Fly For Free, NOT Like Me

From here on out I'm gonna try a little something different because sadly I don't have much to say about Paris anymore.

Now, I don't know if you are aware of this, but as you scan your eyes over these words, there are some 3,700 planes and anywhere between 300,000 to 500,000 people flying above our heads. It kinda makes you wonder how often people travel and how much they spend to get to these places. There’s always the beginner fliers, who don’t know a thing about where to look for deals and discounts, you know, the people who you get stuck behind going through security who carry every metal object known to man in his or her pocket and get beeped at 50 times before they are allowed to go through. Well, you know they have to be paying hundreds of dollars. You also have all the business travelers who probably don’t pay a dime and end up getting trashed in the business class lounge area. But there’s also the frequent fliers who pay somewhere in between the two, unless you’re a frequent flier like me…

I have what you may call redeemophobia and I am fully aware of it. I have all the symptoms. Whenever an awards program statement arrives in the mail, I quickly toss it, unopened, into the trash with the rest of my junk mail. I prefer floating in a cloud of oblivion than knowing the truth -- how many miles I've accumulated and how many are set to expire. And while I may briefly consider using them to book a trip, this dance is merely for show. I know in my head and in my heart what I'm really going to do: pull out my credit card and keep my miles intact. Now I know what you all may be thinking, I am a complete fool, but I can’t seem to find the perfect trip I want to use them for. I think, why waste them on a trip back home, or for a quick weekend up north. I'd rather take time off of work to use them wisely on a trip to Hawaii or anywhere overseas. It's irrational, I know. Frequent flier miles exist for my benefit, to treat me to a well-deserved vacation, a bonus prize for being such a loyal traveler. And yet I still fear them. I don't fully trust myself with them or them with me. So, I will continue to input my frequent flier number for each reservation. I won't spend them, but I will accumulate them. And maybe one day I’ll fly around the world, twice.

Tip of the day: Don’t be like me, check out the fabulous fall deals going on right now! New York to London round trip is only $412 and Houston to Paris is only $581! And don’t forget, use those miles!

-Inspiration from Andrea Sachs-