Careers/Jobs of Frequent Flyers

[neon_crossing]

Hi all,

Not really sure if this is in the right section or not.

I'm not really introducing myself and I am not really new (been a member since '07) but I would like to say really quickly thanks to all that make this site so great, long time lurker (I try to post when I can) and I dont really class myself as a 'Frequent Flyer' because I only travel for leisure and not business.

Which comes to the point of my thread:

I am curious to find out what industry/careers that frequent flyers work in.

(this type of this thread has been done, and I apologise if it has but I havent come across one)

I like the idea of getting paid to fly, racking up SC and then using them when it comes to getting leave.

Maybe I am curious because I am in an industry where getting paid to travel is basically non-existant (real estate sales).

Keen to hear the responses.

Thanks,

NC

 

[samh004]

I’ll go first, and I’d say I’m not that frequent a flyer, but I’m a perpetual student, currently in TAFE, but I was in university previously. Not employed.

 

[anat0l]

Frequent leisure flyer, keen status runner, short period vacationer.

In "real" life, university postgraduate student currently aiming towards academic career. Casual research assistant and tutor.

 

[Mal]

There are previous threads on this topic! (I'll let others post them!).

I'm an IT guru specialising in IT security. No current work travel - mine is entirely either leisure or semi-tax deductible for certain reasons.

 

[Lawlass]

Like samh004 and anat0l, I'm a uni-bum. :mrgreen:

 

[jas]

Uni bum here.

And going into a career with very limited travel opportunities.

But shift work involving lots of (mid-week) long weekends perfect for a short trip somewhere...

 

[Febs]

Risk & Controls Manager for a professional services firm, with a number of clients interstate/overseas. Most of us travel at least a few times a year, except those in Financial Services.

A typical year for me is 6-9 interstate trips and ~3 international trips.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[TheStudent]

Well in my case I am also a uni student - however I live and attend uni in different states, and my flying is when I choose to go home on a weekend or for a university holliday. Currently I am making a return trip about once every one and a half months.

Then there is leisure travel, which is wherever (domestic) - not all that often

 

[elbarto]

Public Servant on unpaid leave in the UK working as a free-lance s**t kicker for whoever pays me the most. In my guise as a government employee, I worked for a scientific agency with a need to travel to remote locations. I have been on trips for OH&S purposes due to the need to go to remote locations. Working in financial services, means there's little reason to travel directly related to my own work. In the UK I travel purely for leisure purposes, and having friends in the industry makes this cheaper.

 

[munitalP]

Electrical Engineer in a specialised portion of the industry. Previous jobs have had "National" in the title which is code for "lots of travel".

Typically 3-4 Internationals P/A, too many (>100) domestics, although this year, my domestic travel has dropped away quite significantly (60-70), and hopefully by next year, domestic travel will be for leisure only.

 

[Mwenenzi]

There are previous threads on this topic! (I'll let others post them!)

These are old & locked
http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/playground/whats-your-job-6124.html
http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/playground/our-jobs-what-we-all-10645.html
http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/open-discussion/what-jobs-do-you-have-4934.html
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....rogram/question-gold-platinum-qf-ff-9063.html

 

[simongr]

I am the head of internal audit for the Asia pacific region of a large non Australian multi national company. So around 20 domestic trips per year, two NZ (which I don't class as international), two regional (Asia) and possibly two UK trips.

I do virtually no leisure flights... Next scheduled leisure trips are Cyprus in 2013 and New York in 2015... I plan ahead...

 

[Travel Guru]

I'm Travels Go-To Guy.
(ie. I have a blackbook full of contacts worldwide, and if you can dream it, and you have the $$ to pay for it, I can make almost anything happen)

All of my trips are either leisure, famils (1-2 a year unless I can squeeze more in but try to avoid non-business class famils these days) or business trips which being self-employed are self-funded but tax deductible.

There's not a lot of difference between leisure and business travel to me, it all feels fun...as they say, when you love what you do, you'll never work another day in your life.

My biggest piece of advice to the OP is don't pick a career based on travel opportunities and don't pick a career based on the salary, work out what you're truly passionate about and what makes you feel the most alive and pursue that with everything you've got, because the excitement of work travel won't last, and if you pursue something which fulfils you, the money will come to you in abundant quantities to reward you for the value you add to the world.

I'll take my Tony Robbins cap off now...hope that helps

TG

 

[deka2]

I am Self employed Chartered Accountant. Love Flying.

3-4 domestic trips per year for work and because our children are now adults (in age anyway) at least 2 O/S trips per year on FF.

Did a RTW Classic award with Mrs Deka2 in 2010 and planning another for mid 2012.

 

[ozmille]

In Product Management for a large global Technology Company. Couple of domestic and regional trips per year and sometimes Europe. As I am from Europe at least 1 (recently more then that) trip to visit the family.

 

[TonyHancock]

I work for an Australian subsidiary of a UK company and travel to the UK 5-6 times a year on business, as well as 2-3 trips to China a year - again on business. My domestic travel is about 10 trips a year mainly Perth and Brisbane.

Flying/Travel is very much an occupational hazard for me and something that I would prefer not to be doing as much as I do. :-|

I was struck by some very wise words from Serfty in one of the closed "what is your job" threads:

You will find a common theme that having elite status within a frequent traveller program can make any travel a lot more enjoyable (or bearable for some). So I try to optimise my travel as much as possible in order to attain/maintain status.

That pretty much sums it up for me. WP status makes traveling that little bit more bearable, particularly when a fair bit of long haul is at the not so pointy end of the plane.

A lot of the advice I have read on AFF has changed my habits and improved my flying experience. I wish I had found the site five years ago.

 

[Reggie]

I qualified as a Mining Engineer around 20 years ago. Worked in the mines for around 5 years, then went into sales. I now work for a non Australian based multinational, and fly way too much. I loved it when I started, but it did wear off. My travel incremented in excitement, first it was just on charter to mine sites, then it went to domestic intrastate to mining towns, then it went to interstate, then it went to J interstate, then I got my first RTW trip, which I payed to upgrade from Y to J out of my own pocket. It coincided with the *A 5 year birthday, I flew 5 airlines and received a bonus 55555 ff points. From there I have progressed to flying J on RTW, Europe return and US return, oh I also fly to NZ in J as well, but as others have said, that doesn't count as international. I have also payed to upgrade a DONE4 to AONE4 as well.

Biggest travel regrets to date, missing the Concorde, not staying at the Astoria in NY, not having my partner travel more often with me.

All in all, I am currently WP with QF, Gold with DJ, and Gold with NZ. (I will however lose the NZ Gold shortly)

 

[trippin_the_rift]

I'm retired but these days I sit on a few boards of Internet companies.

 

[tuppaware]

IT with a university, which gives me a bit of freedom to persue my own pleasures at times. Travel is self-funded 90% of the time.

 

[Archphoto]

I'm a self employed architectural & interior photographer currently based in Bangkok.

Most of my travel is Intra-Asia with a few trips back to AU. I currently have SG status which is difficult maintain here - CX and J* are the only OW carriers and unlike a quick "red-e deal" 2 hr flight MEL-SYD which gains me SCs, the same 2 hr flight BKK-SIN (often at the same cost as an AU domestic), won't unless I pay for the equivalent of a J ticket.

CX is the better deal, but unfortunately for quick, day tip meetings their schedule doesn't work at all - I arrive after the return flight has left. :shock:

Would I trade it in? No way - love it!!:mrgreen: