I learned something interesting the past two weeks: I am a
spoiled flyer, and incredibly so given I haven’t really experienced anything. I
act like I have flown 100,000+ miles a year, perennially 1K status with United
(a weird dream of mine), but I haven’t. I act entitled when flying, but that’s
being entitled in coach, which isn’t the best look to show. I think this
started during my RTW trip, when I took 30 flights in the course of the 105 day
trip. I took flights on 10 airlines, 8 different types of planes. I had flights
that were forty-five minutes on prop-planes (Ho Chi Minh to Da Lat), and
flights 15-hours long (New York to Johannesburg). I think it only grew worse
when I was staffed on a project in Battle Creek, Mississippi, where I flew
twice a week for three months. I flew enough to gain Gold status on United
(which will expire this year, unless I get another project where I have to
fly), but to also gain a real perspective of the terrible-ness of flying
domestically in the US on regional airlines. I know think of myself of a
seasoned traveler, a brilliant user of mileage programs and cards and deals. I’m
so far from really being that, though.
Then again, I am good. I have continually maintained a
balance of at least 75,000 miles on either American or United. I cancel my
cards to reset the timer to get the offer again. I am never happy with the
offers given and always look for the best deal. I scour Million Miles blog like
it was the bible (it is, for mileage hoarders). But all of this would be more
meaningful if I was still travelling weekly, if it was pounding out 200,000
mile years like so many other Americans. I am in that weird position of caring
enough to want to be that, and smart enough to compile enough miles to act like
I have that status, but not actually be that.
It hit me when I recently booked a mileage ticket for a
family trip to India this Christmas season. I’m not going with the same dates
as my family. My parents are utilizing United’s excellent mileage program
allowance of a free stopover to go to Vietnam and Cambodia. I am doing the same
to go back to South Africa, go back to Cape Town and see if it is just as good
the second time around. But why am I upset? I am because I am being forced to
take Egypt Airlines to fly back from Johannesburg to New York. There is a
direct flight, but very limited award travel availability on that flight, given
its proximity to New Years (Jan 9th). I want that flight, I want to
avoid flying Egpyt Airlines, an airline that doesn’t serve alcohol, and might
not even have AVOD (Video On-Demand) on their long-haul flights. Who wants
that?
Last time I did a major mileage ticket on United was during
my RTW trip. I got all the flights I wanted. I got flights on Thai Airways, and
Singapore Airlines (which are basically impossible to get these days on United
tickets). I got a flight on All Nippon, and I got a direct New York to
Johannesburg, despite booking that just 5 weeks before departure. I got it all,
and that’s why I’m spoiled. My first real interaction with utilizing mileage
tickets was perfect. It will never get as good. I’m due for years of Egypt
Airlines.
The only way to avoid this is be a gold , or platinum, or 1K
(or Global Services, though those are the Gods of aviation travel, getting that
status with a personalized invite – I shit you not). Those guys get more
mileage availability, they get more lee-way. They get dedicated lines on United
with people who can understand basic questions, know where Ho Chi Minh City is,
and actually book things for you. That’s where I want to be in my life as a
traveler. Honestly, if I could get paid to fly annoying routes like
Newark-Grand Rapids all day, I would. I would fly, I would be an air travel
reviewer today if I could. It is my true dream job, get paid to fly and get
paid to rack up miles. My mom’s cousin is an executive at a mid-level pharma
company, and he is the President of Emergng Markets, and he gets to fly abut
300,000 miles a year on United, and gets all the perks that comes with it.
Sure, I would envy his salary, but I envy his mileage status more.
I’ve been given an incredible opportunity by my Dad to
travel a lot. I recently signed up for FlightDIary.net, a site that lets you
log all your flights you’ve taken. Below are the results
Those are the results. Given that I’ve only traveled for
work from Newark to Grand Rapids (or Detroit), that’s mightily impressive for
someone who’s not even 24. I’ve taken a whole lot of flights, but I want to
take more. Let’s just say this, people who use this site generally have taken
more flights than me. I am lucky that I have such an expansive flight history
ex-US, a credit to a father who instilled in me and my sister a love of travel,
and a me who likes to go to India (the airport I’ve flown in and out of the
most is Newark, in 2nd place is Mumbai). I’ve taken 180 flights
(dating back to 1999 – I’ve taken probably 20-25 before that), but most people
on the site have taken 250+. Most are people who are 1K on United, or at least
Platinum, who live in airports, who have those dedicated lines I want so much.
It is a weird feeling, being trapped in a love and an
interest in something you won’t attain. My interest in flying is such of a
person who has a 1K status on United. My actual status is not that, though. I
love flying, and I can give a good dissertation on the relative quality of most
airlines, but that is from a coach perspective. One of the great pieces of
knowledge about award travel is that it is the most efficient and cost-effective
way to fly on Business/First class. Of course, to do that you have to have
160,000 miles. I want to get there, but I never will.
To be honest, I have no idea what this post is about. It may
make no sense, but it makes sense to me. It makes sense to a person who has
thought about ‘moving’ to Houston to live with my Aunt so I have to fly to New
Jersey each week (yes, I considered that, and yes, my cousin who lives in
Houston and is as obsessed as I am thought it was a good idea). It makes sense
to a person who checks United.com everyday to see if they open up tickets from
Johannesburg to New Jersey on January 9th, 2016, just so I don’t
have to take Egyptair. It makes sense to that guy, the guy who hopes his
FlightDIary.net page has more than half his flights domestic (meaning I fly for
work – a lot), and who can compete with the 1K’s of the world who know America’s
airport network like the back of their hand.
In the end, I blame my Dad, for making us fly to all these
amazing places, and get my love of flying started early. I blame my job, and my
initial project in Battle Creek, for allowing me the opportunity to fly a lot
for just long enough to get Gold Status, something that provides few real
benefits but something I don’t want to lose. I also blame my own interest in
aviation, my sick hope that someone who works at JFK will read this and no my
dream job of flying each long-haul flight from JFK in a year to rate all of
their airlines and air-routes (for money, of course). That is my true dream
job, a dream that can become a reality if I get the right project, the right
client and right mindset. I won’t stop until I get that 1K status. It will
happen one day, and when it does, I sure as hell won’t be taking Egypt Airlines
home from Johannesburg to New York.
