Uhhhh, what a high-maintenance life

I think a lot more folks fly the big miles than we sometimes think. A neighbour of mine used to fly weekly to SFO on UA as he had a medical consulting business there. He just liked SYD due to weather, and family and religious ties here so came back for weekends. Had an apartment in SFO that doubled as his small office, and for him it worked out fine.

It usually cost him only about $A1,500 (then only about $US750) round trip, and he'd book bulk tickets whenever cheaper deals were running, and used 15% off certs etc.

The SFO flight leaves early afternoon and arrives morning in SFO. It leaves SFO late evening and arrives early morning here.

Remember that a RT runs about 15,000 miles, or 13 hours each way, and he'd do this 40 weeks a year, so without ANY other flying at all [f which he did often do intra USA] he was on around 600,000 flown miles a year right there just for the weekly "commute" to his office.

I am sure we all know folks who drive in grid-lock or travel by train 2-3 hours each way to the office each day - or 20-30 hours a week, so his commute to the office a week was similar - or actually less in hours than some of those folks.

He did it all in coach, and of course was one of UA's biggest flyers from here. He told me Sales Dept approached him now and again with offers of OP upgrades where possible, [hoping like heck he'd never defect to QF!] but oddly he did not like the UA biz seats, and instead did a deal with them that they'd always if space allowed block him off a full centre row of coach seats so he could lay flat and sleep. This would show as officially blocked on manifest, and others could not use them. He preferred that! He was a quiet doctor type, and very unassuming.

He did this for several years, and only stopped last year when he sold the business and retired. But there is one person I know locally who usually did about 700,000 flown on UA a year ..... nearly all in COACH!

I believe that an Australian could rack up big miles. But Oz was not mentioned in the show - as a matter of fact the implication was all short jaunts (at least to me). Chicago, NYC, Boston, etc. Occassionally London. Tougher to do on the short hops. I know.

Since I have been mentioned here, I can take a moment and clarify my travels -

I take on average 1.5 RTW's per month generally of 10 day duration - therefore 30 days every 2 months of RTW travel. The average 35K miles which ends up at 630,000 - add in the point to point trips which will often include 1 day trips to the UK and I must be at 800K - I also have at least 3 employees who are at the same level.

To finish the logic, this ends up around 2M miles per year with bonuses and such plus an equal amount from CC charges (almost all company charges of course) That would = 25M in a bit over 6 years - I have been doing this for 5 and will be for at least another 5 wich = 40M miles over 10 years - so basic math says this is not all that difficult

I can not believe that I am all the unique - however, I will say that the poster who did not bother to think through the logic of travel schedules and simply concluded at OZ was fabricating this does not really understand the concept of this community. There are several ultra high volume PAX here - we don't do this for fun - it is simply the way of life for our business.

Thanks for the clarification, Barton. Glen claimed that you were flying "well over" 1M flight miles each year, over a period of years. You seem to indicate it is slightly less.

800K is still pretty amazing to me, as 300K almost killed me when I was younger.

------------------
United UGS, MM
Hyatt Lifetime Diamond
Starwood Platimun

[This message has been edited by divaof travel (edited 07-30-2003).]

I tip my hat to you B Watson for your innumerable RTW's!

My sister's close friend does the small commute YYZ-YUL several times weekly. His reward was Elite status on AC. But... he owns the company, and has cash to spend.

When he constructed his new house in YYZ, a couple of years back he paid the contractor on Aerogold Visa. The bill was $13M CDN! That gave hime him 13 milion miles in his AC account.

Now comes the rub. Because he owned the firm, he wanted to protect his home. Therefore he put it in his wife's name. But his fatal flaw was using her Aerogold card rather than his. You see, she was basic, and he had just made SE or * Gold if you prefer.

13 million miles and no status!

Again, I think the bone of contention centers around actual vs. total miles. I can easily imagine. . .okay, maybe not "easily" but I can imagine how one can accumulate 25M miles what with bonuses, credit cards, and all the rest of it.

However, I still think anyone who has managed to actually fly 25M miles really deserves some kind of award. I just read in Bob Hope's obituary that he claimed to have logged 10M miles in his career which spanned god knows how long and that's total miles not since the advent of frequent flyer programs.

And, FWIW, I don't think raising doubts about anyone's truthfulness in this forum is appropriate. In my mind, you have the choice to believe or not believe without impugning anyone's motives or integrity.

Barton? Glen? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

You just do not seem to be able to get the reality here through your skull even now divaof travel ... but just for you, for the THIRD time, let me spell it out yet again:

THE PERSON I SAID WHO FLEW OVER A MILLION WAS NOT B_WATSON! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

I think you owe us both an apology for inferring we were liars - several times.

To which you responded -

And you later posted this for emphasis:

-----------------------------------------------------------------


[This message has been edited by ozstamps (edited 07-30-2003).]

You are quoting me out of context and out of order. I said I didn't believe anybody was flying "well over" 1 M flight miles year after year, and that this was an "urban legend"

You said "Ask our own B_Watson whether his annual flying is an "Urban Myth." Logic indicates that you offer B_Watson's activity as proof that somebody does "well over" 1M flight miles/yr.

I didn't call anybody a liar. I am simply saying I don't believe your claim that somebody has "well over" 1M flight miles year after year as a passenger. I am sure you and others believe it, and if you can offer me tangible proof, so would I.

It is a big jump to say I am calling you a liar because I don't believe your claim. In doing so, you are the one who is making derogatory personal comments, not me.

1M flight miles/yr at an average speed of 500 mph would be 23% the entire year, 365 days, 24/7. This doesn't include ground travel and airport time.

I simply don't believe it happens as you claim. I'll be the first to admit I am wrong when I am convinced. Until then, I will allow you get the last word in, as I am tiring of this thread. You have made a pretty extreme claim and offer no supporting evidence.

------------------
United UGS, MM
Hyatt Lifetime Diamond
Starwood Platimun

[This message has been edited by divaof travel (edited 07-30-2003).]

[This message has been edited by divaof travel (edited 07-30-2003).]

On Flyertalk, especially when new, you are judged by others on the accuracy or otherwise of what you post divaof travel. Please always remember that.

After you had posted:

You first do not believe my statement that I knew B Watson flew some 700,000 miles a year and said that is a myth and that we are both lying. "I don't believe that for a minute. An urban legend for frequent flyers."

When B Watson takes time to point out not only he but at least THREE of his staff each do not only 700,000 but some 800,000 flown miles a year - you then back-track. You deny you ever said this was impossible or a lie or untrue, and add to the VERY deep hole saying you don't believe the (previously documented fact here) very TOP Qantas flier worldwide does only 20% more than several of B Watson's staffers. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

You will learn much from Flyertalk, that I can see. People that come here thinking THEY fly a lot often get a big surprise.

Interesting concept. What is your definition of calling someone a liar then?

Several years back I commuted weekly HNL-DFW for three months - would have been longer but I finally decided to move to Dallas. It wore me out, but had I not decided to move, it would have been an indefinite arrangement.

At the time there was some radio personality who flew DFW-ORD in F every weekday.

I could easily imagine having to split your time between different offices each week.

Oh, mercy me, I may have started this innocently enough.

I don't think the program ever said that he earned all his miles flying.

All I meant to mention was that the entire focus of the TODAY story was on how much he flew...and I had anticipated something more along the pudding guy thing.

There may have been some attention to other ways he earned miles...but if so, I did not remember it!

Well, I've done a fair share of commuting and, while it may sound glamarous, it soon becomes the pits.

I don't care how many lackeys you've got carrying your bags and driving you around, a weekly 10hr+ (and return) quickly becomes a nightmare, even in First.

I can't imagine why anyone would voluntarily subject themselves to a weekly flight from Oz to the UK. Whilst I'll believe that this person exists, I have to wonder about their sanity. LHR-SYD is pretty much 24hrs, so 48hrs return. That's one-third of your week spent (mostly) in a plane. Think of all the things in life you are missing. Wouldn't it make more sense to move or have people come to see you once in a while?

My dad told me the exact same story about his personal business travel years ago (he was an international business consultant for cross-border startup issues or something like that) where he preferred to have the block of coach seats instead of business, and would have them hold the seats for him. Only if they absolutely had to sell them would it be done, and then they'd move him up to C/F. He said the sleep was much better across the multiple coach seats.

I have never understood those who profess that a block of coach seats is preferable for sleeping to a business class seat. Yeah, you can lie flat but one arm will be deprived of stretching room due to the seatbacks (as opposed to having two armrest and space as in business) and the armrests (even when retracted as far as possible) and seat belt assembies jab at your side and back. And if you are on a three-across section of middle seats (as on a 767), your legroom likely will be less than in business unless you can find a way to stick your legs out into the aisle without getting bumped (and waking you up) or impeding the flow of passengers, flight attendants, and carts.

I still find this hard to believe. Again, I know people with a heck of lot more than 25M per year spend on Amex.

Personally, I would prefer 4 or 5 coach seats because you can lay down flat. If you sleep on your side or stomach, this is important. If you can sleep well on your back, then C seats do just fine.

No doubt, but your friends probably don't want, or need, to go on NBC to woof about their spending habits and mileage balances. Just a guess on my part?

I assume that the $2M/year in charges aren't all travel-related! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Even figuring in F travel and stays at the Four Seasons/equivalents six months of the year, it would take a lot of very nice meals (and wine) to make up the difference. DRC - mmmmmmm!

They named a plane after PremEx?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

As posted my neighbour was flying UA to SFO. That is a direct 747 service and the 747 centre row of course gives you PLENTY of room to lay down flat. He was only about 5'6" so that also would have helped I guess. He said he far preferred that sleep than the front cabins. Go figger.

Don't forget that until recently cashing in earned stickers (which an EXP flying only paid F internationally would never use otherwise) would have added another 10K to that total, so less than 30 Chicago - Rome RTs (a little more than twice a month) could put someone at a million miles earned that year from travel alone.

just trying to figure out what your point is here ; if we all fly coach , that will warm his feet ? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif


[This message has been edited by sunseeker (edited 08-01-2003).]

I believe the focus is on FLOWN miles (butt-in seat miles) per year.

You can earn a million miles in 5 minutes with one huge credit card charge.

...

[This message has been edited by Hagbard Viking (edited 08-02-2003).]

No, I think that we all get a little too tied up in winning the "game" (whatever that may be) and forget that many people out there don't even get to play the game. For me, my signiture is a subtle reminder that there are things more important than what I say on this board. (That little sermonette took us WAY off the topic.)

Reverend Edward J. Melton
Holy Cross Church

I dunno either...but then again, I can sleep on my own in a single Y seat (I'm small enough that I don't have any problem fitting decently well). My dad is 6'2" and related the story to me using 4 seats (I guess a 2-4-2 config) in Y. I think the difficulty for some people is the choice between flat on their side or lounged in the larger C seat but required to be on their back and not flat. That's going to end up being a personal preference.

Well this is an interesting and heated discussion...

I can see that the general populace is extremely skeptical of a FFers ability to earn such excessive quantities of miles by flying alone, but I must relate my own experiences..

I started flying with American Airlines in 1993, while still living in London, by 2001 I had a lifetime total of some 350000 miles and a current balance around the 100k mark.. Very irregular travel, usually short hops from NYC to DFW or DTW and suchlike..

Just after 11-sep-01 I began travelling extensively, made exec plat for the first time in late 2002 and passed 1m lifetime miles earlier this year..
In other words, just by doing my regular 'commuter' flights from places like JFK-SEA / LGA-DFW / JFK-BRU no more than once a week I've accumulated more than 100000 FLOWN miles per year, over 600000 earned miles in under 2 years.

My travel is nothing special and many people here exceed my meager travel schedule week after week, so I find it eminently believable that there are million-a-year flyers out there... heck I've done 150000 this year purely domestically (ISP-BOS-SEA or JFK-SEA)

Please bear in mind that some people, particularly antipodeans will accrue huge balances with relatively few flights..

Happy flying and remember miles are for SPENDING (I spent this years accrual already http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif)

Hmm, I wonder if we can put the urban legend of a million mile/year BIS flyer to rest now as well...

A legend in his own mind.

But very much real to a quite a lot of creditors.

25 million mylez, eh?

Boy, that's a WHOLE lotta gift cards!

(Hey I have like only 25 mile in US Air right now. Not 25m. That's a lot of mylez!)

:)MM

Well, I got a NW logoed Waterman Pen, a brass luggage tag and a thank you note for BIS 1 million+ miles. They said my name has too many letters and they are in a cash crunch... otherwise that CRJ would have been SPC354 by now! :D

duplicate

yes, it WOULD be nice to DUPLICATE the world series win last year!
;)MM

Ain't happening. The Cards are going all the way, and we're doing it with the AAA team due to injuries to Scotty, Larry, Reggie, Grudzielanek, more surgery to Mike Lincoln, etc.

yeah I noticed the cards are pretty hot this year --even better than last year and so it could be pretty cool to do a rematch and I bet they would give us a run for our money til the 7th game this time around! I have no doubt they could easily pull it off too, but the Sox have had their share of injuries and we even kept our current first place status with NO ace and NO closer for pretty much the entire season! Everything rides on hitters like Big Papi (Ortiz) and yet, we shall see what happens in the post season...

I say SOX in 6 but if it is us and you again, it could go long and be a tough one either way. The cards certainly are NOT going to be swept, nor did I really expect that last year. We Sox fans have respect for STL and the only team we do not like is the Yankees.
:)MM

Oh, back to miles... If we do get to play you, I will use some of mine to get out there this time. Should have last time but failed to jump on it because hey, as a Sox fan, you never know!

now we can imagine like the rest of baseball!
(except the Chicago teams)
:)MM

Let me know if you come out! Be happy to give hotel and restaurant recs. Plus I know where the scalpers hang out.

Nah, I meant duplicate the feat of a World Series every century or so. I would also like to see the Yankees duplicate their monumental choke again.

nope, they did one better. They named a tier in Mileage Plus after him.....ba dum ;)

:p

*Over two years to make that punchline!