Does a Million Mile Filer Exisit
 

An article in NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/02/business/02ROAD.html

Does a Million Mile Flier actually exist

The article is referrin to a million miles PER YEAR. As one of the interview subjects correctly points out, virtually anybody who claims a million miles a year is counting bonuses. A million real miles a year would be very challenging but not impossible.

The middle ground is what do the airlines count for million miler status. Delta used to count everything, and as a result there were a couple years when I did earn a million miles a year. They then switched to base miles only for "milliom miler miles", so the most recent million took several years.

American, I think, still counts everything. As a result, I recently got to 1MM despite having flown them relatively little. I started with a few hundred thousand on AA, then a few hundred more from TWA, and then a couple hundred from Marriott to put me over the top, and provide me with permanent gold status.

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.

If somebody in Chicago needed to be in Hong Kong on even numbered weeks and Cape Town (via LHR) on odd numbered weeks--returning to Chicago in-between, with no weeks off, that's only 950,000 miles

It also would average out to 35 hours a week in the cabin. Counting airport time, jet lag, ground transportation, eating and sleeping, how much work could they possibly accomplish?

I think we beat this to death here. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/009053.html

Edited because I still can't get the stupid coding right!

[This message has been edited by BigLar (edited 09-02-2003).]

[This message has been edited by BigLar (edited 09-02-2003).]

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

Maybe it's the president? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Or an Astronaut?

Or.... A pilot?!

Pilots would not be permitted to spend that much time working.

If you mean the President of the US, I think he might make 100K, but probably not even that. It would cut into vacation time at the ranch.

I know friends who have flown Million miles a year - yes base miles. Senior exec of operations with far flung global locations flew practically everyday and always returned home to the family for the weekend.

I also know of others who used to commute weekly from Australia to the US and did US business travel (transcon) as well.

All of them always paid economy and always flew First/Business (complimetary upgrades by the airlines). Crew and airlines knew them well, recognized them with top tier published and unpublished status (Delta, Qantas, United if I recall correctly).

Just curious How many friends? and how many others? Many of us would be surprised that there is a single such person, let alone several. Maybe you could put your friends in touch with that writer at the Times, as he did express an interest in contacting such a person.

I could maybe see that this could conceivably happen in the case of a carrier that flies to Australia, but am skeptical about Delta. (note that the passenger would have to spend over 40 hours a week sitting on a plane, 52 weeks a year, so it is still very hard to believe, but possible). I am also skeptical that anybody would always pay economy, yet always fly first/business. Maybe 80-90%, but not 100%. Thanks

A friend of my brother-in-law had his kidneys removed after he was drugged at a hotel in China!

A friend of my broth-in-law got the kidneys

Kidneys? Both of them? Really? What a story! Did I tell you about the bridge I have for sale...

As someone who has gone through dialysis and a kidney transplant... back on track please!

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