Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Preparing for a trip

Prior to flying for an airline, my wife and I were airline mile whores. No better way to say it. We craved airline miles. There was once a promotion where we would get 60,000 bonus miles if we flew 6 round trips between certain cities. At the time we were planning on going to Hawaii for a week in the fall. The price of a roundtrip coach ticket to Hawaii was more expensive than the 6 round trip flights between the designated cities. Not only were these 6 roundtrips cheaper, but we would have enough miles to fly FIRST CLASS to Hawaii. Nice. We did it. We took 6 day trips to see cities we likely never would have gone too. Another couple who were also mileage whores joined in as well. In the end we found a dirt cheap round trip fare to Hawaii for $350 round trip and thus saved the miles for use elsewhere.

Once I decided to fly for a living we stopped trying to earn airline miles. We now focus on hotel points. I am guilty in one aspect....I still get airline miles for my mainline partner for every dollar I spend on a certain household bill. I've earned enough miles for one free roundtrip ticket....who knows when I will use it.

My wife and I are planning a trip to Tokyo in the fall. Between the two of us we have enough hotel points for 4 free nights at a very nice hotel. I'm using my Starwood Points for two nights and then our Capital One Rewards points for the other two nights. Not too shabby.

This is will be our first time REALLY out of the country. We have traveled to Toronto, Canada and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, but they aren't REALLY out of the country. Anyone who has been to Tokyo and has any tips feel free to shoot me an email at Geek AT geekinthecockpit dot com.

The results from the displacement won't be out for a few days. Everything is done by hand. Even when the results are released, if I am displaced, I will have to wait a few weeks for a training date. Even then...I might not go if another vacancy/displacement bid is posted. The last two times I was displaced, I ended up keeping my seat. Here's hoping that happens a third time.

1 comment:

  1. Hi G,

    Does your mention of a training date mean you've ruled out bidding another base, because you don't want to commute? Can you hold your current base if you accept the displacement to a smaller airplane?

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