Am I a Frequent Flyer???

[MadFairlane]

I am not a FF. I just enjoy flying

Ive always wanted to be a pilot but type 1 diabetes ruled that out. So I do the next best thing.

I don't chase points but hopefully this year I will have enough to send my wife back to the states for a well earned shopping trip

I agree with BR too. It was great to take my mother on her first overseas trip this year, even if it was in whY lol

 

[AVC]

I went to the bank and took cash out. The bill was well over $20kAUD and it didn't even cross my mind that there were some 40,000 frequent flyer points I was missing out on.

The screams of a thousand AFFers at this!

I'm surprised you didn't get rushed by people wanting to CC the bill and have them give you the cash!

I understand..... I was speaking in past tense and I assure you that I have things in place to assure me that I will be OK.

I do really appreciate your concern though.

Your PA does CPP too?

I would be surprised to learn that ATMs even have that much cash in them at one time!

In actual fact it is quite surprprising. Back in a former life, I used to do electronic security for Wormald. We used to look after several banks (in addition to a lot of cool government installations). The big bank ATMs (as opposed to the little ones in shops we see nowadays) basically had two cash containers. Depending on where the ATM was would depend on the denominations (in those days it was sometimes 10s and 20s, or sometimes 20s and 50s.)

Depending on the model you could pack about 2800 bills into each tray (14 inches to play with). Do the maths and now you know why crims start doing outrageous things like filling them with acetylene to blow them up, or simply using heavy equipment to pull them out of the bank wall. Problem is, they are (or were) basically a safe bolted to a one ton concrete plinth.

This was well over 20 years ago, so I guess cash was a lot more widely used then. I remember also walking into an NAB branch vault and there were two girls counting a literal mountain of cash. There were two 6x3 tables butted up next to each other that were basically covered, and the pile was about 2 feet high in the middle. :shock:

 

[Shelf]

No - I'm not a Frequent flyer, yes, i wish i was

Off topic - CPP one of the more boring jobs i can imagine

 

[LadyC]

I wish I was a Frequent Flyer too! I'm trying my best! I've had two trips this year (one domestic and one international) with three more for 2012 (two international and one domestic). I enjoy flying as for me it's always the start of some adventure I have been planning. I don't need to travel for business. I imagine if I did, I would probably enjoy it a lot less.

 

[drewbles]

Drewbles I am surprised you and I don't fight more over food bills when we go out for dinner!!!

Yeah I'm not sure how that works out. Swings and roundabouts I guess

 

[eric2011]

I am not a frequent flyer but I am a collector of frequent flyer (and hotel) points. I Must admit, I collect points as often as possibly can. I use CC all the time, even running a tab at the bar or restaurant, Woolies rewards for every shop. etc. This usually gets me upto 35000 points a month (Pay alot of work expenses in this as well). Usually stay at Holiday Inns or Accor so am able to transfer points from there. Surprising how quickly all these points add up. So, allthough I am not really a frequent flyer, I am able to fly frequently. Since joining AFF I have discovered JASA and not just go for classic awards anymore.

 

[Kangol]

I see people trying to maximise every last point and it's just a bit unusual. Especially for small amounts.

The best *explanation* of this is in the movie "Up In The Air" with George Clooney...

 

[nlagalle]

Yeah I'm not sure how that works out. Swings and roundabouts I guess

Yes.. or we'll start having to flip a coin (or flip a credit card instead )

 

[Shelf]

Make sure it's Amex

 

[infinity]

Hey BR awesome thread!

Look at all the fabulous input

Have only met you once at the Darling Harbour dinner (last Nov-I think it was). You are a really funny guy and great to socialise with

Am I truely a FFF? Well for me I guess I would say I am an adventurer!

The by-product(of being an adventurer) is all the travel.

I rarely travel for business so I love the planning and anticipation of the journey, especially the flight in F/J

Some turbulance will get the heart rate up, but I am ok with that if its not too long to clear

I did a 737 flight simulator 2 days ago so thoughts after that are, could I ever help fly the plane in an emergency? God knows, but that's for another thread

I am fortunate to be points rich (via Amex) and lost about 2 mil when Ansett went bust, so have been playing the game for years trying to get flights wen I want on points.

I always try to obtain points flights especially in F if possible, which means trawling for value does take time

Since joining AFF site last year my knowledge has exploded on how to spend your Reward Wealth! AFF members are truely gifted in their skills, knowledge and generosity of how they share with each other

I have really embraced the JASA/FASA concept since July last year and have moved from Bronze to WP (will qualify WP next week) solely on O/S travel. Thanks to AFF, so will look forward to the rewards that offers


(Yes I am doing my first SC run on 5/6/12 SYD/MNL/SYD/MEL/SYD in JASA just to get 320 SC to get me across the line).

Have done 1100 SC since 1/3/12 mainly FASA/JASA long haul

I generate some 7-8 figures of points a years but diversify around various Reward Wealth programs, so QF doesnt get all the traffic,

QF dont get all the love which is fair given their 747 aircraft in F and J are quite dated compared to the A380 products (which are always tough to get FF seats on)

As to Cash? I oftern take cash to pay for most incidentals and I find I get a better exchange rate at the other end at a bank in the country I visit.

I hate all the bank charges a card provider hits you with when O/S. (yes no love for the banks here)

It also saves my bookkeeper a lot of time (and cost) as she doesnt have to record all that c/c tranactions

Happy travels BR

 

[drewbles]

Make sure it's Amex

Depends on a) the amount and b) any surcharge, otherwise the 'secondary' cards come out

 

[TonyHancock]

Officially I am now a frequent flyer by some of the definitions in this thread. In my world I fly quite a lot* rather than frequently...if that makes sense and whilst points have been highly useful I do still pay for things with cash.

Well it's all changed. The global softening of business caused by the European Debt Crisis has lead to that dreaded confirmation that my flights will have to be Y for the foreseeable future. :shock:........:shock:.....

So now it is time to race down to Woolworth's to buy $30 of vitamins..........I'm going to need every point i can lay my hand on.

*As in long haul

 

[QF WP]

Does this mean that we need to address you by "DYKWIW"

 

[harvyk]

In my group of friends I most certainly am, I don't go to one party where I'm not asked either where I have been recently, or where I am off too, or "look a friend of a friend is thinking of doing this, what are your thoughts?"

By AFF standards I barely see an airport, let alone inside of a plane...

As for points maximizing, well I certainly collect points where I can, although usually by flying. I have no objection to taking a stop over somewhere if it's going to give me extra SC's, but I won't do that at the expensive of the in flight experience. An example, last year I did CBR-SYD-PER, I was asked why I didn't fly CBR-SYD-ADL-PER as it would give more SC's and points for the same price. My answer was simple, more SC's won't going to help me beyond lifetime SC's (it was not going to push me to WP or even SG, and I had already re-qualified for PS by then), and it would mean flying a collection of B734's. Not my idea of fun for a cross country flight.

As for you BR, your FF status is pretty much set in concrete, even if you are taking hi vis into the CL...

 

[Fantic125]

<snip> The global softening of business caused by the European Debt Crisis has lead to that dreaded confirmation that my flights will have to be Y for the foreseeable future. :shock:........:shock:.....View attachment 7635

I know your pain. For the past 4 years all my flights were in Y, until last November when the company Finance Director had to do 3 flights in Y in quick succession from Germany to the US and Brazil.

A policy statement was released shortly after advising that flights with a duration greater than 8 hours could be booked Y+........

Maybe you need to take your FD along with you for a flight or two.....

 

[boylero]

I'd been flying domestically since 1997 with only a couple of OS trips to my name. In 2010 I landed a job where International Travel became a requirement. I had SG status since 09 and managed to keep it through to a few weeks ago when I got WP. I have been Woolies EDR holder since 2009 then getting a EDR CC in 2010. I must admit I am more active in getting points these days buying a motorbike on CC, twice, then paying off within the week Along with everyday shopping etc. So I guess I am a FF, but maybe only just now.

 

[TonyHancock]

Maybe you need to take your FD along with you for a flight or two.....

Unfortunately my boss flies everywhere in Y....but he is only 3 ft 6 inches (well something like that) He doesn't collect frequent flyer points, doesn't care about lounge access and is happy to stay at the cheapest hotels. (We don't travel much together and when we do I upgrade myself!!!)

I have already failed on my points collecting mission I just couldn't bring myself to pay $1.95 for a 3.5mm Stereo socket coupler at Jaycar on my Amex card...or my Citibank Business Gold Visa.

Does anyone know if Woolwoorth's consider Berocca a vitamin? There are only so many fish oil capsules I can take in a day. (Do they make you go orange or is that something else?)

Just spent 640,000 points on JASA's and FASA's. (How I regret blowing 96,000 points on upgrades last month.)

Please can I urge everyone to go out and spend loads of money on consumer goods in a bid to keep the Chinese economy going and buying iron ore from Australia. It's all in a worthwhile cause. It will help to maintain my DYKWIA status...the prospect of being a Was rather than an Am frightens me.

 

[JessicaTam]

Does anyone know if Woolwoorth's consider Berocca a vitamin? There are only so many fish oil capsules I can take in a day. (Do they make you go orange or is that something else?)

I think that's carrots, so you will have to wait for the fruit and veg offer before you turn orange. Too much fish oil might help you swim better


Sent from my iThing.
Why, because iCan.

 

[beardoc]

I have already failed on my points collecting mission I just couldn't bring myself to pay $1.95 for a 3.5mm Stereo socket coupler at Jaycar on my Amex card...or my Citibank Business Gold Visa.

Now you're just not really trying.

 

[rainbowgirl]

I've used my Amex and Visa cards many times for transactions under $5 but the other day I couldn't bring myself to use the Visa for a $1 transaction at a bookshop. I've had some strange looks from supermarket checkout staff when I've used the Amex card for under $5 but I figure big business can afford it.