 miles scattered around between my husband and myself. Have had "free" trips 1-2 times a year for the both of us over the last 4 years. That includes first class twice to Alaska, 4 car rentals and some hotel rooms.

The very kindest thing that happened to me was when I agreed to trade 25,000 American miles with a stranger who promised 30,000 NW in return.

I went to the airport and upgraded a friend of his and burned my 25,000 American miles. 9 months later, I contacted him asking him to use his 30,000 NW miles to upgrade me roundtrip and my husband one way, on tickets I had gotten with credit cards miles. He not only did what was promised, but upgraded my husband round-trip also, using 40,000 NW miles. A real FT class act.

I have never met another poster to these boards. I keep looking at the luggage tags and hoping http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I must be getting old, because I have a hard time remembering who my long distance carrier is and did I really cancel that last credit card, so I can apply again.

THANK YOU FT http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif








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Some women are born wise, others achieve wisdom, still others have wisdom thrust upon them as they wonder through the posts of this board. Thanks one and all.

Becuase of flyertalk.com, I have been able to save a lot on travel due to the NW zone certificates. Indeed, I am very grateful to the various generous donors who frequently post on this board.

Thanks to FT -

1) Been to London 3 times in a year. First time flew coach - last 2, used miles to upgrade
2) Hit PLAT on AA using challenge which gives me 100% bonus miles -- so I can upgrade
3) Learned why DFW-BOS-MIA-LHR is better than DFW-LHR or why DFW-AUS-ORD-LAX is better than DFW-LAX
4) Met some interesting people
5) Am duly impressed w/ FewMiles and others grasp of FF plans
6) Have 2 FC tkts to Hawaii to give to wife as part of her Christmas present
And a lot more.
Thanks FT'ers one and all.

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TANSTAAFL - but if you work it right, FF miles comes pretty close.

You have them in your possession already??

Thanks to FT:
I got the Latin Pass million mile bonus
I am HHonors Gold
I have 90,000 NW miles and have never been on a NW plane
I have so many miles and points I donated a week at the Hilton Key West to my ex-wife so she could take our children away for Presidents week

Thank you FT

1- I've met interesting people, looking forward to meet more FT members
2- Changed to AA from CO
3- For introducing me to mileage runs
4- Knowing about all mileage earning opportunities.
and lots more..

What a great community !!

Hey, I'm one of "those people who do travel for work". Guess what?? I'm so burned out from business travel I couldn't give a rat's a$$ about any opportunities. I envy those who don't travel and look forward to those occassions...

I found FT in late 2000...in time to register for a DL promotion and vault from barely Silver Medallion to Gold Medallion by the end of the year. This year I'm almost Platinum, thanks to numerous things I've read on FT.

I also owe the FT community for:

1) Providing me with many hours of reading enjoyment in the Trip Reports forum.

2) Demystifying the secret world of airline travel rules, including purchase requirements, change fees, upgradable fares, Rule 240, getting bumped.....and others.

3) Saving my company and me the hundreds (probably thousands) of dollars I no longer spend on travel agent fees and the change fees to fix tickets that don't meet my needs.

4) The time I won a free round-trip because of a contest I read about on the DL board.

5) Being able able to provide my brother with an educated opinion about his choice of airline and hotel for his honeymoon in Bali (CX, by the way).

I could go on....but I have to get back to work. I guess my employer could post on 'What FT owes me....'

Thanx to FT I have

Met some interesting people(been to FT party in NYC, met other people in STO,CPH,VIE etc).

Learnt what a mileage run was and have completed my first one(The-Longhauler was on one of them).

Earned Star Gold at Air Canada

Have almost 200.000miles in my AC account

Have almost 60.000miles in my NH account

Have over 80.000miles in my UA account.

Thanx once again FT community! I also hop I have helped a few people during these years.

My thanks to FT:

(1) 100,000 DL miles thanks to the Skymiles Amex card I read about here (60,000 in bonuses for applying at the right time!).

(2) 300,000+ HH points for about 10 Hilton stays per year done under the promotion codes I read about here. (One great ALON complete, looking forward to a couple of GLONs next year.)

(3) Key advice on Marriott Rewards, the hotel program I always participated in (when not on a Hilton run) but never knew exactly how to properly enjoy.

(4) Key advice on elite status in hotel/air programs, something I previously knew little about. (For example: I learned about my AA Gold Challenge, HH Fast Track to Gold, good vs. bad status comps, etc. here.)

(5) Key advice on AAdvantage - trading back upgrades for miles, when to upgrade vs. when to not upgrade, the Challenges, the quirks of the "miles-towards-upgrades" counter, etc.

(6) Countless other smaller bonus opportunities - I'll read an FT thread, then go off and earn a quick 100, 500, etc. miles through a quick survey, profile update, partner promo, etc. Those little chunks of miles add up over time...

(7) Strangely enough, this board always has more candid and thorough hotel reviews than websites that are SUPPOSED to have candid and thorough hotel reviews. No matter what city you want to visit, somebody on the HH/MR/HY/SPG boards has been there, done that, and has an opinion about where to stay.

(8) ...and finally and most importantly a, high degree of quality content from the community here. So different from 95% of the noise found in Cyberspace.

Afang,

I have the cert to get the two FC tkts.

I got them for 100,000 instead on the higher price 120,000 per warning from FT.



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TANSTAAFL - but if you work it right, FF miles comes pretty close.

Thanks to FT -

I made 1MM with AA yesterday!!!!!!

Successfully challenged for platinum and now have earned it

Took hubby and kids (4 tix) RT on FC with AA to Hawaii in June

44 consecutive segments with upgrades (paid, so what?) to FC <very spoiled>

made platinum with SPG because I travel for miles

encouraged many others to travel again after 911 through my experiences and travel tips

we created a "buying atmosphere" here on FT and this is what free enterprise dreams of!!!!

Thanks to you FT, I know others feel my pain (e.g., cramped Y, intrusive pointless security, surly FAs, and bad service all the way around wherein the PAX is made to feel he/she is a problem not a paycheck)

[This message has been edited by 1K wannabe (edited 10-16-2002).]

Thanks to FT, I will be flying on the Concorde next year, for a fraction of what it would usually cost.

I also 'met' some great people over on the AC forum who have generously provided their time to answer my questions.

Thanks FT

- the MHD
- the really great reviews on Hampton Inns

I have learned so much about travel, earning points and miles and most importantly meeting a wonderful group of people. Plus:
1. The first class frequent flyer tickets to Hawaii on AA
2. Free week with 2 rooms at HHV
3. Regular upgrades at hotels due to frequency of stays and status
4. Many free hotel stays
5. Reduced rates at hotels and savings at resturants
6. Wonderful suggestions on resturants, activites and transportation at new destinations

Thanks to FT, I now have a place to vent my gripes. This helps immensely with the stress and frustration that builds up, since fellow FT'ers understand where I'm coming from. A great, free, psychological beneft http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Earned enough miles for 14 domestic tickets at a average cost of $109 per rt ticket. Thats a bargain from my home base of Traverse City. And in addition enough points for a week long Hilton stay. Thanks FT.

Too much to even go into , but briefly

1. Two free tickets to Olympic curling thanks to Starwood lurker.

2. Incredibly cheap BA F awards X 2 with the SPG>QA>BA deal and thus 14 days in Italy for less than 3500 USD for 2 at some amazing properties.

3. $25.00 nights in NYC @ W

4. $25.00 nights @ Sheraton N.O.

5. Excellent opportunities to trade for coupons actaully valuable to me, and give away ones that are worth while for someone else

Thank you FT.

What a great opportunity to thank FT. I have learned so much, but still have far to go. At my age, I'd better hurry, but I'm having such fun. My husband thought I was nuts when I got involved with the AAL 20/20 promotion, and had many jokes at my expense. After traveling 1st class to Mexico, and getting award tickets this year, as well as looking forward to our FC tickets to HI next April, and some free hotel rooms. he's becoming much more appreciative of those miles and points. Funny, huh? Thanks to all you helpful and patient folks who offer advice unstintingly. (Is that a word?) Jean

Thank you FT! You have gotten me countless bonuses! What comes to mind recently is the triple miles promo on the DL AmEx card. FT rocks!

yorock

Ditto to most of the thanks to FT comments!

I have learnt and used so much info/tips from FT such as AA challenge (I still can't put together complex segments) but I just completed my AA Plat challenge on miles.

I have benefited from personal email from FT folks like Keithguy who sent me free NW PD cert that saved me $$ and specific responses and advise to my Qs.

I have earned lots of hotel points and airline miles from tips/info from FT and best of all, someone on FT always have useful info on Qs posted.

Thanks FT - you are great!

Hmm, thanks to FT I :

- Learned how to properly upgrade for reasonable fares on CO (pre-HoKeY)

- Learned why not to hate AA and made the switch

- Did an AONE5 RTW, earned EXPLAT, 150k miles, and had a blast doing it.

- Banked 1.2MM on AA and 650k on QF through various promotions.

Met some VERY VERY wonderful people whom I continue to enjoy.

Thanks everyone, thanks Randy and THANKS FT!