A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

Basically the person in the article uses various tricks to game the airline and accumulate as many frequent flyer miles and fly around as much as he can (accumulating even more points it seems).

He also writes a blog about it.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#5

Post by comrade1 » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 6:25 PM UTC

a_rahmanshah wrote: post #2

TL;DR?

Guy find ways to exploit the system - some of it is reasonable, for example taking advantage of airlines overbooking flights, but some of it is just being an ass, for example demanding a voucher if his headset is broken rather than a new headset. Plus, lots of boring multi-leg flights with no real destination just to rack up miles.

Guy should use his brains for something more useful, like solving the traveling salesman problem.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#6

Post by nkassis » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 6:25 PM UTC

comrade1 wrote: post #3

This is a bad customer. I'm surprised the airlines just don't ban him.

I'm not sure they care. They may be accepting these users because the programs are profitable for them in how they increase normal customers spending patterns.

Tightening up the rules or banning these users might be bad PR for them they don't want to deal with.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#7

Post by lingben » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 6:26 PM UTC

nkassis wrote: post #4

a_rahmanshah wrote: post #2

TL;DR?

Basically the person in the article uses various tricks to game the airline and accumulate as many frequent flyer miles and fly around as much as he can (accumulating even more points it seems). He also writes a blog about it.

wait, you're saying that you accumulate FF points when you are flying on a ticket that you got by redeeming FF points?

wouldn't removing this simple feature nullify what he's doing or at least a great deal of what he's able to accomplish?

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#8

Post by fennecfoxen » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 6:26 PM UTC

a_rahmanshah wrote: post #2

TL;DR?

Once upon a time a nerdy young boy in a Catholic high school was obsessed with airplanes. He started flying around the country collecting frequent flyer miles, reporting small problems with the plane, and getting lots of $200 "apology" vouchers and stuff. It was fun.

Today he has a big fan club, runs some airfare-hacker forums and gives interviews to magazines with no journalistic credibility or fact-checking whatsoever (cough cough). Airfare hacking today is harder than it used to be, and you can't even defraud the US Mint by ordering dollar coins on your credit card (with no fee / free shipping), but you can still get lucky with mistake fares and/or pay people to violate all the terms and conditions and fly in your name, if you're sneaky about it.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#9

Post by lingben » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 6:27 PM UTC

comrade1 wrote: post #5

a_rahmanshah wrote: post #2

TL;DR?

Guy find ways to exploit the system - some of it is reasonable, for example taking advantage of airlines overbooking flights, but some of it is just being an ass, for example demanding a voucher if his headset is broken rather than a new headset. Plus, lots of boring multi-leg flights with no real destination just to rack up miles. Guy should use his brains for something more useful, like solving the traveling salesm…

he's making a lot of money doing what he enjoys and it is legal, so what exactly is wrong with that?

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#10

Post by comrade1 » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 6:30 PM UTC

lingben wrote: post #9

comrade1 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Guy find ways to exploit the system - some of it is reasonable, for example taking advantage of airlines overbooking flights, but some of it is just being an ass, for example demanding a voucher if his headset is broken rather than a new headset. Plus, lots of boring multi-leg flights with no real destination just to rack up miles. Guy should use his brains for something more useful, like solving the traveling salesm…

he's making a lot of money doing what he enjoys and it is legal, so what exactly is wrong with that?

Spoken like a true HN devoté...

In terms that you can understand: legal != right