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

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#151

Post by SeoxyS » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 7:22 AM UTC

ngoel36 wrote: post #97

verbatim wrote: post #51

> United offered coupons to passengers worth $200 or $400. I'd be pretty surprised to see that now. On my last long United flight, which was 6-7 hours overseas, my in-flight entertainment system was broken, and they gave me a $25 voucher. I was not impressed.

The amount of comp you get for small shit (e.g. broken light, no recline, no IFE/wifi) is largely dependent on your status. A no-status member might maybe get 500 miles on United, where as a Global Service might get up to 10K+ (depending on severity)

Do you have to request the comp? I've never been offered compensation for the often broken entertainment system, wifi, or power (as UA Gold).

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#152

Post by sliverstorm » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 7:44 AM UTC

saryant wrote: post #117

glup wrote: post #114

Anyone else find this "hobby" somewhere between low-grade morally questionable and a completely banal use of above-average problem-solving skills? Upper middle class man-children with disposable income can, I'm sure you're surprised to find out, game overenthusiastic corporate behemoths?

I'm curious as to what the morality argument actually is, as this isn't the first comment to espouse that view. What do you find morally questionable about churning? It's game in which banks and airlines write the rules and reserve the right to change them unilaterally.

Because it's a little bit similar to exploiting the snot out of a loss-leader product- a good-faith offer extended to generate some good-faith business, that is frequently a good thing for everyone.

You are exploiting a complex promotion system by finding tiny loopholes, at the expense of everyone else (because at the end of the day, the banks will get their money...)

And no, you can't argue that "because the loopholes exist, that's proof they don't care".

Or another comparison, a white collar criminal who embezzles his company but found a legal loophole that means he can't be charged. Just because it's not illegal, doesn't mean it isn't immoral!

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#153

Post by pingec » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 7:44 AM UTC

I wish us Europeans could do that :(

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#154

Post by hobo_mark » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 8:05 AM UTC

keypusher wrote: post #138

hobo_mark wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to pay rent, and I spend very little on anything else.

You don't buy food? Furniture? Car? Bicycle? Computer?

Food of course (~200$/mo), and travel (but usually my employer pays for it, if they send me somewhere worth it I will take a few days off before coming back).

If I could 'hack' an extra return flight to SF, NY or Tokyo once a year it'd be great however.

I update my phone and laptop every five years or so. Bike is free.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#155

Post by arcticbull » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 8:05 AM UTC

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…

I got into this pretty late, about 4 years ago; I've managed to hit almost every airlines first class cabin (most of them many times). Just a few left; gotta catch 'em all!

I always assumed people on HN would be all over this kind of thing, it's a total minmax optimization problem. Especially back when this was even more of a game, with the US Airways Grand Slam through 2011. The puzzle there is worth reading about. You'd get up to 100,000 bonus miles for completing 36 'partner activities' (bonuses are only awarded in groups of 4 activities -- 1,2,3 you get nothing and at 4 you get all the miles for that group -- and the number of miles awarded for each group of 4 increased from nominal to significant. I spent weeks optimizing and figuring the marginal cost. After minmaxing the hell out of your strategy, you execute; fill in surveys, buy the cheapest thing on Skymall (in my case, a toilet lock for a child I didn't have), book phantom rides on the super shuttle. Maybe spend a few bucks and splurge on a bamboo plan. Ended at 140K miles for $700 -- at the time just short of 2 round trip business class tickets from North America -> Europe -> Asia -> North America.

Once you get into it, your average getaway is better than most peoples' honeymoons; I flew Etihad apartments to the Maldives for a weekend for 75K miles and $100. And that was just one of the many.

Agreed, lucky is one of my favorites. I actually got started with The Points Guy but the quality has gone downhill so much, and the blog has become a shill for card signups even if they don't make sense. My other favorite is Matthew at upgrd and Efficient Asian Man.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#156

Post by arcticbull » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 8:07 AM UTC

trentmb wrote: post #128

myanonhnaccount wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you give someone who has ABSOLUTELY no idea (even after reading your comment) about any of this what it is you do to hack the system?

Trade your free time and (temporary) credit score rating for miles- flights, hotel stays.

Opening your credit cards definitely does not hurt your score nearly as much as you think it would. It can often increase your credit score. And if you're a proper churner, average age of accounts doesn't even get touched since you've got so many cards on record (closed cards continue to reflect positively on your average age of accounts for 7 years).

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#157

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 8:08 AM UTC

arcticbull wrote: post #155

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…

I got into this pretty late, about 4 years ago; I've managed to hit almost every airlines first class cabin (most of them many times). Just a few left; gotta catch 'em all! I always assumed people on HN would be all over this kind of thing, it's a total minmax optimization problem. Especially back when this was even more of a game, with the US Airways Grand Slam through 2011. The puzzle there is worth reading about.…

[deleted]

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#158

Post by arcticbull » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 8:16 AM UTC

refurb wrote: post #129

glup wrote: post #114

Anyone else find this "hobby" somewhere between low-grade morally questionable and a completely banal use of above-average problem-solving skills? Upper middle class man-children with disposable income can, I'm sure you're surprised to find out, game overenthusiastic corporate behemoths?

I don't find it morally questionable at all. The airlines setup a program and you find the best way to use it. I do find the "mileage runs" a bit odd. You spend a day or two just flying and hanging out at airports? I guess it's all cost/benefit, but that would be a little to much for me. That said, whatever floats you boat. Looks like a lot of people are really maximizing the points programs. Good for them!

Mileage runs are usually for status, not for earning miles. Back in the day it made sense since miles were a lot more valuable but earned at the same rate, 1 per mile flown in most cases, and airfare was lower in dollars, so basically nobody does it.

Going between mid-tier and top-tier status can make a huge difference in your rate of upgrades for the next year, mileage earning rate and in AA's case at Platinum you earn 0 international upgrades but at ExPlat you earn 8 one-way international upgrade certificates good for an upgrade from any economy fare to any business, or any business fare to first free of charge.

If you're at 90K of the 100K you need, it might makes sense for you to fly around a bit, see somewhere new -- cheaply, earn some miles and push you over. The next year you'll be a lot more comfortable.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#159

Post by ghaff » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 8:18 AM UTC

saryant wrote: post #126

ghaff wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually use the Chase Sapphire Rewards card but I should probably look into the Fidelity as most of my points seem to end up getting shifted into Amazon anyway. It's a little complicated because of the minimum to get to 2% but it's probably a better deal than my free Chase Amazon card in any case. Thanks!

Though I find this game to be lots of fun, I do think that most people are probably better off with a cashback card. Actually, most people probably shouldn't have a credit card to begin with (it pains me to say that given the differences in fraud protection but CC debt is something most are better off avoiding).

CC vs. debit is a matter of discipline but, of course, no real argument for most people if using a credit card in all but the direst circumstances means carrying a balance.

The issue with a lot of the rewards game is that the best "values" usually come from redeeming for awards that you'd never have considered actually paying cash for. There's still an equivalent cash value to you that may or may not be more than the 1-2% of actual cash you could collect but it's often not really free money in that you're giving up some level of actual fungible cash to get it.

Re: A Man Who Flies Around the World for Free

#160

Post by arcticbull » Tue, Jul 21, 2015, 8:22 AM UTC

branchless wrote: post #118

wehadfun wrote: post #49

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.

Flying business class is less unpleasant than flying regular class. But it's not pleasant. I get that some people might like this. I was speaking to my other half about it last night. People go on about how great first class is. I wondered if people had a choice between teleportation and first class which would they choose? I'd go for teleporting. I think most would. So how great can first class be if I'd willingly e…

Whereas for cash tickets, going up a class of service is exponential. A round-trip to Asia is going to be about $1K in economy, $6K in business and 20K in first. Points tickets are logarithmic, if economy is 1X, business is usually 1.5-6X and first is usually 2X. So you can pay 2X as many miles for a product that costs 20X as much.

Business is a better seat, edible food and free booze. First [on a decent airline] is a different world. Caviar and Krug/Pol Roger/Perrier-Jouet. Lufthansa has an entire separate terminal building with private immigration, security, private assistants, a restaurant, a massive bar and Mercedes or Porsche limousine service to the side of the plane. Flown it many times, and I keep looking forward.

First is no waste of time for me; champagne, caviar, gourmet dining and wifi (or the plausible excuse for not having wifi), it's a wonderful way to spend a few days.