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the 30-year love affair with frequent flyer miles*

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*ok, there were one or two rough years

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30 things/30 years

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bonus pre-registration.

i kind of liked the days when i earned bonus miles and points without ever knowing why.

and while i now have to stay on top of things to make sure i’m enrolled in the right bonuses, there are enough places that i can learn this

from—so we’re good.

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mileage expiration.

i never changed programs because of expiring miles, nor did i ever consider it when choosing a program. i became a bit unhappy when my

miles expired, but I got over it.

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people’s express.

who would have ever thought that as a backpacker and budget traveler i would ever have a chance to earn free travel. guess it’s

not all for the travelers in the suits. 1986 was a very good year for me ... sorry, got to run,

meeting some friends at the hostel.

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no.

when I saw comedian david spade in the capital one credit card miles commercials

saying “no” to the requests of customers trying to redeem their frequent flyer miles for awards, i laughed and then I left ... my current frequent

flyer credit card.

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first to leave the light on.

man does not live by miles alone. i loved it when travel became a two-step program—

thanks holiday inn for convincing me to choose you for points in 1983.

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i have hero’s.

i want to grow up to be like pudding guy.

i want spend like mrpickles.

i want to think like beaubo.

i am george clooney.

i am up in the air.

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no safety net.

the world is not always fair to me. i lost my miles for the first time in 1983 when braniff’s

metroplex program failed along with the original airline. i’ve since lost miles and points with aloha, ansett and ata—and I’m still in the

A’s...

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one word: plastics.

it was october 1985 when one of my business friends told me that his unique credit card just got more unique. his credit card—Diners Club. the uniqueness? something to do with frequent

flyer miles. never heard of it …

never heard of them.11

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flightFUND.

i’m not sure i’m getting why this airline wants to be different. earn miles based on how much i pay for my ticket vs. how far i fly? it’s 1987 so maybe that has something to do with it. but a

few of my friends don’t seem to mind it so maybe it isn’t all bad. habits are hard to break

—we’ll see.12

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flyertalk.

here’s everything and more that the airlines never taught me about earning miles. i never

realized there were so many other people who loved frequent flyer miles the same way I do.

i will never sit in coach again.

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fly three, fly free.

i love it when airlines and hotels give me reasons to travel. sure, i got my normal have-to-travel trips, but when there is the carrot ...

i’m hungry to nibble on it.

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triple miles.

i remember 1988 well. i flew for no reason at all other than to earn more miles. imagine, triple miles for all flights flown. weekends

spent shuttling between Dallas-Houston. now they call it a mileage run.

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HR 2257.

While i don’t follow legislation too much, i was always intrigued by the possibility of the IRS wanting to tax my frequent flyer miles. nice to see that even our representatives are greedy

and protective about their own miles.

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passages.

i never understood why an airline would choose to develop a frequent flyer program

designed strictly for their premium class passengers. think I’d change airlines to pay

more? i’m a businessman too.

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vs. wolens.

pretty cool when even the highest court in the land (the supreme court) says that frequent flyers have rights against program changes

without notice—albeit at the state court level.

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member since.

while credit may have its limits, it also has its choices. when the centurian on one of my

american express cards decided to award me miles and a choice of various airlines and hotels to convert my miles into, i listened.

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aaim higher.

when all of a sudden i could earn miles for mortgages and dining and any number of

things that didn’t seem relative to my travel, it literally changed me into a more connected

member—though a more confused one at that.

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freddie awards.

i’m a consumer. i love it when i get a chance to tell others where I get value from. i have a

voice—listen to me and my crowd.

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brand.

i can’t remember when it was, it all happened so casually. sure, in the early days i called it the american airlines AAdvantage program,

but for the longest time, it’s just been AAdvantage to me.

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shareholder value.

they can say all they want about Wall Street, but when it comes to shareholder value—i still think i’m the shareholder though my name is

not on the stock certificate.

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star alliance.

i’m just saying—it was the star alliance that really introduced me to the world—as in

around the world. really, SAS isn’t a software company? best thing ever since an extra-large

wallet for program member cards.

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save skymiles.

i don’t like it when programs change things, especially when they don’t do a good job

explaining it to me. i saw the movie Network and loved the line “i’m mad as hell, and i’m not going to take this anymore”. we also shouted

from our windows ...

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more money, more miles.

ok, I admit it, i didn’t have enough miles. and my next trip wasn’t for months so i guess your

frequent flyer program is of no use for me. what? i can buy miles without flying to top off my account? sign me up. seems expensive, but what do i know? what’s my limit? What’s

the point(s).com?26

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in need. in deed.

i put money in the red kettle every christmas. i have given to the red cross. every dollar helps these causes. and in 1990, every mile started to help these and other causes. charity begins in my frequent flyer account and it does make

me feel better.

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red for no, green for yes.

has there ever been any way other than redeeming my miles online? if there was, i

can’t remember it. i love self-service—i seem to get better results.

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e.

my how times have changed. i used to read all my newsletters which programs so diligently printed and mailed to me. today, that same information fights for attention in my overfull

inbox. google is my friend when i need to find something out about my program. sorry.

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saver this.

boy was 1988 a year to remember. along with capacity controls and blackout dates, united

mileage plus introduced a ‘saver’ award for me at only 20k miles—later changed to 25k. all I

know is that it remains my most popular award choice. getting more for less.

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want ads.

years ago i noticed dozens if not hundreds of ads in newspapers seeking to buy my frequent

flyer miles. today, my miles are listed on craigslist next to the used washer and dryer. or

on eBay wrapped in a white envelope.

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status match.

for many years i did not know that i could leave you and take my status with me. miles are one thing, but my gold card? love you or leave you, it’s nice that for every one of me that leaves there is likely another taking my

place. thanks.

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pay at the pump.

i suppose the idea of selling me stuff at the kiosk including more miles and more legroom is a pretty good idea—no argument here. but could you ever possibly guess that the more

miles i have, the more miles I want.

fill it (my account) up

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happy birthday AAdvantage*

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one final voice of the customer*

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*yes, every customer

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the end*

*really