Anyone else find they fly a lot more than they ever imagined?

[Febs]

OK, maybe a silly question, but I've just been reflecting on my past 2.5yrs of travel, and realised just how quickly it all adds up.

I joined QFF in 2006. Didn't know much about the different status levels, but was pretty amazed when I got to Gold. Thought "there's no way I'll get this again, and Platinum is just a pipe dream". That year I got to 1,060ish SC's.

Following year (2007) - "Well the Gold was nice while it lasted. Doubt I'll re-qualify this year." Ended up just making Partner Gold, with 2,130ish SC's (and not a DONE4 in sight).

This year...again - "Wow, last year was a big year. Platinum's been nice, don't think I'll re-qualify though". I'm now not even 6 months into the membership year, and I've already passed Partner Gold, with another 1,300 SC's booked in for the next 2 months.

When I started, I thought Lifetime Silver was something I'd be lucky to reach in 12-15 years. It now looks like I'll reach it in under 3 (by Nov I should be just 150ish SC's away). :shock:

Gets a bit crazy, doesn't it? And now I've discovered DONE4's (which are conveniently about $500 cheaper than the average North America trips we do, due to lots of internal AA F flights), I see the SC's piling up even faster.

Anyway, no real point to this thread. Just a bit surprised by it all really. I guess the real surprise is that I still love all the travel, and wouldn't swap it for anything (which is probably why I don't mind that between my next DONE4, and the trip after that, I'll have 2-3 days in the country ).

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Keith009]

Jaded road warrior in the making?

Best of luck and congrats in advanced on the LTS!

 

[newflyer]

Febs - short answer, yes. See my first post of AFF, at which time I was just about to qualify for Silver status. I made gold the next year ('06), and have been there ever since (and up until Nov '09). I'm boasting, but not bad for someone who used to drive from Syd to Mel for a monthly sales meeting just to avoid having to get on a plane!

 

[Mal]

If you're flying that much and aren't wanting Lifetime Gold soon, then start pushing some flights towards AA.

I'm similar really. Never dreamed that I would fly as much as I do. Actually my first flight was when I was about 20.

I think though I don't appreciate holidays as much as I should due to the amount of flying I do, and actually notice in a lot of cases that I ask more questions about someones journey than their actual holiday etc. :shock:

 

[Febs]

If you're flying that much and aren't wanting Lifetime Gold soon, then start pushing some flights towards AA.

Nah, LTG is definitely the goal. I've always said - the only time I'd ever consider crediting a flight to AA is if I have both LTG, and Platinum for that year. Otherwise - all of it to QFF.

I think though I don't appreciate holidays as much as I should due to the amount of flying I do, and actually notice in a lot of cases that I ask more questions about someones journey than their actual holiday etc. :shock:

Heh. I try not to do that...but I have had more than one person say recently "You know, you really should start up an online travel tips website". Mind you, no-one complains. I've helped a lot of colleagues/friends with bonus points, status they wouldn't otherwise receive, DONE4 trips they didn't know about etc...

(..and I owe it all to AFF and FT )

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[simongr]

My travel just leapt up in 2006 - around the time yours did I think . I am considering changing roles and the travel will decrease dramatically although we should see in an increase in personal travel But I am getting worried that I wont be able to cope not using the F lounge (expect the personal travel to be straight syd-lhr-syd in J).

 

[tscharke]

Similar story over here! When I took my current job just over 2yrs ago I knew there would be a certain level of travel associated with an Asia Pac role however never to this extent.

Thanks to simongr I stole platinum candy on my first business trip in 2006 and things took off from there. 2007 saw me qualify for EXP and in 3 weeks time I will reach 100k qpoints once again!

Due to the last minute nature of my travels all but one have been direct flights, with the rogue one being a simple circle Asia!

For me the magic of actual jet setting is quickly fading and I find I get more out of the challenge of maximizing benefits and earning award miles for the family! However my chosen career path with the company will ensure that it continues into the foreseeable future!

 

[jasonja3]

I joined QFF in 2006. Didn't know much about the different status levels, but was pretty amazed when I got to Gold. Thought "there's no way I'll get this again, and Platinum is just a pipe dream". That year I got to 1,060ish SC's.

Following year (2007) - "Well the Gold was nice while it lasted. Doubt I'll re-qualify this year." Ended up just making Partner Gold, with 2,130ish SC's (and not a DONE4 in sight).

This year...again - "Wow, last year was a big year. Platinum's been nice, don't think I'll re-qualify though". I'm now not even 6 months into the membership year, and I've already passed Partner Gold, with another 1,300 SC's booked in for the next 2 months.

When I started, I thought Lifetime Silver was something I'd be lucky to reach in 12-15 years. It now looks like I'll reach it in under 3 (by Nov I should be just 150ish SC's away). :shock:

Yep another here, '05-06 got me to gold, couldn't believe it... reached LTS last year and this August just saw 4830SC reset to a big fat 0

There is no certaintly for traveling in my future, so at the moment, it is full steam ahead towards LTG while I can!

 

[Groundfeeder]

This year sees me with 2nd highest travel mileage out of 8 and now close to SG as a result. Previously I've not wanted to increase my work travel as it's all domestic, paid for and generally all within QLD so rather a grind.

However, I thought why not get a free QP year for all those past years so this year it's near. Also consistently getting exit row window automatically on OLCI helps!!

 

[QF WP]

It's nice to know that there are so many of us in the same boat. Those stories have echoed my own experience. Had been mid-tier from about 1990 to 2000 (old Silver, then Gold in the new program) based solely on personal travel (was single and having watched my parents travel extensively overseas every year, thought that's what I want to do as well).

Then my year that I got Platinum :shock:. Wow, I loved that next 18 months (as I got Plat in August, with my QF year starting March). Then I found AFF (and then FT). How I rued not maxing out my personally financed AONE4 (both on sectors and mileage ).

A change of job in my family company then brought a lot of work-financed domestic travel from July 2002 to March 2007 - mostly in K class, given my trips are generally fixed less than a week before travel. Our company restructured (dad retired ) and my role changed again, it dropped my travel for the first 6 months. Added to that the start of a family and my 5.5 years of Plat was over as overseas travel dried up (was all personal).

Like most who have posted here already, LTS was the goal and passed last year. Now the last 1K SC's really happened quickly (maximising sectors and this year the use of J travel) which makes me think about LTG. However, having Lifetime QC and Lifetime Silver FF status is now making me think I should be putting everything back to AA. Probably will change at the beginning of next year...

Now that it's pretty much all domestic K class business travel (and holidays to probably only NZ and Fiji in the foreseeable future), so Gold will be easy to achieve (but AA Plat will be harder). I now live vicariously through reading about everybody else's travel here on AFF.

 

[NM]

I travel more than I want to. I would rather be at home with my family than living out of a suitcase, hotel room and airport lounge.

 

[Flashback]

I travel more than I want to. I would rather be at home with my family than living out of a suitcase, hotel room and airport lounge.

Quite the opposite for me... being young and single (and loving it!)

 

[Ikara]

Just the opposite for me. I retired 6 months ago and have gone from a weekly commute from Adelaide to the East Coast to my last flight being in April. I live very close to the Adelaide airport and can hear the 6.00am departures every morning and I roll over in bed and say to myself "Do I miss the travel? Do I hell!" and promptly go back to sleep. I got LTG some years back so any future personal travel will be comfortable but I'll lose WP next year.

I don't miss it at all. I'll leave it all to you younger ones. Enjoy!

JB

 

[JohnK]

I fly way too much. I would have been content with one overseas trip every 4 years.

I am now at the stage where I like to tailor the flying experience to maximise time spent on holidays rather than the time spent in an aircraft getting there and back....

 

[IainF]

I was working for a medical device firm in an Asia Pac role and I was doing lots of short notice travel both domestic as well as international. Mainly in Disc whY but a few trips in W on BA and full Y on QF/CX/AA.
Thanks to Dave Noble et al, I got AA plat in Jan 2006 and then to Exp plat in late 2006 which stayed with me until Feb this year.
I was really into the swing of travel, loving the fun of it all, but was very tired, rundown and gaining weight quickly. Ms IainF wasn't all that happy with me either.
I changed jobs at the start of 2008 and have only done a few local trips since. I thought I would miss all of the excitement and fun, but I have realised I was mainly running on adrenaline for that 2 year period.
Now, I have bought a new house, I go to the gym 4-5 days a week, have dinner with my wife more than once a week and don't feel tired anymore.
Some days I miss it(mainly when I have been stuck in the office for more than 2 days) but overall I am happy with the reduction in travel.
My next trip will to be assist my Father in law (who has terminal lung cancer) in his last overseas trip to pick up a design award in Essen, Germany. He is paying for my wife to fly with him in J (She is a nurse) and I will burn some AA points to be the bag carrier and chauffeur...

Would I up the travel again... Maybe, but would whinge like a Pom if I had to go back to the levels in 2006.

 

[Flashback]

I live very close to the Adelaide airport and can hear the 6.00am departures every morning and I roll over in bed and say to myself "Do I miss the travel? Do I hell!" and promptly go back to sleep. I got LTG some years back so any future personal travel will be comfortable but I'll lose WP next year.

So, will you be joining us on the AFF gathering?

 

[Alanslegal]

I'm V opposite to everyone here. IMO I don't fly enough

As all my trips are paid by myself so I guess I can't travel as frequently as many of you but that is fine.

For me, lately I have been travelling internationally once every three months and I'm content with that, but only wish I could fly more!

Powerball $10M tonight maybe?

 

[Ikara]

So, will you be joining us on the AFF gathering?

Unfortunately no. And I would have loved to but we're off (on a plane of all things - gee, I can't wait!) and I'll be in Richmond Virginia having Thanksgiving with a very dear American family.

But I'm sure you'll all enjoy RAdelaide!

JB