Yeah, this is a little nuts. I used to be a mass hoarder, but as the airlines continue to devalue miles and tickets become harder to come by, I have started to burn miles. Don't get me wrong; I still buy tickets when it makes sense to do so, but there was once a time when it took a lot more to get me to burn. The bottom line is, miles don't earn interest.

Mike

I know someone who spent 25k for a ticket that cost only $80! I told her she was crazy.

Hmmm, while I know the perils of devaluation and the industry in general, I do not agree that it is foolhardy.

I managed to put to good use the majority of my BA miles before the devaluation, what's left will be used for upgrades on routes where it was previously impossible. At the end of the day, BA is losing a bunch of my business due to their "enhanced" programme. My personal loss will be small (although anyone who didn't cash out potentially got killed).

Now Delta is raising the awards which I would use by 20-30%. Of course now that I have a bunch of BA tickets to use, there is not so much opportunity to burn these - then again 20-30% is far far less that the 40-200% changes on the awards I would use on BA.

Then again, had I not had a MASSIVE hoarde of DL miles, I would have not gotten the KLM miles match which far far far exceeded any devaluation which I suffer from DL.

Getting back to the original point. I perfectly understand someone with a huge balance not wanting to spend more, why should he. Perhaps the reason he has such a huge balance is because he rarely uses miles and believes that when he does the airline should look kindly on him.

If somebody was worth more than $15 million, yet bought all his clothes used at the Salvation Army thrift store (or went without), then we likely would label them an eccentric twit, or worse. I would rather have to buy (gasp) tickets because I had enjoyably used up my mileage stash, then let miles and points lie fallow because I was too old, infirm or busy to use them. Last year I burned near a million, and this year already nearly 600,000 are pledged for upcoming trips...and I don’t have anywhere near the balance that this person does.

Of course, we only have a snippet of the story. Perhaps our mileageaire decided, “Screw it, I’ll just take the Lear.”

We all have our idiosyncrasies that can open us up to criticism, however. I’m flying coach to Italy with the family because I think that it would be inconsiderate to those who actually paid to fly first class for me to sit up front on an award with a three year old; and over the top to fly first with a 13 year old....I’ll just have to make it up to them by staying at the Gritti Palace.

Jailer,

Your wife mentioned to me the other night on the phone, it was perfectly fine for you to sit in First, while she sat in back with the girls. No need to be a martyr.

Sincerely,

'Cuz

No no you are missing the point, you are supposed to take your teenager with you in F on those trans-con flights. All the while explaining to them how if they want to do this when they grow up they have to remember to study hard in school and get a good job.... or find a old letcherous millionare to marry who will die and leave them lots of money.

Trust me, jcrb, I have carefully explored the implications of the spoiled child of a flyertalker at: http://www.flyertalk.com/pasttalk/ft...ML/003501.html

Would I have any chance being just 2 out of the 3?

As I contemplate on a sentence that includes the words, “PremEx”, “lecherous” and, “my daughter”, other words spring to mind to round out the sentence composition; words such as: castrate, emasculate, mayhem, crucify, draw and quarter, gut like a fish, and body has never been found.

This sounds like an Urban Legend to me. Exactly how would a CRS know a mega-millionaire from anyone else.............. unless AA is beginning CAPPS II a little early.

MisterNice

Perhaps the ticket was not for him, but someone else. Perhaps his wife asked him to look for award tix for her mother to come visit for the holidays. He asked as a good-faith "attempt," was told not available in coach, and now he could go back to his wife and feel okay saying that he checked, but there's nothing available for mother-in-law to come for Christmas. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Who cares? (wait, maybe I do as I responded http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif)

Ditto on spending those miles! They don't improve with age!

So, you're saying I do have a chance?

About 8 years ago, when my daughter was 13, I took her on a trip through Europe.

She spent most of her time shopping and became quite adept at using my Visa card

When we got to France she was given a card, instead of a key, to unlock her hotel door.

"Wow!", she said. "I feel just like Julia Roberts in 'Pretty Woman.'"

"Great," I answered. "Just what I always wanted -- a teenage daughter who feels like a hooker."