Anyone here fly on their own dime
Dec 9, 2015, 10:51 am
#46
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: LAX
Programs: UA - Plat; TK - Elite; Marriott - Gold
Posts: 46
On my own dime, but could never reach 1k due to the PQD, so always ending in Plat (thanks to the CC waiver).
I always plan a few international trips every year, and a couple of A or P fares, domestic, to meet the miles.
Being Gold/Plat is great for the international trips.
I always plan a few international trips every year, and a couple of A or P fares, domestic, to meet the miles.
Being Gold/Plat is great for the international trips.
Dec 9, 2015, 10:54 am
#47
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: PHL, EWR
Programs: UA Gold; AA; Amtrak Select Plus;HH Diamond;Hyatt Disc;Hertz PC; Total Wine Grand Reserve!
Posts: 2,401
I have the occasional work trip for a conference or meeting, but most of my travel is on my own dime as well.
The first year I earned elite status on UA, it was due to work travel, and then I became hooked!
The first year I earned elite status on UA, it was due to work travel, and then I became hooked!
Dec 9, 2015, 11:02 am
#48
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,023
Ought to be an acronym equivalent to OPM (other people's money). How about MOD (my own dime).
Two trips a month may justify acquisition of Chase United Club card. You may or may not find first year free at a branch vs online thru United.
Two trips a month may justify acquisition of Chase United Club card. You may or may not find first year free at a branch vs online thru United.
Dec 9, 2015, 11:33 am
#49
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AA EXP, HH Diamond, MR Gold, Avis PC, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,252
I travel almost entirely for leisure on my own dime. I do a couple of work trips a year but they have all been on flights less than 2 hours from IAD, so I just pick the most convenient schedule regardless of airline.
The leisure trips are much longer (international, West Coast, Hawaii,) so I'll fly United for the PQM's and use the credit card to avoid PQD requirement.
The leisure trips are much longer (international, West Coast, Hawaii,) so I'll fly United for the PQM's and use the credit card to avoid PQD requirement.
Dec 9, 2015, 12:14 pm
#50
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posts: 663
Your own dime.
Thrill of finding a great fare.
Switched to MP and hope to hit 1K.
PQD requirement.
Which sentence does not belong?
Dec 9, 2015, 1:04 pm
#52
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Washington DC and Denver CO
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy Titanium/LT Gold
Posts: 379
Yep. And 1K, 150,000 PQM / 16k PQD this year.
Long story. But I love it when UA sometimes assumes I'm flying for a company and tells me to "talk to my travel department". Yeah, that's me. CS agents generally think I'm insane.
Long story. But I love it when UA sometimes assumes I'm flying for a company and tells me to "talk to my travel department". Yeah, that's me. CS agents generally think I'm insane.
Dec 9, 2015, 1:05 pm
#53
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Washington DC and Denver CO
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy Titanium/LT Gold
Posts: 379
Dec 9, 2015, 2:11 pm
#54
Join Date: May 2005
Location: BTW/WAOC
Programs: QR Platinum, UA Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 265
100% leisure flyer on my own dime here. I moved most of my flying to AA in April after sending casual email and got the EXP challenge and match (will end up at 115K on AA in 2015). I still managed to pass 100k PQM on UA in 2015; 60% of it done before 3/1/15, plus two transpac trips on NH in the year. I think I will retire when AA finally switches to revenue-based earning.
Dec 9, 2015, 2:20 pm
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: NJ
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, UA Silver, dirt elsewhere
Posts: 46,919
100% leisure now on my own dime.
Somehow I managed to get enough trips to leave me 900 miles short of Silver again. I maintain the Presidential Plus card to top me off each year.
Somehow I managed to get enough trips to leave me 900 miles short of Silver again. I maintain the Presidential Plus card to top me off each year.
Dec 10, 2015, 9:13 am
#56
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SFO, SJC
Programs: UA MM /Gold ; AS MVP Gold; SWA A LIst and CP; HH Gold; Bonvoy Titanium; IHG Plat Elite
Posts: 588
Back in the days...
... when I got laid off towards the end of 2008 I paid around $600 AI for SFO-HNL-LAX-SYD-HNL-SFO per RT x 4 - partly for miles - mostly for pushing past the first MM - getting to 1K one last time was a bonus.
I'm originally from Oz - my family thought I was off my rockers for flying into SYD just to have lunch and dinner with them every two weeks leaving Mr Lainys and the kiddies back in SFO
It paid off as when I booked Z Thanksgiving fares ($2200 AI) SFO to MUC on LH for the family and used printed SWUs for upgrades into First. Coming back the same certs worked again and we spent a few hours in LH FCL at MUC... I know it's not the FCT at FRA but it's the closest we will ever get to picking up a rubber duckie!
I'm originally from Oz - my family thought I was off my rockers for flying into SYD just to have lunch and dinner with them every two weeks leaving Mr Lainys and the kiddies back in SFO
It paid off as when I booked Z Thanksgiving fares ($2200 AI) SFO to MUC on LH for the family and used printed SWUs for upgrades into First. Coming back the same certs worked again and we spent a few hours in LH FCL at MUC... I know it's not the FCT at FRA but it's the closest we will ever get to picking up a rubber duckie!
Dec 10, 2015, 9:15 am
#57
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AADULtArer
Posts: 5,688
Dec 10, 2015, 10:52 am
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: A festering pit; a pustule of a fistula set athwart the miasmic swamps of the armpit of the Gulf of Mexico - a Godforsaken wart upon a dark crevasse of the World. (IAH)
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, BA Silver, Marriott Lifetime Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold
Posts: 31,403
The stats from my FlightDiary show lifetime totals of approximately:
92% leisure, on my own dime (small percentage of that was footed by my parents in the 80s and 90s, but we didn't fly that much)
8% business, OPM
Average about 250K BIS annually these days, spread across all three alliances and AS.
92% leisure, on my own dime (small percentage of that was footed by my parents in the 80s and 90s, but we didn't fly that much)
8% business, OPM
Average about 250K BIS annually these days, spread across all three alliances and AS.
Dec 10, 2015, 11:18 am
#60
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NRT/HND, IWK, SAT, BWI, NAP, OKA, AUS, DEN, COS and PUB
Programs: UA 1K.. 1MM
Posts: 994
Maybe 80-90% my own dime, then the remainder from father-son trips.
The 12k requirement definitely makes it a bit more challenging without directly purchasing into higher classes... that said, given that you can often book in domestic F for not too terribly much more than economy, I find myself doing that from time to time for longer flights... which bumps the PQM and PQD in one motion.
The 12k requirement definitely makes it a bit more challenging without directly purchasing into higher classes... that said, given that you can often book in domestic F for not too terribly much more than economy, I find myself doing that from time to time for longer flights... which bumps the PQM and PQD in one motion.