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quote:
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Originally posted by csb:
No Way; it's 19,231 miles per week. Even giving somebody a complete long-haul benefit of the doubt, they don't make it..


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I agree with you, csb, but as the article states, others insist that there is such a flyer. But no proof has been offerred, nor has anybody seemed to make such a claim on their own behalf.

The artisle has some interesting statistics, but I also calculate that 1M flight miles would mean about 25% of your life in the cabin.

Other anecdotal evidence also suggests such a flyer does not exist. I think United might be one of the most likely airlines for such a flyer to exist, as they are based in the largest market (US) and have the most trans-pacific flights for such a carrier. I asked a United UGS supervisor if such a flyer existed with them, and she said no. (Of course she would only know about Star Alliance activity.)

Until somebody steps up with verifiable mileage statments, I don't believe in the million flight miles per year flyer.

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United UGS, 1K, Million Mile Flyer
Hyatt Lifetime Diamond
Starwood Platimun
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divaoftravel,

I agreed with originally about it being impossible to fly 1M miles in a year. Then all of a sudden yesterday I found out that my dog's brother's owner's maid's father actually DID fly 1M miles in one year. Unfortunately when I asked for documentation to show everybody at FT, I found out that all his documentation was destroyed when his house burned down in a fire. But supposedly he is a trustworthy guy, there'd be no tall tale Paul Bunyon-type mileage bragging on his part, or at least that's what my dog tells me

gregorygrady - So your other 16 posts on FT were equally informative I hope?

Yeah, gregorygrady, don't you know that you have to have over 16,000 posts before any of them are of any value? Or in ozstamps case, it may be 17,000.

BTW, I heard that your dog's brother actually SAVED the statements from the fire, but then he ate them.

ozzie -

1) Reality? You use that word loosely and incorrectly. I hope that you are either jet-lagged or spaced out on diazepams. Surely you don�t really believe all of the hogwash you are spewing. You BELIEVE I am wrong, but you haven't proven it by any objective standards. We could agree to disagree on this, but you are so insecure that you accuse me of calling you a liar, which I never did. So the burden of proof is on you. Why are you so insecure? Perhaps you have no conviction in your claim?

2) Again, are you jet-lagged? You question my math ability, but you don't seem to be able to count, or read or perhaps both. The majority on this thread so far agree with me. And the NY Times article that started this thread reflects the same cynicism.

3) You are very adept in the mechanics of this forum, so I am surprised you haven't posted this thread you refer to.

[/B][/QUOTE]

4) I don�t know why you keep pounding on this point, which you have already made. It is the only thing you say that makes any sense. But of course it is not the topic of debate. I don�t think anybody has argued that this is physically impossible. In fact, up to about 4M actual flight miles a year is physically possible at 500mph. The math of course is trivial.

I'll give you a brief primer on science, since you seem to think it means being able to operate a calculator. The scientific principle teaches that theories are not fact until proven through direct observation. I have always said that I do not BELIEVE that a 1M mile per year revenue flyer exists. You claim that you have presented factual proof, but all you have done so far is state your opinion. The burden of proof is on you.

As before, I will allow you to get the last word in on this subject as I am sure you will repeat your gibberish again. This seems to be important to you. If you make any new points, I will be happy to respond (and probably correct you.) In the meantime, I would rather argue with my four-year old, who seems to have more common sense, and doesn�t kick and scream anymore when she doesn�t get her way.

PLEASE play nicely folks!

FWIW, IMHO, while it is surely possible, and in fact seemingly been accompliched, one million miles in a just one year, (no less year after year), is so darn tough to accomplish that it may well, even for those who truly love to fly, take the "fun" out of it!

Also, lots of radiation and cabin air to be exposed to, as well, make it somewhat of a potential health concern to me as well!

To anyone doing this incredible milestone, I salute you all!

-Mark

Careful doc. Having 40,000 posts, AND being a scientist you may confuse the chattering classes.

Sorry, it is impossible to have nearly 40,000 posts as no other FT'er has even half that. My sleek new Abacus III wireless states you may only have 19,652 maximum. This is science at work. A wonderful thing science.

The same way that a FT'er and his key staff that all clock up 800,000 a year PAID FLOWN MILES is agreed as accurate, surely means that 20% more is NOT possible for any other person on earth.

I do agree with you that the effects of radiation exposure are a real and present danger. A few posts above appear to amply prove the point.

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

You are repeating yourself on this point for about the fifth time, so I will repudiate it again. (ADD?)

Try this with your calculator. 1,000,000 minus 800,000 should not equal zero. I disagree that it is easily conceivable that somebody could post the additional 200,000 miles.

(BTW, 1M miles is 25% more than 800,000 not 20% more. But you yourself have admitted you are not good at math.)

Although not documented, I accept the 800K (which was previously reported at 700K for B_Watson). BUT (as I stated before, perhaps you didn't read), it would become exponentially more difficult for somebody to accumulate an additional 200,000 flight miles when they are in the air so much already.

Are you perhaps thinking about kilometers, or the Australian exchange rate?

Also, your original claim was that the "Qantas top flier does well over a million paid actual miles a year," indicating multiple years at this level. This is where our disagreement started, so where is the proof of this, or just one year at "only" 1M flight miles.

I would be happy to chalk this up as a difference of opinion. But you insist to yourself that I am �wrong� and you are �right.� You initiated the personal attacks, and escalated them. I have simply responded to your barbs with my own. You can sure dish it out, but don�t like to take it in return.

Just because I don�t have 16,000 posts on this forum does not mean my opinion is uninformed. As you yourself said, those who might have the most knowledge on this subject may not post as often as others. Using that logic � your own logic, my measly 200 posts are far more valuable than your 16,000.

Neither one of us has offered irrefutable evidence supporting our positions (although you continue to try and present your opinion as �fact.�) Why don�t we agree to disagree on this until somebody can verify it? After all, it is simply both of our opinions until that time, right? If you would respect mine, I would most certainly respect yours.


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

divaof travel - when I mentioned as an example of how heavily even those in our midst fly, I knew B Watson flew at least 700,000 paid a year, (simply as he had mentioned this to me over drinks earlier this year) - and YOU grandly responded -

Seemed like you were ALSO rather cock-sure of your "Math" even then? LATER you squirmed and back-tracked as well as any politician after this verification post of that fact:

divaof travel - now you show us you clearly have done a back flip on your rude and untrue comments: "I don't believe that for a minute. An urban legend for frequent flyers" and yet even in your post immediately ABOVE still absurdly state B Watson's clear statement re 800,000 flown paid miles is "not documented."

What are you looking for .... a Notary Public seal on a letter? An email from his priest or rabbi etc? Photocopies of his elite statements? Barton is a Moderator here, and flies more than anyone on Flyertalk IMO, and his posting it is good enough for me. You of course are quite free to pretend or believe it is not true, call us both liars, and claim it is an "urban legend". Others will form their own views of your stance.

You curiously choose NOT to dispute this post on THIS thread of executives who fly a million base miles and are in similar Global jobs to B Watson, and the Qantas top flier:

As posted elsewhere my neighbour used to fly EVERY week SYD-SFO-SYD in COACH and come home each weekend to spend with his family. Did this for years. Lots of people clearly fly a LOT more than you imagine.

Welcome to Flyertalk - I hope you continue learning more about folks you clearly did not dream existed until you joined. Making 1K on UA is simple - takes 3 or 4 tickets a year. We are talking about REAL heavy flyers here.

And your rude comments below I see are consistent with your earlier posts. At least you are not back-flipping on the Australian insults:

And leave others to reflect on another of your (totally unedited) valuable and informative posts -

ozzie -

The only thing I have ever challenged in these threads is the 1M flight miles/year. You know this, because as you quote me above, I challenge 2739 miles/day which equals 1M/yr. Again, we confront the difference between 1M and the other irrelevant nubers you have offered up, like 700,000 or 800,000.

So you again have taken my quotes out of context and out of sequence to try and support your directionless meandering.

You would not even accept agreeing to disagree, so you know what? You win! I concede!

Who would have believed it, but your overwhelming evidence has convinced me that that 800,000 really does equal 1 million! You have really taught me something in this, you "real heavy flyer" you!

The question is, now that you have won, do you STILL have to get in the last word, too?

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United UGS, 1K, Million Mile Flyer
Hyatt Lifetime Diamond
Starwood Platimun


[This message has been edited by divaof travel (edited 09-08-2003).]

If anyone is flying 1M miles per year, I think we can safely assume it isn't Oz or Divaof Travel. With all this infantile bickering, finger pointing, and numbskullery, you two can't possibly have time left over for that much flying.

Well, maybe divaoftravel who joined FT in June just stopped doing the 1 million a year recently. ozstamps, on the other hand, is not so new here.

FewMiles..

Well if I can do 100,000 miles in 15 days, the million mark isnt too hard

If my math is correct this time (I messed up in another thread, so take it with a grain of salt), then in your example it's only 50,000 miles left in a year. That's less than 1,000 a week so one short commuter flight should take this person above the one million mark with ease. Not saying that doing the first 950,000 would be easy!

Have you really done that? Over 200 hours on a plane in a 360 hour period?

The world record in the mens's 200m is 19.32 seconds. Does this mean Michael Johnson can run a marathon in 68 minutes?

Anyway, your accomplishment of 100K in 15 days is still quite remarkable, as it means that about 16 hours of each day, on average, was spent in flight. Please provide details as to how you did this, and the 1MM/year flyer myth may seem more plausible.

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United UGS, 1K, Million Mile Flyer
Hyatt Lifetime Diamond
Starwood Platimun