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:

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[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.

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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