Buyer Beware: AA Rolls Out Basic Economy

Don't look at me like that, I'm still mad at you.  You know what you did.

Basic Economy: The product no one needs, absolutely didn't ask for, and definitely don't want.  So...thanks for that.

Overnight, AA has rolled out their new basic economy pricing across their domestic flights, and it's bad my friends.  The pricing starts for flights later this month and continues on indefinitely.  It's a plan that all of the major airlines have gone with, and AA was just the last to conform.  We knew it was coming, and had already started in some markets earlier this year.

In theory, the idea is to let the major US 3- American, Delta, and United, price match the ultra low cost carriers like Spirit and Frontier by offering a ticket that removes all possible benefits and guarantees you'll hate flying just as much as if you were on Spirit.  Nice, right?

They justify it by saying it 'gives the customer the choice' to pick the benefits they want.  However, benefits like a seat assignment, or a carry on bag, are a bit necessary to the vast majority of travelers and so it's really just a way to nickel and dime people who don't understand, or don't care about the fine print.  In most cases you'll end up spending as much or more on the ticket once you have to add on everything that's necessary.

What's worse though, is the hypocrisy of how AA changed the pricing structure overnight.  Instead of actually creating some new lower fares and making those Basic Economy (which was how they advertised the upcoming change), they simply took the existing pricing and made the cheap tickets Basic, and started charging about $40 more round trip for the exact same main cabin ticket that had been there the day before.  Classy.

So, I hope anyone who had their eye on those cheap LAX-DFW fares I posted about last week managed to click purchase before today, because guess what?  Those $79 tickets are now booking into Basic Economy, and won't come with a seat assignment, a carry on bag, any flexibility, and will earn half of the qualifying miles and segments they would have 24 hours ago.  Oh, and they also aren't eligible for elite upgrades anymore either. 

Being elite does get you out of some of these restrictions, if you happen to find yourself in Basic.  You will still have your baggage privileges and priority boarding, but being off the upgrade list and earning fewer qualifying miles will hurt. 

As I said, AA isn't alone in this move, the others having done this already.  They're now set to make extra off of the up-pricing of the main cabin tickets they were already selling, as well as raking in millions in baggage and seat assignment fees from people booking into Basic.  There really is no upside for the consumer, but that's pretty well the point. 

In the end we have the big carriers' bottom lines to thank for this, but more importantly the likes of Spirit and Ryanair for showing them how to make air travel just a little less pleasant. 

From here on out, book wisely.

~CruisingAltitude

Lounge Destinations: The Qantas 1st Lounge at LAX

This post is part of my Lounge Destinations series, which reviews some of my favorite Oneworld lounges worldwide.

Also see:

"The Wing: Cathay Pacific 1st Class" and
"The Red Suite: JAL Haneda 1st Class"

The Qantas 1st Class Lounge that opened last year is a gift to all Oneworld flyers that depart from, or regularly transit, LAX.  What's an even bigger gift, is the newly (ish) finished airside connector from Terminal 4 to the Tom Bradley International Terminal.  Along with the recently re-opened tunnels connecting Terminals 7-4, this gives an entire half of the airport access to the newly renovated TBIT, its shops, restaurants, and lounges.

I'm looking forward to visiting here again before my last international flight of the year to Quito in a few weeks.  The lounge opens at 6:30 in the morning, so I'll be getting there as they open to make sure I have plenty of time before my 9:00 departure to MIA.

To get to the Qantas lounge from Terminal 4, take the TBIT connector, stay on the upstairs level, and follow the corridor around.  The Qantas lounge is the first one you'll come across.  If you're checking in at TBIT, after security, follow the signs up to the lounges.

Of the lounges available at LAX for Oneworld travelers, the Qantas Lounge is the top of the list.  It's a true first class experience.

So, how does one qualify for entry??

Credit: Qantas.com

The takeaways from this chart are: You must be flying in first class on Qantas or another Oneworld airline, be one of Qantas' Platinum One or Platinum elite flyers, or hold Emerald status with the Oneworld alliance.  Each of these categories also entitles you to bring a guest.

What's not stated clearly here is that to qualify using your Oneworld Emerald status, you must be traveling onward on a Oneworld INTERNATIONAL flight.  International flights exclude Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

In addition, you may be able to gain access under the following scenarios:

-You are arriving on an international Oneworld flight that would qualify, connecting to a domestic flight to your final destination, i.e. HKG-LAX-DFW.

-You have a qualifying Oneworld international flight within the next 24 hours, even if your first flight is domestic, i.e. LAX-SFO-HKG, where the SFO-HKG is early the next morning.

These are good rules to get used to, as they apply to the majority of Oneworld lounges, and AA Flagship lounges.

So, after you've gotten in, what should you expect?  The lounge is essentially one large room with quite a bit of seating.  The décor is very modern and comfortable, with a decent number of power outlets in each seating area.  However, in the peak hours before Qantas and British Airways load up their a308s, even this lounge can get full and fairly loud. 



Lots and lots....



....Of seating.

The amenities are likewise well done, with premium drinks, and a full service complimentary menu that's made to order.  Wine and soft drinks are available for self pour, and there are several small snack stations placed throughout the lounge.  However, there is no buffet, so you'll need to plan some time if you want to have a meal.

 

 

 

The restaurant has a menu that changes through the day.  Especially when they're not operating at full capacity, the service is quite prompt, so it shouldn't slow you down too much.  I've heard good things about many of the menu items, but my personal favorite is the fillet with chipotle butter, or if I'm in the mood for something on the lighter side, a salad and their current carpaccio.

 

The Breakfast Menu



Settling In For a Meal Before Our Flight



The Salt and Pepper Calamari



A Light Meal Before a Late Flight

There's also a bar that runs along the side of the restaurant area.  It is a full bar serving wine, beer, and cocktails, as well as having a great espresso and tea service.  Always nice to be able to get a genuine Aussie flat white stateside.

They prefer that you sit at the restaurant tables or at the bar if you're ordering from the menu, but if these are full, they'll also bring you your meal if you're seated elsewhere.  I've always found the service at this lounge to be top quality. 



The Modern Bar

 If I'm at this lounge on my own, I generally head for the bar and visit with the servers for a few minutes, while I eat, before finding a place to relax and work.  They're friendly, helpful, and will give you the rundown on the who's who of guests if they're in a chatty mood.  This lounge seems to be the go-to for LA's celebrity flyers, which can lead to some good stories.

 

The lounge also offers free shower rooms, complete with towels and amenities so you can get refreshed before your flight.  Ask in advance, especially at peak hours, as there may be a waiting list.  There are also workstations, computers, and free wifi.  This lounge doesn't offer spa services like some of the very top lounges, but it's still the best choice for the Oneworld flyer at TBIT if you have access.  Just make sure you plan plenty of time to enjoy!

 

Travel Well,

 

-CruisingAltitude

 

Want to know more about lounge access, and plan your flights so you can check them out yourself?  Let me help you!  Check out my consulting site to learn more.

 This post is part of #WanderfulWednesdays, Budget Traveler's Sandbox's #TravelPhotoThursday, #WeekendTravelInspiration, and #FlyAwayFriday at Time Travel Blonde. Check out these linkups!

The New Math, Mileage Style...

Welcome to Doha- Your destination for all your future mileage earning needs. 

 

So, so.... what can we say about current events?  Plenty, but this is not the blog for that.  As part of my angst over the past couple weeks, I decided to direct some energy elsewhere, and finish up planning my mileage runs for next year early.  I mean, it was that, or watching old episodes of "Commander In Chief" and killing a bottle of wine.  So, choices....

Now, I know that this type of early planning my not fit the traditional definition of 'Mileage Running' as it used to be, back when you'd just top up your mileage account in November or December on a few long flights, preferably with some added Double Miles bonus, or other incentive.  However, those days are over.  Since the revenue-based earnings and elite qualifying dollars have been introduced across the US's three major carriers, getting your status done each year has needed to get more creative.

Enter, the new Mileage Lifestyle.  Ironically, it's far more lucrative to renew you American Airlines status (or Delta for that matter) by trying to almost never step on an American flight on a mileage run.  Good job with that planning, AA leadership, we're all about to know way more about the Doha airport than we ever imagined.


"The Teddy Bear" at the DOH airport.  You will get used to it, I promise.

Instead, I'm heading to a few of the Oneworld partner airlines who, on occasion, have some very lucrative sales on premium class tickets to all corners of the world. What's important to know, is that partner flights in premium classes more or less earn redeemable miles like 'the good old days.'  For an Executive Platinum member, you stand to earn based on the miles flown, plus a 120% bonus, plus any cabin class bonus miles.  They also earn some extra elite qualifying miles, and more importantly, elite qualifying dollars based on a percentage of the distance flown.

Let's have a quick look at some 'sweet spot' examples.  First up, Qatar:

(Click on the chart for larger image)

So, what's the deal here?  The place to look on this chart is at those business R and I codes.  Qatar has been liking to sell promotional fares in these buckets for a fraction of what they're worth.  There have been discounts, holiday code sales, and 2 for 1 deals.  Simply put- this airline is growing, has a lot of business class seats to sell, and a lot of government 'equity.' 

What does this mean in terms of earnings?  How is it different than flying AA?  Well, for starters, let's do the math for each.  Let's take a hypothetical $1000 ticket for round numbers (yes, this is an expensive mileage run, but...math).  At the outset, on one of these fare deals you might be booking into business class for long haul on Qatar, while you almost certainly would be in coach on AA.  Let's say the ticket travels 20,000 base miles (this is like an itinerary from LAX-Doha-SE Asia and back, which is long, most average long haul ones lately have been in the 17-18k range for me but once again, math). 

On AA, in economy as an EXP, you would earn 11,000 redeemable miles (the $1000 you spent, times 11), 20,000 elite qualifying miles (the distance you flew), and $1000 elite qualifying dollars.  I'm assuming that the $1000 does not include the taxes that aren't included in the qualifying dollars under the new rules. So in short, the AA flight = economy travel (maybe you could standby for the upgrade) and 11k usable miles, 20k elite qualifying, and 1k elite qualifying dollars.

Now the same $1000 ticket on Qatar- at the start, you'd be in business class. So there's that.  Your earnings would look like this: 44,000 redeemable miles (20k + 120% bonus), 30,000 elite qualifying miles (the 20k with a 1.5 multiplier), and $4000 elite qualifying dollars (20k flown miles times .20).

Anyone see where I'm going with this???

I'll also note that I've recently been able to find some great deals on one way and shorter-haul Qatar tickets that book into A and D classes, making them even more lucrative.

Now, let's assume that in all honesty you're likely to pay a bit more for that Qatar business ticket, than the AA economy ticket.  Fair enough, but with current rates you're only going to be paying a few hundred more from what I've seen, if you're willing to dig around for the deals.  Add to that that at a $.02 value, those extra miles are worth in the neighborhood of $600, and with miles being harder to come by these days, I value them even more. Further, you don't need to burn a systemwide upgrade (someplace around a $350+ value) trying to make this trip comfortable, which is good, since we're only getting four now.  Save those for that trip with the family to Europe.

But, you say, 'What if I don't want to go to Doha? I'm trying to avoid 110 degree heat and questionable governments this year!'  Well, there are some other bright spots in the partner charts.  Take, for instance, British Airways' premium economy tickets.

(Click on the chart for a larger image)

Have a look at those W, E and T fares.  I've seen those get reasonably priced for some long haul flights.  What's even more interesting about those, is that if you have some Avios, or some AmEx Membership awards points that can be made into Avios, those fares can be upgraded to business class using them. Not a bad way to go to, say, Africa, and back in business class for well under 2k. 

So, this is the first iteration of the new mileage math.  It has its downsides: you're more limited in destination on average, though AA also has a few routes that always came up as well.  The initial price may be a shade higher, but you get more for it, and may need to do less.  The takeaway here, is that it's still possible to find some good deals to keep your status, and enjoy doing it.  

As an added bonus, we're about to finally know where Qatar is.

To see my preview of what a 'new math' mileage run looks like: Best Worst Decisions

Thanks for reading and travel well,

-CruisingAltitude

PS, if you don't want to spend your days and nights learning the ins and outs of mileage math, but still want to travel better, let me help you!  Check out Altitude Consulting and get in touch!

Let's Do That Again....

Yes, this picture I took of 'AA through the years' at ORD hangs in my office.  Don't judge....

As it's the opening week of my Mileage Season, I'm obliged to honor my tradition of posting the layout of my travel plans on the way to 100k and EXP status for 'One More Year.'  This will be the fourth time I've said 'One More Year,' for those keeping track at home.

I thought last year's mega-mileage runs would cure me of this hobby.  I mean, booking yourself 48 solid flight hours over a long weekend should logically deter a reasonable person from wanting to get back on a plane for the foreseeable future.  But, as has been made clear, mileage runners aren't reasonable people.  At least not about this.

Honestly, even with the jetlag, the hours in economy seating, warmed-over food, Chinese smog in Shanghai, and questionable connections in snowstorms, I had a blast.  I met new people, saw things and places I didn't even know I was looking for, and learned to navigate cities and airports as foreign as they come.

So, in four short days, I'm off on the first of this year's two long-haul runs.... and I can't wait.  

I think 'Donkey' said it best...

As any mileage runner who's in it for the status level knows, the adventure can be a by-product of the goal of reaching 25, 50, or 100k miles.  So, for those wondering where the mileage runs are this year, and why, here's an overview of this season's itineraries-

This season is comprised of two long weekends headed West over the Pacific from Dallas to various destinations in Asia.  Weekend one is the longer of the two, coming in at around 22,600 elite qualifying miles, with a flight path from LAX-DFW on the red eye to meet up with a mid-morning nonstop to Hong Kong.  I then have a night at an airport hotel, before heading out the next morning from HKG to Jakarta, Indonesia.  There's about 8 hours on the ground there, enough time to go relax a little at a close-by Sheraton resort (on points, of course), before an overnight flight to Tokyo Narita.  Then about twelve hours of daylight time there to go into the city and see a few things, before hopping on the return NRT-DFW-LAX trip back home again.  Simple, right? 

The flights look like this:

via Great Circle Mapper.  Sidenote- the circumference of the Earth is only slightly longer than this run.

What's fun about this run is that it allows some time on the ground in each city, but not so much that the time changes start to get disruptive.  I don't have any specific plans of where to go during the stopovers, so I can relax, or not.  Secondly, I'm really looking forward to getting back to the NRT airport lounge.  Last season I had a great layover there including a nice massage, shower, and some fantastic food and drink.  Plus, the premiere lounge in HKG, 'The Wing,' is constantly in the running for the best airport lounge in the OneWorld system.

As for the other bits of intrigue about this run- the outbound is on AA's 777-300er, which I've previously reviewed.  It's AA's biggest and shiniest plane, at least in the forward cabins. If you're lucky enough for an upgrade to clear, is a fantastic way to sleep away a 16+ hr trans-pacific flight.  The inter-asia flights are on Cathay Pacific and JAL, both of whom offer fantastic service, even in economy.  The longer leg on JAL up to Tokyo is being flown on a large plane, and reports from other mileage runners are coming back that it's nearly empty, letting passengers spread out and take rows to themselves- the economy traveler's 'lie-flat suite.'

The second weekend is a simpler riff on the first.  It's a two night trip to Hong Kong, with time for a stay at the Sheraton in the city.  I'll hopefully have just finished qualifying for SPG Platinum status by then, so hoping for lounge access and a nice upgrade.  No actual appointments, so free to stay on my original timezone if I choose.  The flight path originates in ORD, so I found some milesaver award positioning flights to accommodate.  All in all, the flights look like this:

Also, for comparison's sake, here's the links to previous years' posts on this topic can be found here:
2013 (Johannesburg, ZA and Shanghai)
2012 (Four times to Boston and back)
2009 (NYC and Boston) (yes, my first entry!)

Since I always see people who are curious about mileage running, or deciding whether it's worth it, or if they're finding good deals, asking about it I'll lay out the nuts and bolts of the 'mileage math' for these runs.  They were similar in price, both sub-5 cents per mile ("cpm"), and as I had a $400 voucher from last year when I took a flight change at AA's request, I was able to get a combined 3.5 cpm for the 40,504 elite-qualifying miles these trips will net me.  (yes, that number's even a palindrome, has to be good luck!)  With the status-based doubling for redeemable miles I'm earning 81,008 at 1.7cpm to put towards future travel or upgrades.  Even without the voucher, most people would consider these flights decent mileage runs for status.

'Congratulations, your mileage runs come with a free first class trip to Urubamba, Peru!'

As an example of what this many miles can get you, I took the miles I earned last year and booked myself and Mrs. CruisingAltitude on LAN's 1st class flights to Lima, Peru and onwards to Cusco to go to the Sacred Valley next year at a rate of 60,000 miles per ticket round trip.

Paying cash for these would start at around $4,000.  So, in this example those 60,000 miles earned at 1.7cpm means the ticket 'cost' just over $1,000.  Even this is over-priced as the mileage runs were also a way to gain all the benefits of Executive Platinum status, which on their own far outweigh the cash spent on the tickets.  In a sense, the trip to Peru is a fun side effect of making status.

I booked us at the Tambo Del Inka Resort in Urubamba.  Rumored to be one of the most beautiful SPG properties in the system.  Also one of the best of this level for cash & points redemptions, making stays here start at $110 per night + points.

Indoor/Outdoor pool and spa at Tambo Del Inka.  The resort also features its own train station on the line to Machu Picchu.

Okay....I've probably lost 90% of readers at this point.  For the 10% of you who still care, there's more rambling on this subject on [this post] from last year.  Good luck.

At this point in my mileage running career, I keep wavering between being a little sheepish about it all, and wanting to share my adventures.  One thing that constantly surprises me is how many people actually want to learn about it, even if only to comment on how ridiculous it is.  As mileage season generally lines up with the holidays and time spent with family (most of whom we have to fly to see), I usually end up recounting the latest set of adventures on these visits.  There was enough discussion of it last year after I got back from my JNB  and PVG runs that the first holiday toast (not given by me) was aptly concluded with:

 "....And my flight to be with you all tonight cost me $500 round trip, but it came with about 3 new sweaters."

Sounds like a decent deal to me.

Until the next flight,

~CruisingAltitude 

Here we go again....

The 'Goal'....and yes, also an obnoxiously large flyertalk tag behind it.

Well friends, flyers, lost guests who thought they were clicking on something more interesting.... guess what it is again?

Friday? Correct.  Half-price Halloween candy day? Also correct.  The day both LAX got shut down AND United devalued their miles hugely.... correct and correct.  However, the answer I was looking for is 'Start of 'official**' mileage season.

Yes, here we are again, been awhile hasn't it?  Days are getting shorter....flights longer.  Sanity and cents per mile are being tested.

So, I thought it was a good time to talk about what it's all worth in the end.  This year, as last, I'm flinging myself into mileage season to hit 100k on American and earn back my Executive Platinum status.  And this year, so far anyway, there's no DEQM deal to make it easy.  This means we're doing things 'the hard way'- 100k But In Seat 'BIS' miles.

Here's a gratuitous shot of the new AA paint
from the jetbridge for no reason.  Enjoy.

My breakdown of flying for the year is about - 25% business, 35% planned personal (vacation, family visits, friends' weddings, etc), and the rest left to mileage runs.  I've got it locked and loaded- two massive weekends on cheap fares with some of last year's SWUs to make them less grueling.  One per month, some new airports, plane types, and meetups planned.  And yes, while I was in the planning stages my notes of routing, schedules and columns of miles did look something like a scene out of 'beautiful mind' ....one of the slightly disturbing ones, that is.

But, as I said above, for now I want to talk about the bottom line here.  I may not have been a savant at math in high school....or.....ever, but I do take an interest in getting a good deal, or at least 'justifying the crazy.'  

So, here's some of the tangible benefits of hitting 100k to put a price tag on:
1) Double all your earned miles for the year.  Same as the Plat level, but worth noting.

2) The 'big' one- 8 Systemwide Upgrades.  Valuation here is tricky, but my best stab at it is to not go by what paying for the business or first ticket would cost over the econ ticket....because would you REALLY cough up the extra, say 8-10k for a TATL upgrade?  Rather I value by how I would achieve those upgrades- meaning the co-pay and miles route.  This means they're worth $75 + 15,000 miles for domestic use, $150 + 25,000 miles to Hawaii (where some of mine went this year) and $350 + 25,000 miles for international (where I'm hoping to use the rest).  So if we value the miles conservatively and take an average there.... somewhere between $350-$800?? Even taking the low end there you could talk these reasonably up to a collective $3000+.

3) The other 'big' one- Free domestic upgrades + companion upgrades at top-level status.  Also varies by the person and route, but I'm batting 80-90% on the year, on 30+ segments.  What would you pay to sit in front for that many hours?  Could be hundreds, could be thousands, depending on your flight plan.

4) Expanded availability for Milesaaver redemption- this depends on how many award tickets you're doing per year and how lucky you get, but figure on an average year it could save a few hundred worth of miles?

5) Oneworld First Class Lounge access- This matters far more if you're traveling internationally on Oneworld flights.  But a visit to Qantas's premium lounges in Sydney, or Galleries and Arrivals lounges in LHR are definitely worth something!

6) Service- there's definitely value to the EXP desk, premium check in, top priority standby, etc.  These things are hard to value, but if it fixes even one trip that was going south due to a mechanical- throw some dollars there.

7) Intangible or little things that still can matter if you care (I do...I'll admit it): EXP luggage tags, bragging rights, the lot.... (yeah yeah, shallow I know...but it's there).

8) I'm sure there's more....you tell me.

Here's another gratuitous pic- sunset over DFW.
You earned it by reading through all that 'math' up there.

One last point here is that when mileage running you're (obviously) also earning the miles as you go (and possibly some bonus ones due to this year's elite awards at 40, 75, 125, and 150k).  My flights for this mileage season are averaging 4.5 cents per mile (qualifying) and 2.25ish redeemable, and 1.9 when you factor in the elite award mileage.  I've seen people value AA miles between 1.8 and 2.5 cents each....so these flights are somewhere in the neighborhood of "even money" at market value. Plus they 'come with' all of the above, and a chance to meet some new people and see some new places.

The math aside, I often 'check myself' by asking if I'd take the trips anyway if someone offered to give me the flights, even without the miles.  If my reservations about the itinerary, destination, or timing make that a tough call, I usually wait for the next deal to come along (case in point skipping the three hour turn in Dubai in favor of an overnight and time to explore in S. Africa for this year).  

In short, I've decided it's all a go for one more season.  Even if the concept is crazy (depending on who you talk to), the numbers might not be.... right??  ....Right???  Besides, there's plenty of adventure to be had along the way, especially when the destination isn't the reason for the journey in the first place.

Until the next departure, fly safe-

-CruisingAAltitude

**Official mileage season, as declared by me, falls on the non-holiday weeks from the start of November through December.  Cheaper fares, lower business travel, and the perfect time to scramble for those last miles. 

Mileage Running: "Oh my God, why would you do that?"

So....this is what comes up when you google image search 'lounge dragon.'  Okay, now you KNOW you have to read the rest of this post to find out what the little guy's doing here, don't you??

The following is because it’s Monday, and because ‘why not?’.....

A few months ago, while cruising around flyertalk.com for some travel gossip, I came upon this YouTube video wherein the author reenacts through animation himself trying to explain mileage running to a coworker.  I know, I know, it's dated as Continental no longer 'exists' as such, and the new United/Continental mess has basically eliminated mileage running with their oh so painful 'revenue requirement,' but still... (link also here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFO0HSxJYWM )

  

I laughed, I laughed a lot.  Then I promptly shared the link with friends, most of whom did not laugh….well, maybe a polite chuckle here and there, but that’s about it.

After reflecting on this, and possibly while trying to decide whether I have the nerve to try and get the rest of my 100k miles on AA this year by flying to Dubai and back (twice...maybe...it's a great deal, promise) without leaving the airports (insert ‘oh my God, why would you do that’ here),it occurred to me that a little insight, and definitely levity was needed.  So I thought the best way to do this, was to try to find a little common ground with others who might share my affliction.  So, without further delay- weather, mechanical, or otherwise, I give you…...

“You might be addicted to travel status if:”

-You’ve started to believe that your trifecta of chosen airline, hotel chain, and car rental companies really says something about ‘who you are as a person,’ but you have no idea what that is.

-You watched “Up in the Air” and took no issue with Ryan Bingham's goals or compulsions, just the fact that no one in their right mind carries their rollaboard up that circular staircase in the Admiral’s Club STL when you know there’s a perfectly good elevator around the corner.

-You get a little thrill from hitting ‘Find Flights’ or similar buttons on ticket search engines, akin to spinning the roulette wheel in Vegas.  

-Being denied TSA PreCheck leads to a microcosm of the 5 stages of grief, especially the anger and bargaining ones as you (somewhat politely) stomp off to the regular screening line.   

-When someone asks for advice on what credit card to apply for, and you solemnly reply that that’s a complicated question, and start asking them about their life goals, travel patterns, and astrological sign before offering an answer.  

-You’ve ever wished your airline’s website offered an ‘at LEAST __ stops’ option on the search page.

-You know what a ‘lounge dragon’ is, and it has nothing to do with comic books or multi-sided dice.**

-You know the difference between a TATL, TPAC, and a Transcon and can estimate the CPM for each when given a price.

-You revel in the minutia of airline and airport trivia, and will explain 'fascinating' things like the difference in seat plan between a 767-200 and a 767-300 until someone aggressively changes the subject. 

-You sometimes feel you’re the only one who adequately respects the sanctity of shared overhead bin space.

-You have very, very strong feelings about the metaphysical and psychological differences between preference for ‘window or aisle.’

-Simply hearing the word ‘upgrade’ in just about any context raises your pulse at least 5 bpm.

-You honestly consider a ‘destination airport’ to be a legitimate draw when planning a vacation, as in- “Sure I’m looking forward to going to Sydney to see the opera house and maybe pet a kangaroo, but what I really can’t wait for is to check out the Qantas First lounge at SYD.”

-The thought of checking luggage causes an immediate and uncontrollable facial tick.

Well, did it work?  What did I miss?

Okay, maybe that didn't come close to explaining the whole ‘flying for the miles’ thing….but it was fun anyway, right?

~CruisingAAltitude

PS, I have some legitimate and hopefully informative trip reports on the way….so bear with me.  

**For those still wondering about the cute lizard up top, 'Lounge Dragons' are the agents at the front desk of airline clubs in airports who make sure you're entitled to enter.  They're not known for their rule-bending or compassion about your 8 hour layover if your membership isn't current.