Flying for miles plus status is ok? :D

I love these posts that make me laugh out loud! We have some very eloquent and witty FTers.

Travel for work for me is a 25-mile drive to another company location, so I haven't gotten into MR's or gaining status with airlines. If I want to partake in the game, it's on my own dime. But I have done my fair share of hotel promos and have paid for many a room I've never sleep in. You have to do what you have to do when you don't travel for work. Many's the vacation where the family is thrilled to be staying in the same place for 2 nights. Usually they just say "where are we staying tonight?"

But this post has made me realized I've "crossed the line". This past fall I took my mother on a trip to visit parts of New England, 4 states in 11 days. We stayed 3 nights in Boston free at Hyatt, 1 night free at a Mass Holiday Inn, and 1 night free at Hawthorne in Burlington. But the rest of the nights were all at different places and NONE of them were brand/chain hotels. I couldn't find hotels in the places I wanted to visit using my various points. So the remaining nights were at independents or B&B's with no points or perks earned. The thought never occurred to me to stay longer than 1 night in each place, until after the trip my sister mentioned Mom commented it was a bit much changing hotels every day!

Because I got sidetracked reading & writing on this topic, it's now time to get ready for work. The new Marriott card I had finally talked myself into signing up for this morning will have to wait . . .

How about just getting the inlaws into the game itself...

I had always looked for a connection to add miles. Of course my goal at those times was 2p at ua. But hotel hopping started in the past couple years.

I have a co-worker who has the same name as his father... they share a DL SkyMiles account. Together they fly enough to make GM, where seperately one would make FO but the other would have no status. I'm sure this is a breach of the SkyMiles T&C but they've been doing it for the past 5 years with no problems.

This might be going too far, but I'd be tempted to give it a try if my father had the same name as me...

hotel hop
 

While on vacation I typically change hotels every 2 to 3 nights, especially if I haven't been to that area before.
By that time I'm bored with breakfast setting, done the gym/spa, and visited the bars/exec floor.
Time to try the next one !

Going to Thailand Wed for 5 nts, staying in 3 hotels.

You should see the account used by George Foreman and his 5 sons with the same name.

I suspect this could be a problem if they're both in the air at the same time. Other than that, I doubt they're the only father-son pair to do this. I suspect DL, and airlines in general, have bigger fish to fry.

now I know what name to give my son :D:D:D

I hotel hop all the time (except vacations when it's time to actually use the drawers/closets/etc :cool:). The Hilton Family options makes it easy to do ^

I don't know if it is crossing the line or not. My wife charged $10.14 to the room yesterday morning from the gift shop. Someone behind her in line complained because it took too long. Her response? They just don't get the points game, do they?

I think I may have crossed the line with this 4-week mileage run?

When you realize that you're booked solid nearly every weekend (all but 3) between now and the middle of next March on Q-UP and Mistake Fares to various destinations:
MIA-ORD-HNL-DEN-SAT (Q-UP)
LAX-SEA-DEN-CVG-DEN-SEA-LAX (Q-UP)
SFO-SYD-AKL-SYD-SFO (Mistake)
EZE-JFK-EZE (Mistake)
IAH-SLC-ATL-MSY-ATL-SLC-IAH (Q-UP)
DFW-ATL-SEA-ATL-DFW (Mistake Q-UP)
OSL-SVO-HKG (Mistake)
+ More :p

Also, when you start looking forward to three-day weekends so you can nab a cheap one-way out to TPE on BR just to catch a cheap one-way F flight back to rack up ridiculous piles of *A miles (whilst crediting the BR to SkyTeam, of course), all without having to take any vacation time from work...

I'm impressed, but also appalled at my own ignorance. To wit:

1. What is a Q-UP?
2. How do you find mistake fares?
3. Do you have a life outside of airports?

Why I love FT: I'm not alone.
This year for first time I'll be CO Plat and Marriott Gold and requal Hilton Gold. I only travel on weekends on my nickel. Job doesn't require travel - and I can soooo identify with so many comments on this thead !

1. A Q-UP is a discounted First (generally Domestic) fare. They are known on some airlines as Y-UPs (AA), on some as R fares (CO), and NW has strange fares that can begin with a K that book into F. I just use Q-UP as a catch-all, and even the airlines that regularly offer Q-UPs (DL & UA) also offer H-UPs, M-UPs, Y-UPs, etc. They all work on the same principle (discounted domestic F travel at far below full-fare rates). They are extremely useful mileage earners in some programs where you can earn up to 600% mileage bonus (if not more) flying one of those fares. Accordingly, one can often fly those fares at cpm (cents per mile) figures as low as those you would expect to find on a decent Y-class mileage run.

2. Mileage Run Deals Forum

3. Sure. I work full-time, go to school at night, and have maintained a long-distance relationship for four years (being able to travel every weekend helps immensely, in that regard). All the travel keeps me sane. Otherwise, the 80+ hours/week I spend working, attending class, and studying would drive me nuts.