A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free • Hacker News Board

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#41

Post by acqq » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 8:32 PM UTC

ceejayoz wrote: post #33

post_break wrote: post #31

Don't you have to worry about radiation at some point? I mean flying 300 days out of the year has to add up.

Not sure why you're being downvoted, it's a real issue. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/24/news/24iht-radiate_ed3__0.... > A 1996 paper published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found a higher incidence of myeloid leukemia, astrocytoma, prostate cancer and malignant melanoma among 2,740 Air Canada pilots than in the general population. > One study of female flight attendants in Finland and Denmark found an inc…

Also, via XKCD:

http://xkcd.com/radiation/

Three LA to NY flights are more than the approximate dose received at Fukushima Town Hall over two weeks following the accident. But you have to make 175 flights to get as much as you get with just one chest CT scan.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#42

Post by ngoel36 » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 8:41 PM UTC

ljk wrote: post #32

saryant wrote: post #30

I spend more time than I should in the churning/FF communities (all of which are centered around FlyerTalk). It's fun. Ben's blog is one of the few I follow, most aren't that great. Frequent Miler is a solid resource, as is Wandering Aramean, but nothing beats being active on FlyerTalk itself. In the last five years I've managed to earn and spend about 1.5 million miles and points, with maybe 50k airline miles from a…

do you sometimes feel like you're spending more money in order to get the miles?

Not if you participate in manufactured spending - i.e., buying money...like purchasing Visa gift cards (must be done carefully at the right places / times)

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#43

Post by ngoel36 » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 8:42 PM UTC

saryant wrote: post #40

sbuccini wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any recommendations on how to get started?

I'm not quite sure these days. This hobby has gotten far more complicated than it was when I started. Ben's blog and The Points Guy are probably the best intros. I'm not a fan of TPG but he writes a lot of articles on the basics. I've been active on FlyerTalk for about five years—after being in that deep for so long, it's hard to step back and figure out where to guide a beginner. Plus, lots of it is based on your ow…

reddit.com/r/churning has a great guide

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#44

Post by saryant » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 8:43 PM UTC

ngoel36 wrote: post #42

ljk wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

do you sometimes feel like you're spending more money in order to get the miles?

Not if you participate in manufactured spending - i.e., buying money...like purchasing Visa gift cards (must be done carefully at the right places / times)

Well, you are spending money on those. Each card has a fee. But if you're doing it correctly you should realize far more value than you end up spending.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#45

Post by saryant » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 8:44 PM UTC

ngoel36 wrote: post #43

saryant wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not quite sure these days. This hobby has gotten far more complicated than it was when I started. Ben's blog and The Points Guy are probably the best intros. I'm not a fan of TPG but he writes a lot of articles on the basics. I've been active on FlyerTalk for about five years—after being in that deep for so long, it's hard to step back and figure out where to guide a beginner. Plus, lots of it is based on your ow…

reddit.com/r/churning has a great guide

There's a LOT of downright wrong information. There are some bad seeds there spreading FUD to keep newbies away or lead them down a dangerous path, especially around manufactured spend.

The outright lies I saw people posting during the Redbird heyday were astounding.

Avoid.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#46

Post by hobo_mark » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 8:54 PM UTC

Is any of this (realistically) applicable if you are european? We're still reluctant to use credit cards at all here.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#47

Post by alanbyrne » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 8:56 PM UTC

hobo_mark wrote: post #46

Is any of this (realistically) applicable if you are european? We're still reluctant to use credit cards at all here.

I use a British Airways branded Amex here in the UK and put almost all my spending through it. Thanks to their Companion Voucher my wife and I get a couple of business class trips on the house each year (Spend £10k in a year on it and get a Buy one get one free flight with points)

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#48

Post by fastball » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 9:06 PM UTC

saryant wrote: post #44

ngoel36 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not if you participate in manufactured spending - i.e., buying money...like purchasing Visa gift cards (must be done carefully at the right places / times)

Well, you are spending money on those. Each card has a fee. But if you're doing it correctly you should realize far more value than you end up spending.

Fairly certain all cards dont have fees.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#49

Post by wehadfun » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 9:09 PM UTC

I don't get the appeal of flying first class just for the "fun" of it. You can sit in a comfy seat, drink overpriced alcohol served by an attractive lady at your local Mens club with much less hassle. Flying first class is cool if you actually have to travel but just for the hell of it.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#50

Post by saryant » Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 9:09 PM UTC

fastball wrote: post #48

saryant wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, you are spending money on those. Each card has a fee. But if you're doing it correctly you should realize far more value than you end up spending.

Fairly certain all cards dont have fees.

Which Visa gift cards don't have fees?