Any other travelholics here?

[motion]

My travel hobby is getting a bit out of control, I guess. I'm trying to maximize RDM miles before Dec 31, when Delta goes to revenue based mileage accrual, which is meant to piss off cheap flyers like me

The goal is to bank 1,120,000 miles so Mrs Motion and I can have 2 round the world trips in Biz Elite. We'll take one each year for the next couple years. Planning on each being a 6-8 week experience. Also, to achieve Double Delta Diamond, which fattens me up for forthcoming years.

So, still to come this year. Trips to:

Miami
Manila, Philippines
Hong Kong
Gotenburg, Sweden
St Petersburg
Dubai
Bombay

Up till a week ago, I went a month without flying and that was real painful. But, Montana summers are pretty nice, and it was worth it.

Anyone else have a hopeless addition to flying and seeing new places? What's your airline of choice? Goals?

And, as a side note, I've met some really awesome Pelicans around the world doing this

I'm pretty damn lucky to have a wife who puts up with this stuff, too, I should add

[HardDrive]

I like to travel, my wife loves to travel. She is from India, had friends all over the world. She also does medical missions to India/Africa. I think we are Delta platinum. My wife is kind enough to handle most travel arrangements.

I recently moved from Seattle to Ohio. I don't need to travel to experience a foreign land.

(Kidding. Columbus is the real deal. Great city. Thriving.)

[Rick Lee]

If Mrs. Lee and I didn't have to work day jobs that involve no travel, well, yeah, I'd love to travel more. But if the queen had balls, she'd be king. We usually get a good vacation abroad in once a year and I did a lot of domestic travel in my last job. I loathe flying, but then I don't get to go biz class either.

[speeder]

My brother is platinum status on Emirates, the best airline in the world. He flies a lot. Me, not so much.

[Rusty Heap]

Been all around the world as a scuba diver. WAY too many oversized loads of bags to carry and check.



we get tired and bored and thirsty on the flight home.... burp.



things happen we don't remember, thank god for GoPro...

[wdfifteen]

I travel for work, about half by car/truck and half by air. It gets old, and I look forward to time at home. I do get to Europe once a year, but the getting from place to place part is too much like work for it to seem like adventure. Plus, I'm 6'2" 230 lbs and airplane seats aren't designed for my comfort.

[imcarthur]

I too travel for work in North America. Mainly east coast now but I have been almost everywhere with a pulse in Canada & the US. I go to France & England for business occasionally. Other international travel is exclusively for holidays - usually every two years - but I tend to focus on just one country for 2-3 weeks & really ‘do’ it & with few exceptions we never go back because it is never the same the 2nd time. We travel independently & never on cruises or on tours.

We decided years ago not to leave travel until we were retired - and too old & feeble to actually enjoy it. I see a lot of travelers out there that can barely get around & I didn't want that to be me.

I always like to have future vacation travel to look forward to so I start researching for the next one as soon as I return. I am a frequent poster on some travel sites & I have a personal trip report website that I am gradually building. I think I missed a career as a travel planner.

Our next trip is a winter one - I rented a house in St Lucia for 10 days next February. I am starting to think about the one after that already . . .

Ian

[71scgc]

I hate flying anymore. I don't like relinquishing control over to the airlines. Plus, I smoke...

52 round trips to Europe will do that to you...

Carter

[motion]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

but I tend to focus on just one country for 2-3 weeks & really ‘do’ it & with few exceptions we never go back because it is never the same the 2nd time.

I'm more of a hit and run kind of traveler.... kind of like Bourdain's Layover series. 3 days in a big city is PLENTY for me. I prefer to have a rental car and explore the countryside. At the current rate, I'll run out of places to fly to in a couple years, but then the plan is to start all over again, but on a motorcycle

[LakeCleElum]

My wife loves to travel. I get drug along as her Chauffeur. We earn miles on Alaska Air (and their partners) by putting everything we can on a credit card. Been in all 50 states and 26 countries (more later this year).

Just returned from 30 days in Europe flying Business with miles......Same last year for 5 weeks in Australia (where I met Motion's friend in a pub at Phillip Island), with a 4 day stop in Fiji........Previous trip to Australia was free when flying with the daughter of our Auzzie friends that worked for Air Canada......

5 trips to Hawaii over the years.....2 on FF miles, another free trip when I took a bump a week after Sept 11........Once I took an overnight bump in Atlanta and got 2 flights to Cancun....

Have a 25 day Mediterranean cruise this coming Oct.......Travel tip: 1st class lounge at Schiphol in Amsterdam has top shelf spirits that you pour/mix yourself.... I agree with Denis, Emirates is a great Airline.

I'm like you Motion, hate to miss summer at home.

[Seahawk]

I was fortunate enough to travel extensively to (often living in) many destinations both foreign and domestic for over 30 years.

I would head out at the drop of a hat. Since I was active duty military for 26 years, I also had access to Space A travel, which I used quite a bit. I can't remember a leave period when I was single or my wife and I didn't have kids where international travel wasn't involved.

I was also involved with Foreign Military Sales (FMS) in the helicopter world for many years, so I traveled for weeks at a time all over the world (airshows/FMS meetings in country, briefs to heads of foreign military's, etc.) and was hosted and feted like you read about.

I even spent three weeks in Taiwan teaching their Navy pilots to land on FFG's in their H-60's. Phenomenal time.

All that travel informed me of a few things, which has greatly colored my traveling today.

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by motion

3 days in a big city is PLENTY for me. I prefer to have a rental car and explore the countryside.

More & more I dislike cities. I am happiest when I am driving in the hinterlands. On our last trip in June, I rented an Audi A3 convertible in Crete & had a blast.

Ian

[mossguy]

Motion, Are you picking up a new Volvo in Gothenburg?

[cairns]

Love to travel. a gazillion miles on UAL but I'm trying not to fly them anymore (they've really gone downhill and once you've flown Emirates....). Next trip we're planning is Seoul/Singapore/Bali. So much more to see. Think we'll do South America on a cruise even though we've never cruised. really want to see Chile/Ushuia/Beagle Channel. And there's a lot of Europe we haven't seen, Scandanavia, Eastern Europe etc.

The bad part is it kills my track budget. Can't afford fresh Hoosiers and business class.

[motion]

Originally Posted by mossguy

Motion, Are you picking up a new Volvo in Gothenburg?

No, just checking out the area for a few days. I have a 22 hour layover in Amsterdam, so its a 2-1

[vash]

if i had to pick one "hobby" it would be travel.

for sure, it's my our common enjoyment as a married couple. i feel our travel ideas are diverging tho. i still LOVE exploring third world countries..eating and living like a local. my wife is starting to lean towards more comfy accommodations.

since she got laid off and went back to school..our traveling has been grounded. soon, very soon.

japan, korea..taiwan is on the books.

[BE911SC]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

My wife loves to travel. I get drug along as her Chauffeur. We earn miles on Alaska Air (and their partners) by putting everything we can on a credit card.

Same here. Wifey loves Europe travel and she plans 3-6 week trips for us and the kids every summer. Buy everything on our Alaska Airlines Visa to build miles and book Biz-Class seats well ahead of time for the ride home. (Coach is easier going over but Business is essential for the ride home.) Just got back last week from three weeks in Paris, Zurich, Lauterbrunnen, Munich and Vienna with day trips to other places such as Luzern, Bern, Lugano, Fussen (castles) and Bratislava. Flew home on Air France in their wonderful Business Class seats with good food and champagne during boarding and on request inflight. You just have not lived until you have had a flight attendant give her safety brief in French. Oh, and the BMW Welt in Munich is pretty neat. I hate to come home after all that great food--that doesn't try to kill you with chemicals and junk the way U.S. food does. They just know hoe to live over there. Oh, and we took the train from Paris (East) to Frankfurt to get our rental car for the drive to Zurich and thereafter. The train, in First Class, was one of the highlights of the trip. Fast, like 200-mph, and good food and service. Four-hour trip (with stops in major cities) and so smooth. I looked out the windows the whole time. We rent rather than stay in hotels. Much more fun being able to cook your own food and you meet great people. Our attic apartment in Munich was in a lovely 1930 house owned by an elderly couple. The hausfrau would bring us fresh bakery goods from the neighborhood bakery and include her homemade jam. She'd leave it by our door every morning. They invited us to watch Germany vs. Brazil with them and some of their friends and it was a great time. You just don't get that in a hotel. However, we did stay in a brand new Holiday Inn Express just south of Zurich (next to the train into town) and that was really nice. We rent very close to public transit so the car usually gets parked for a few days while we ride the streetcars and U into the towns and cities.

They really know how to do it over there. I get spoiled on the roads since 99% of drivers strictly obey the road rules. No passing on the right, keep right except to pass, no road rage, no problems. Oh, and higher speed is okay since people obey the rules. The Autobahn is like a car show too. My 14-year old son is into cars now and I'd see something coming behind us, FAST, and he'd try to get pics. M cars, 911s, Audis, Ferraris, whatever. WHOOSH! No problem. If one went by at 120 (mph) and someone was closing in on him then he'd move right and the faster guy would pass and then move right.

[AFC-911]

Meet me in Reykjavik next week for my birthday!


Just kidding. I don't think Delta can get you there.

I'm on AA and BA.

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by BE911SC

I get spoiled on the roads since 99% of drivers strictly obey the road rules.

You've obviously never driven in Naples or Palermo.

Ian

[LakeCleElum]

Originally Posted by motion

No, just checking out the area for a few days. I have a 22 hour layover in Amsterdam, so its a 2-1

Amsterdam: Do the Hop on Hop off Canal boat tour....Can jump off for lunch, Ann Frank House, Red-Light District and back on........About 15 Euro each...