It has been several weeks since I’ve changed the poll at the top right of the blog, so it’s time for a new one. The old poll question was about how many countries you’ve visited. The results, based on 3,200+ responses, are as follows:
Damn, y’all are a well traveled bunch!
Anyway, you can find a new poll question at the top right corner of the blog regarding how many miles/points you cumulatively have between programs. I realize this is hardly scientific and that not all points currencies are created equal, but I’m curious to see the results nonetheless.
Feel free to expand on your answer or share a more detailed response below. Thanks for participating!
Barely broke the 6-digit mark here, and the value of the points when you take into account the programs they're in is very low- I'm getting further up there, I'm just taking a bit of time to do it...
~1.3M?
936,000 across Chase/AMEX/BA/UA/SPG. I am currently on a trip that I spent ~400,000 BA/UA/Hyatt miles on. In fairness though, about 400,000 are BA miles, which are easy to earn and more expensive to redeem.
Just me......about 1.25 million. With my wife......a little over 2million. Gonna use them fast. My daughter and family are being deployed to Germany for 4 years.
It is pretty easy to earn a few million pts a year if you own your own company and work cards. I give trips away to employees as perks to keep my balances down.
The luck you guys have living in the States. Try accumulating in Australia, you won't get anywhere. Highest sign up bonus for a cc? 20K if you are lucky.
We have just over 2 million. It's amazing that after a while miles seem to breed. We probably scored 1 mill last year on card sign ups. Rest wud come from spending. We don't do any domestic flying to earn points and don't bother with shopping portals or any of the more creative methods others use to gain points. We have already booked multiple international first class tips for 2014 and have many more points to use.
To those asking, the intent was the current redeemable miles you have available.
As far as I go, I'm at about 3-4 million.
But at the same time, Frequent Miler is experimenting 1 million miles/points challenge in one month so I guess it's possible (hey I'm looking at you Hilton/Delta.)
It's just amazed me how can people "earn" 1 million per year and let alone 2 million per 3 "months"??? I think there will be a lot of inflated number. It's human nature to bluff.
I have about 280k with my primary airline after having burned close to 300k in the past 13 months. Total hotel points across programs is probably about 500k. Other airline points total about 40k. So maybe about 700k across all programs.
I try not to have too many stocked up - I'm more of an 'earn & burn' person.
@AC -- No bluffing here. My household consists of two people with top status on three airlines (AA, DL, UA) who flew roughly 300,000 paid butt-in-seat miles last year, earning about 1.25 million miles from flying alone. On top of that, we each got 225,000 miles through credit cards, for a total of 1.35 million miles. Add on top of that hotel/car rental earnings, credit card spending, shopping portals, transfer bonuses, etc., and it looks...
@AC -- No bluffing here. My household consists of two people with top status on three airlines (AA, DL, UA) who flew roughly 300,000 paid butt-in-seat miles last year, earning about 1.25 million miles from flying alone. On top of that, we each got 225,000 miles through credit cards, for a total of 1.35 million miles. Add on top of that hotel/car rental earnings, credit card spending, shopping portals, transfer bonuses, etc., and it looks like I underestimated our earnings -- they were closer to 3 million miles for 2012! I really should start a blog... :)
I used my Award Wallet total for he poll but as we know it doesn't include certain airline programs that I don't use as much any longer.
@RakSiam -- Yes (well, me + SO). We earn 2 million per year, so it is difficult to get the balances down. At least we have gotten our burn up to 2 million per year, so the balances have stopped growing!
The glut of spending and signup bonuses have me at a level I never thought possible ... I was in the 1,xxx,xxx range 3 months ago, about to hit 3,xxx,xxx, and that was even after some burning!
Maybe add at least a 5,000,000+ category?
Isn't 2 million a little on the low side for a max?
@Gene, your category is the 2 million+ category, duh :)
Why are you sitting on 10 million+ miles/points?
Where's the 10 million+ category for me?
Finally at the point where I can consistently bring in 200k+ a month in pts/miles so even with a lot of bookings easy to have a large amt in reserve for the big trips.
Love penis measurement exercises. How big is yours?
@Linda T, @cyby
Since Lucky wrote 'you have', I'd say, not the miles and points already spent, just the current account balances added togehter.
Otherwise, it would have been 'you have ever earned'.
That's the way I see it. And I guess, Deirdre sees it the same way.
And, yes, I second janyyc. How about you, Lucky?
Does this include the ones I've spent over the years?
How about you?
My total of airline miles and hotel points is about 230k.
When adding Amex MR, Payback, and Subcard points, I'm at almost 285k.
Do you mean miles/points currently available to be redeemed or earned ever...I am not quite sure what you are asking for...
Hmm, missed the last poll, but I'm at 70 at the moment.
As far as points and miles, well, just booked a ton, so I have less than 100k all told. They were all spent well, though.
Mmmmmaldives, for example.
If there's anyone in that 2 million and up wants to book awards for strangers...I'll volunteer myself, and even let you pick the place, so long as I don't end up in Bujumbura again.