What makes a frequent flyer

[harvyk]

When you can claim "life time" status?
Well it would mean at one time you were...

Happy wandering

Fred

No it wouldn't, it just means that at one stage you where good at collecting SC's, nothing more. I'm against SC's been used as the true measure of if a person is a frequent flyer as a few years ago I was talking with some WP's and I realised that they had become WP's by doing far less BIS flying that me (at PS + QP level) whom was doing very frequent but short trips in discount fares. I realised that their employer was paying for full J fares for them, thus the WP cards in their pocket. Whilst I realise that to an airline these guys where more valuable than me (thus the reason for a paid QP membership vs getting in for free), it also made me realise that QFF wasn't really a frequent flyer program in the true sense of the word. I still remember the first time I booked a fare with a higher earn than discount Y (customer was paying), it almost felt like I was cheating.

I was having a bit of a think about it, the simplest way of measuring is how many trips do you do going between point A and point B per year, excluding stop overs. If that is higher than the average offered by your facebook friends, you are a frequent flyer, if that number is lower than the average offered by your facebook friends then you are not a frequent flyer.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Hello,
My name is Tim
and I'm an addict

Welcome timmyb!

Addiction is a great description........starts off as a bit of fun.....a bit of experimentation......a high.........then, boom, you're a full blown addict being trundled off to FF rehab (which is called in the business, an F suite) :mrgreen:

 

[wandering_fred]

No it wouldn't, it just means that at one stage you where good at collecting SC's, nothing more. I'm against SC's been used as the true measure of if a person is a frequent flyer as a few years ago I was talking with some WP's and I realised that they had become WP's by doing far less BIS flying that me (at PS + QP level) whom was doing very frequent but short trips in discount fares. I realised that their employer was paying for full J fares for them, thus the WP cards in their pocket. Whilst I realise that to an airline these guys where more valuable than me (thus the reason for a paid QP membership vs getting in for free), it also made me realise that QFF wasn't really a frequent flyer program in the true sense of the word. I still remember the first time I booked a fare with a higher earn than discount Y (customer was paying), it almost felt like I was cheating.

I was having a bit of a think about it, the simplest way of measuring is how many trips do you do going between point A and point B per year, excluding stop overs. If that is higher than the average offered by your facebook friends, you are a frequent flyer, if that number is lower than the average offered by your facebook friends then you are not a frequent flyer.

There are some programs that require 1,000,000 points/miles to make their lifetime status. Even with bonuses that requires quite a bit of in plane flying, as opposed to earning premium cabin status credits (at 4 to 6 times the economy rate). So exclude QF (and maybe BA) from my statement on lifetime status.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[juddles]

Try Avianca - for life time status they require a million miles flown with them, PLUS have been an "active member" for 15 years, PLUS have turned 60! No status run gimmicks can get through that!!

 

[wandering_fred]

Try Avianca - for life time status they require a million miles flown with them, PLUS have been an "active member" for 15 years, PLUS have turned 60! No status run gimmicks can get through that!!

I think I will pass on Avianca - Starting now I wouldn't find anyone willing to offer me travel insurance before I got to the 15 years...

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[Fiches Mouser]

I believe these belong in another thread...

A frequent flyer is monthly plus in my book.

Sometimes it can be that people have an intense period of lots of flights on an annual holiday ( I had 10 in 10 days over Xmas in domestic USA with all connenctions). I had around 130 flights in the last 12 months and am now doing a lot less due to change of job but living in one city and working in another is a good start.

Basic rule of thumb if
you have silver status or above you can claim to fly a fair bit.
Every novel I own has a boarding pass in it as a book mark.
I get a double digit percentage of my calories from the Lounge
I can't remember the last time I paid for a beer
All my suits have mentos in the pockets
I saw every episode of the west wing (7 whole seasons) on the IFE

Incredible you found an airline with all seven seasons! That would probably sway my airline choice in future if I could be guaranteed the entire WW series.

 

[JohnK]

I've got friends on Facebook that call themselves jetsetters when they fly 4 times a year, each to their own I guess.

LOL. A friend was jealous when I was flying 3-4 times a year in 2003 and 2004. I guess it doesn't matter what each of us thinks as we are all different. Some fly more than others.

I fly on average 60-100 segments a year, but often have 2-3 months between flights and then a large spurt of travel.

Does that make me not a frequent-flyer despite having elite status in three programs?

Definitely qualify as a heavy duty frequent flyer on segments alone.

Some are crazier than others.

Who would fly CNX-SIN-KUL-SIN-CGK-SIN-KUL-SIN-MEL-SYD-BNE in 2 days? Who would even plan that sort of trip?

 

[wandering_fred]

...
Some are crazier than others.
Who would fly CNX-SIN-KUL-SIN-CGK-SIN-KUL-SIN-MEL-SYD-BNE in 2 days? Who would even plan that sort of trip?

Would such a person have a first name of John?

Happy wandering (especially with that kind of routing)


Fred