Miles, Points, Perks and upgrades!

If any of you have watched George Clooney's Up in the Air (if you haven't, you really, really should) you may have wondered if there are really people out there like that. Call them mile whores (sorry kids), perk pimps or just plain lucky but yes, they do exist. Although I doubt that many of them look like George (sigh), because most FF I see are nowhere near the eye-candy that George is...I would stay on a plane all day long if I could look at that! Or even better yet...Matthew McConaughey. Boy, did that go down the wrong runway...

Collecting points on airlines, hotels, and car rentals can be downright addicting. Yes, I admit to taking a double connection just to get the extra miles to push me up to the next level of elite FF. Yes, I look at which hotel chain has the best point payout when I book my rooms. Now, the one thing I have been contemplating is doing what they call a Mileage Run...these are where you book a flight that gives you the most miles for the cheapest price. It takes a lot of research; and personally, it just seems like a lot of work! I think I need to befriend someone in the travel industry...any takers out there? You might wonder, why do you do it? Well, take a little crazy...add to it a little cheap spirit...stir it all up and the answer you get is that I really, really, really like being able to fly a family of 4 to Maui for $40! Oh, and I like taking Mall of America weekends with my kids and being able to stay in a hotel for free. Hey, it gives me more money for the real fun!

You see, I am a rare perk pimp AND point princess. I actually USE my treasures! Where others just collect for collecting sake, I take time to enjoy the points. Yes, it gets depressing after you use the points and the balance in the account is decimated...ok, not REALLY decimated but it feels like a little death. But the feeling that I get when I add up how much it would cost to bring my family to Maui and actually pay for the flights...it's better than....um...well...um....eating my homemade marshmallow buttercream without the cake. (Jeez, where were you going with that thought?)

And for all you haters out there....when you see me sitting in First Class (doesn't happen often anymore...as tears drop off my chin) Or anyone in FC for that matter, try to refrain from smartarss remarks about how much YOU THINK we paid for it....we didn't pay with money. We paid with blood (yes, sometimes), sweat, a lot of FA attitude, stinky, portly, seatmates, crying kids, airport food and beat up (if not lost) luggage. So, off to plan my next trip to lovely Scranton...Hmm, wondering if I should book via San Diego....