All the Single Ladies...

To the other female priority passengers out there:

You're not alone. But it might seem like it.

Next time you're in business class, waiting to board with the other priority customers, or hanging out in the lounge, take note of how many women there are in the vicinity. Don't count the ladies who are obviously there with their 1k husbands/lovers and are reaping the benefits of being on the same itinerary. I'm talking about the lone female road warriors. Not very many, are there?

I'm in the club right now, and I count four women (including me) out of 40+.

I have many theories about this (glass ceiling, family priorities, etc). Your thoughts?

The Territorialist

...that's what I'm calling the breed of jerk I encountered in the an international business seat next to me on a recent trip. This particular animal likes to mark his territory; don't be surprised if you catch him peeing in on the floor near his seat. Observed Territorialist behavior:

• Strategic overhead bin hogging
• Crowding the shared armrest/console area with drinks, menus, warm nuts etc
• Flailing limbs while "sleeping"
• Constant annoying requests from the FAs for special treatment

Ok dude, we get it. You're Global Services and you think you're the shiz. But if you're really so great, why weren't you in First?

Worth it to Stick with One Carrier to Rack Up Miles?

Short answer: Hell yeah!

Longer, more intelligent and nuanced answer:

Is it worth it in the long run to only fly one airline to rack up the miles?

In fact, this answer over on Quora, from a fellow named Michael McGraw-Herdeg, so captures the way we feel about frequent flyering that we wanted to share it with you. And if someone asks you how you can stand all that travel, refer them to Michael's insights – we think it's the most articulate explanation of the benefits of brand-commited flight, so we're telling you about it.

Here's an excerpt, which we feels sums it all up so well. According to Michael,

The real benefits of being a frequent traveler on one airline are all about familiarity. If you take 10 flights on American, versus 10 flights on 10 different carriers, you'll start to understand exactly what is going on during your trip. You'll go from "I am a zombie in transit and I hope things work out OK" to "I understand completely what is happening and I have some control over the outcome."

And if you don't think Michael got it right – or if he missed an important aspect – leave a comment and tell us.

Photo by Derek Steen via Creative Commons

10M Miles

You think you fly a lot? Meet Tom Stuker, United's newly-minted 10 million mile flyer.

Congrats to Tom! But wow, that's a lot of time in the air. I love racking up the miles as much as anyone. But to me, his accomplishment is equal parts amazing and awesome, with a hefty dose of "depressing" mixed in.

I'd like my name on a plane, though...

Photo above from United's Facebook page.