ua1flyer - A "Real" Up-In-The-Air GS
#1141
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
Programs: UA 1K 1MM ★G | Marriott LTT | Hilton ♦ | Hertz PC | Global Entry TSA Pre ✓
Posts: 2,820
#1142
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
#1143
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ord,ewr
Programs: Lifetime UA GS 22 million,AA 1m ,Hilton Li fetime diamond,marriott lifetime platinum hyatt diamond
Posts: 1,000
To me it's the math, combined with the longevity that's remarkable.
The Math: 1M BIS miles is 2,740 miles a day (365 days/year). Longer than SFO to BOS, which is a 5+ hour flight.
The Longevity: It would take 6,570 days flying 2,740 miles (5+ hours a day), without a single day off to hit 18M miles. Run that slowly through your brain.
Talk about your Ever-ready Bunny. If you don't just love travel no-one, having achieved any level of success, would tolerate this sustained effort. Even flying First Class all the time wouldn't make it endurable over that stretch of time.
More flying trivia/data:
The highest time pilot in history is Ed Long (1915 to 1999) who accumulated 65,000 hours of flying time during his very long career. Tom's 6,570 days X 2,740 miles (assuming an average of 5.5 hours for that distance) = 36,135 hours. That's 55.6% of the flight time of the worlds highest time ever pilot, and flying isn't Tom's profession.
Mind you, I haven't included any non-UA BIS mileage. If you assume a conservative 10%, he sitting at roughly 40,000 hours 'up in the air'.
Conclusion: He must enjoy traveling.
My biggest question is what's he going to do when he retires, travel
The Math: 1M BIS miles is 2,740 miles a day (365 days/year). Longer than SFO to BOS, which is a 5+ hour flight.
The Longevity: It would take 6,570 days flying 2,740 miles (5+ hours a day), without a single day off to hit 18M miles. Run that slowly through your brain.
Talk about your Ever-ready Bunny. If you don't just love travel no-one, having achieved any level of success, would tolerate this sustained effort. Even flying First Class all the time wouldn't make it endurable over that stretch of time.
More flying trivia/data:
The highest time pilot in history is Ed Long (1915 to 1999) who accumulated 65,000 hours of flying time during his very long career. Tom's 6,570 days X 2,740 miles (assuming an average of 5.5 hours for that distance) = 36,135 hours. That's 55.6% of the flight time of the worlds highest time ever pilot, and flying isn't Tom's profession.
Mind you, I haven't included any non-UA BIS mileage. If you assume a conservative 10%, he sitting at roughly 40,000 hours 'up in the air'.
Conclusion: He must enjoy traveling.
My biggest question is what's he going to do when he retires, travel
#1145
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NY NJ
Programs: United 1K, EL AL Silver
Posts: 202
#1146
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ord,ewr
Programs: Lifetime UA GS 22 million,AA 1m ,Hilton Li fetime diamond,marriott lifetime platinum hyatt diamond
Posts: 1,000
Just passing 1.3 million PQM on my way to Sydney tonight. For those of you passing through Chicago and coming through the Polaris lounge on Saturday June 24th, join my my wife and I to celebrate the 18 million mark. Drinks on me....lol! Darlene ends her school year of teaching and we begin our summer journeys together. Include are Japan , Hong Kong, Hawaii.Rome,Chicago,Rome, Venice, Brussels,Paris and Mexico. We still need to fill in the blanks with a few other countries. I hope to see some of you in the lounge that Saturday ,but I wish all of you a great summer regardless if its vacations or staycations. As I always say... My favorite place to go is home! Safe travels and miles of smiles!!!
#1147
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,700
Just passing 1.3 million PQM on my way to Sydney tonight. For those of you passing through Chicago and coming through the Polaris lounge on Saturday June 24th, join my my wife and I to celebrate the 18 million mark. Drinks on me....lol! Darlene ends her school year of teaching and we begin our summer journeys together. Include are Japan , Hong Kong, Hawaii.Rome,Chicago,Rome, Venice, Brussels,Paris and Mexico. We still need to fill in the blanks with a few other countries. I hope to see some of you in the lounge that Saturday ,but I wish all of you a great summer regardless if its vacations or staycations. As I always say... My favorite place to go is home! Safe travels and miles of smiles!!!
#1148
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: BDL/NYC/BOS
Programs: UA/*A Gold, Global Entry, Marriott Plat, Hilton+IHG Gold, Hertz PC, DL
Posts: 1,752
#1150
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ord,ewr
Programs: Lifetime UA GS 22 million,AA 1m ,Hilton Li fetime diamond,marriott lifetime platinum hyatt diamond
Posts: 1,000
Thought I Was. Between being busy with work and trying to share the world with my wife and family.... it just happened. It might be my last million mile year, but a network wants me to do a show around the world next year. We'll see.
#1151
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,826
Just passing 1.3 million PQM on my way to Sydney tonight. For those of you passing through Chicago and coming through the Polaris lounge on Saturday June 24th, join my my wife and I to celebrate the 18 million mark. Drinks on me....lol! Darlene ends her school year of teaching and we begin our summer journeys together. Include are Japan , Hong Kong, Hawaii.Rome,Chicago,Rome, Venice, Brussels,Paris and Mexico. We still need to fill in the blanks with a few other countries. I hope to see some of you in the lounge that Saturday ,but I wish all of you a great summer regardless if its vacations or staycations. As I always say... My favorite place to go is home! Safe travels and miles of smiles!!!
#1152
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pasadena, California
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 10,412
I hope it's OK, but your post reminds me that I need to send you a PM (as I will be in Paris on July 24th ... well, actually that's the day we leave), and I do love me some professional bike racing!
#1155
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
Just passing 1.3 million PQM on my way to Sydney tonight. For those of you passing through Chicago and coming through the Polaris lounge on Saturday June 24th, join my my wife and I to celebrate the 18 million mark. Drinks on me....lol! Darlene ends her school year of teaching and we begin our summer journeys together. Include are Japan , Hong Kong, Hawaii.Rome,Chicago,Rome, Venice, Brussels,Paris and Mexico. We still need to fill in the blanks with a few other countries. I hope to see some of you in the lounge that Saturday ,but I wish all of you a great summer regardless if its vacations or staycations. As I always say... My favorite place to go is home! Safe travels and miles of smiles!!!