Sweet Willie, I'd like to respectfully disagree. I was in the same situation barefoot is currently in 8 months ago. At that time, I had literally zero FF miles and didn't belong to any programs. I currently have 126,000 in AA. I don't fly for business, and only 30,000 of that is from actual flying I've done (a few vacations and a good MR).

I was able to accumulate so many miles by investing a heck of a lot of time to FlyerTalk. I did a lot of research, signed up for credit cards, opened bank accounts, found some loopholes, participated in many offers, and now find myself earning over 12,000 miles a month without paying a dime (through banking and other means). My wedding is still a year and a half away, and I'll reach my goal of 250,000 miles easily.

So barefoot, don't get discouraged. But do realize that you're going to need to spend a lot of time researching to reach your goal. Good luck!

[This message has been edited by MeLike2Travel (edited 07-09-2003).]

Well I'm going to agree with Sweet Willie. By all means, do some research and start finding ways to rack up those miles. But bottom line is, no matter what you have sitting in your various accounts, the possibility is always there that you won't find availability for where and when you need to travel.

I book award travel for people every day and its amazing how many people just don't see the big picture. They won't use 40k miles for a $700 domestic fare because they're "saving up for Europe", when they could buy the European ticket for under $700 if they watched for a fare sale. Or the day has come that they finally have enough miles for the Hawaii trip they've been saving miles up for "years" and there's no availability.

I think its pretty safe to say that earning 12k miles per month without flying isn't very representative of the average nonflying person.

Maximize your earning power, but don't put all your honeymoon eggs in the mileage basket.

bradford,

I work with your father. You and he are the ones who inspired me to do this. He has been telling me about the miles you are gathering.

MeLike2Travel I encourage your opinion, that is what this board is about, opinions. IMO the more discussion/information on a topic, the better one can decide if it is a good situation for them.

In the reading/viewing/surfing NEVER has a financial advisor stated that pursuing FF miles is a worthwhile financial benefit activity, there is a reason for that. The reading I've done states that in no way should one make financial decisions based on how much they will earn in FF miles. Again, I'm here on Flyertalk, so I obviously don't agree fully, but the past few years of travel have been on my own nickel and while I value my airline status still, in no way do I value my hotel status, the $ did just not work. Hence, my point about if miles are earned via your own nickel (not a company's) some FF mile/Hotel point programs do not make $ sense.

Enquiring minds would like to know, how.

Also, perhaps you could share your actual strategy w/barefoot and other FT'ers so that we may benefit from your knowledge as you have from FT.

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slick willie,

I have already gathered over 33,000 miles in the past 2 days. Granted, those miles have not posted yet, but I got them. My fiance' has done the same. Thats 2 tickets thus far without spending jack squat.

barefoot that is great!

BTW, it is SWEET Willie.