Having retired in 1997 I have not taken an airline flight since then. I did my 3 million miles soliciting tour operator car rental business around the world so I had enough flying. During my flying years to make flying a little more enjoyable I belonged to four Frequent Flyer programs. I wasn't too involved with American Airlines but Delta was very prominent and to show how far back I go, I also was registered with Eastern and National.

Reflecting on my experiences the only common thread for the following incidents, they dealt with frequent flying programs. An example, a fellow Alamo executive who knew I was traveling 40 weeks a year mentioned that the frequent flier mileage that I and others earned should be put in a pot for everyone's use. My comment, "You fly them, you keep them."

Another exec commented that he was going from Ft. Lauderdale, our home office, to Los Angeles via Chicago and not non-stop. Of course I asked why. His reason; he was accumulating additional frequent flyer mileage so he could give two round trip Hawaii flights to his in-laws. That might have been a waste since he was divorced a few years later.

The best frequent flyer deal was what I called the self-liquidating National Airlines coast to coast up-grade. For 10,000 frequent flyer National miles you could up-grade your coach seat to first class. This worked well if you were flying from Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles or San Francisco. Airlines usually gave you credit for the miles you flew based on the ticket purchased. Actual number of miles for coach and double the miles for first class. Not National. Even if you purchased a coach seat but flew first class because you upgraded and used miles to fly first class, you received double the miles. You gave them 10,000 miles for the upgrade and instead of receiving 6,000 miles, the coach round trip distance, they gave you back double, 12,000 miles because you flew first class. Therefore not only did you enjoy the benefits of first class you added 2,000 miles to your accumulated number of frequent flyer miles.

Eastern Airlines had a good deal. As a frequent flyer member when you checked in you were registered for a first class upgrade for your flight should a first class seat be available. It was first come, first served. One day I made a round trip flight to Puerto Rico with an 8 AM departure and a 4 PM return same day. I of course had a coach seat and was not upgraded on the flight to Puerto Rico. When I got to the airport for my return flight about 3 PM I was given a first class upgrade having registered for the flight at 7 AM that morning when I first departed.

Now I am flying first class going back to Miami and sitting next to me is an engineer. He did a lot of flying for the manufacturing company that employed him. He was heavy into funny water and while he was consuming his fourth drink commented that he used to always fly coach. In first class alcoholic drinks were free while in coach drinks were $2.00 each. During his coach flying days his controller, examining his expense report, asked him what was "DOP, $10." His response, "Drinks On Plane, I had 5 that day." His controller told him that the company would not pay for his drinks disallowing the expense. He said that ever since then he has been buying first class tickets, gets his drinks free and that took care of the problem.

About the Author

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