(L-R) Shriram Krishnamoorthy (1.5 million miles), Adina Newman (922,000 miles), Seth Miller (1 million miles), Stephanie Baum (599,000 miles), Reb Baum, Randy Petersen of FlyerTalk.com (17 million miles), Tommy Danielsen
This morning’s unsurprising nod to Up in the Air as an Oscar best picture nominee means the exploits of the world’s most famous air warrior will be on theater screens for some time to come.
But the real inhabitants of “air world”--that bland universe so aptly limned by Walter Kirn in the 2001 novel of the same name-weren’t talking much about the movie when they met in a crowded basement bar in New York’s meatpacking district last night.
No, the chat revolved around far more important things, burning issues like-where’s the best mileage run these days (for non-road warriors, mileage runs are cheap flights that yield mucho miles)? Which airline has the best seats?
What brought 50 of these mileage addicts together was the publication of Greg Lindsay’s piece, "Triumph of the Air Warriors," in the February issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Lindsay had traveled with this gang of admittedly compulsive mileage freaks on a two day marathon organized by the Star Alliance, the giant airline fraternity anchored by Lufthansa and United, and the party was as much a reunion as it was anything else.
I felt like I was in an airport lounge with some 50 Ryan Binghams. Somehow the line “to know me is to fly with me” kept echoing in my mind.
Randy Petersen, Mr. Mileage himself, can take credit for getting the group together-they met, virtually, on his website, FlyerTalk.com, where they trade tips and horror stories and the like.
I got a kick out of meeting some of the personalities profiled in Greg’s story, such as Art Pushkin, described as a “legend in airline circles” for his formation of a group of rebels against poor airline service. It was called the Cockroaches--because that’s how USAirways made him feel.
Puskin told me about his new group, FFOCUS--or “Frequent Flyers Organized and Concerned about Unacceptable Service,” which he hopes will get the message to airline managers that it’s not acceptable to abuse their best customers.
I recognized Stephanie Baum, Adina Newman, Seth Miller and several others from their photos in our magazine.
I also met Tommy Danielsen, a Norwegian businessman who led the expedition and who promises an encore next year.
And lest anyone wonder about whether these mile-junkies aren’t just a tad too into their “air world” lives, Danielsen deadpanned: “We actually do have jobs.”
How do you think these people got to million mile status in the first place?
Related Stories
Triumph of the Air Warriors (Condé Nast Traveler)
10 FlyerTalker Tips to Maximize Your Miles (Condé Nast Traveler)
FlyerTalk.com
This morning’s unsurprising nod to Up in the Air as an Oscar best picture nominee means the exploits of the world’s most famous air warrior will be on theater screens for some time to come.
But the real inhabitants of “air world”--that bland universe so aptly limned by Walter Kirn in the 2001 novel of the same name-weren’t talking much about the movie when they met in a crowded basement bar in New York’s meatpacking district last night.
No, the chat revolved around far more important things, burning issues like-where’s the best mileage run these days (for non-road warriors, mileage runs are cheap flights that yield mucho miles)? Which airline has the best seats?
What brought 50 of these mileage addicts together was the publication of Greg Lindsay’s piece, "Triumph of the Air Warriors," in the February issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Lindsay had traveled with this gang of admittedly compulsive mileage freaks on a two day marathon organized by the Star Alliance, the giant airline fraternity anchored by Lufthansa and United, and the party was as much a reunion as it was anything else.
I felt like I was in an airport lounge with some 50 Ryan Binghams. Somehow the line “to know me is to fly with me” kept echoing in my mind.
Randy Petersen, Mr. Mileage himself, can take credit for getting the group together-they met, virtually, on his website, FlyerTalk.com, where they trade tips and horror stories and the like.
I got a kick out of meeting some of the personalities profiled in Greg’s story, such as Art Pushkin, described as a “legend in airline circles” for his formation of a group of rebels against poor airline service. It was called the Cockroaches--because that’s how USAirways made him feel.
Puskin told me about his new group, FFOCUS--or “Frequent Flyers Organized and Concerned about Unacceptable Service,” which he hopes will get the message to airline managers that it’s not acceptable to abuse their best customers.
I recognized Stephanie Baum, Adina Newman, Seth Miller and several others from their photos in our magazine.
I also met Tommy Danielsen, a Norwegian businessman who led the expedition and who promises an encore next year.
And lest anyone wonder about whether these mile-junkies aren’t just a tad too into their “air world” lives, Danielsen deadpanned: “We actually do have jobs.”
How do you think these people got to million mile status in the first place?
Related Stories
Triumph of the Air Warriors (Condé Nast Traveler)
10 FlyerTalker Tips to Maximize Your Miles (Condé Nast Traveler)
FlyerTalk.com
Barbara, we weren't just talking about mileage runs. About 10 of us booked a total of at least 20 extra-cheap trips to Mexico City via Panama City during the event!