Ski-Air Travel

[jamesdeluxe]

I often find SW to be the most expensive. Their pricing engine seems very basic where no last minute discounts if a route is undersold.

As mentioned upthread, I'm often shocked by the fire-sale prices that United uses to sell out a flight that's 80% full. That may be a function of being based at one of its major hubs but still. And if that doesn't work, there's always the standby maneuver for nonstop flights (especially between hubs with numerous flights a day): virtually foolproof.

 

[Tony Crocker]

There are so many credit card 'miles' floating around that have nothing to do with actual travel that the airlines have been essentially forced to raise the bar ever higher for various status levels lest everyone on the whole plane have some sort of status for their one or two trips per year.

The credit card companies are a significant source of revenue for the airlines. They are also insurance against unforeseen disasters like COVID because that revenue is fairly independent of airline travel.

Delta has overhauled its program a couple of times, but there always seems to be an avenue toward Gold Level status with my concentrated credit card spending. COVID helped me because Delta didn't reset start of year values to zero for a couple of years. Since I was continuing to both travel and spend, I ended up at Platinum level for 3 years.

Interestingly, my now permanent Gold status due to being a Million Miler is possibly a disincentive to use the AMEX card so much. I don't spend enough in one year to make Platinum, so why not use the credit card spending for someone else's perks instead?

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Back to the topic of getting sleep on long-haul flights to minimize jet lag upon landing. Another article claiming that you can do it without pills or alcohol. I'll save you the time of clicking it and paste the purported solution below. Basically meditation and I'm skeptical.

Dr. Terblanche’s method, which she dubs “going over the Alpha Bridge,” is all about focusing on breathing and counting. She claims it will help you fall asleep “pretty much anywhere,” allowing you to get rest during your flight and arrive at your destination feeling refreshed. Here’s how it works:​

​

• First, sit back in your seat, close your eyes, and count to 30.​

• Then, slightly open your eyes (just a little) and count to five.​

• Repeat the first two steps.​

• After completing two cycles, keep your eyes closed and shift your focus to your breathing. Follow your breath as it moves in and out of your nostrils.​

​

The beauty of this technique lies in its simplicity. Dr. Terblanche says most people fall asleep during the first cycle, and if you don’t, you can simply repeat the process until you do. This method blends a deep-breathing exercise (which promotes the production of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone) and mindfulness, a science-backed method of relaxation.​

 

[jasoncapecod]

Back to the topic of getting sleep on long-haul flights to minimize jet lag upon landing. Another article claiming that you can do it without pills or alcohol. I'll save you the time of clicking it and paste the purported solution below. Basically meditation and I'm skeptical.

Dr. Terblanche’s method, which she dubs “going over the Alpha Bridge,” is all about focusing on breathing and counting. She claims it will help you fall asleep “pretty much anywhere,” allowing you to get rest during your flight and arrive at your destination feeling refreshed. Here’s how it works:​

​

• First, sit back in your seat, close your eyes, and count to 30.​

• Then, slightly open your eyes (just a little) and count to five.​

• Repeat the first two steps.​

• After completing two cycles, keep your eyes closed and shift your focus to your breathing. Follow your breath as it moves in and out of your nostrils.​

​

The beauty of this technique lies in its simplicity. Dr. Terblanche says most people fall asleep during the first cycle, and if you don’t, you can simply repeat the process until you do. This method blends a deep-breathing exercise (which promotes the production of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone) and mindfulness, a science-backed method of relaxation.​

Maybe this works on lie flat seats
In the back of the bus where I sit, it’s like trying to fall asleep on a kitchen chair
I’ll try this in 2 weeks
I have a long haul coming up

 

[berkshireskier]

If ONLY it were that easy! I think she ignores the incredibly uncomfortable sleeping position (at least in coach), the lack of total darkness (even on "night" flights); the noise from the jet engines; the noise and distraction from the flight attendants and passengers moving around the plane; the jostling of the plane in turbulent air, etc. - all of which make it very hard for many, if not most, people to get any restful sleep on a plane.

 

[jasoncapecod]

If ONLY it were that easy! I think she ignores the incredibly uncomfortable sleeping position (at least in coach), the lack of total darkness (even on "night" flights); the noise from the jet engines; the noise and distraction from the flight attendants and passengers moving around the plane; the jostling of the plane in turbulent air, etc. - all of which make it very hard for many, if not most, people to get any restful sleep on a plane.

Except for my wife
Falls asleep before we even taxi

 

[ChrisC]

Except for my wife
Falls asleep before we even taxi

Unholy

 

[MarzNC]

Except for my wife
Falls asleep before we even taxi

Wasn't a long haul, but I just did that for a red-eye flight from SLC to BWI. Have always been able to sleep on overnight flights to Europe. For flights to China, I pretend the flight covers two "days." I sleep 4-5 hours after the first meal. Then deliberately stay awake the rest of the flight so that I'm more likely to sleep half-way decently the first night in a hotel. Helps to be petite and fit in any seat.

I use an eye mask for darkness, but don't need ear plugs for sound.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Helps to be petite and fit in any seat.

I agree seat configuration is important. Those Emirates A380 seats a year ago are just big/wide/reclinable enough to work for a large number of people like Liz who normally have a lot of trouble sleeping on planes.

I cannot predict well when I will sleep and when not. I usually sleep some, but often it's "shallow sleep." Coming back from Europe April 8 I was up the whole time with TR's, movie and reading from Milan to Atlanta, but slept hard nearly the entire ATL-LAX flight.

 

[Tony Crocker]

The Points Guy explains the Xs and Os of Tony's feat. The underlined part is what would kill me.

How long does it take to earn Million Miler status?​

Earning 1 million lifetime flight miles is not easy. Even if you earn 100,000 lifetime flight miles per year, it'll take you a decade to earn 1 million lifetime flight miles.

If you qualify for lifetime elite status entirely on one-way flights from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) — a distance of 2,579 miles — here's what it would take to secure status for life:

• Gold Medallion: 388 flights

Of course, if you frequently travel on long-haul routes, you can achieve Delta Million Miler status with fewer flights. However, remember that basic economy fares won't accrue any lifetime flight miles toward Delta Million Miler status.

I reviewed my travel since the late 1980's and came up with most of how I got the million miles.

30 trips to East Coast/Caribbean ~150K
12.5 trips to Europe ~140K (The .5 had a return via Iceland on Icelandair), also excludes 2004 and 2013 Alps trips on other airlines
7.5 trips to Asia ~120K (the .5 had last year's return via Emirates)
7 trips to South America ~100K
South Africa 2002 + Egypt 2006 ~35K
Pacific ~20K (2 Hawaii + one way Tahiti 2019) That assumes zero for all the Oz/NZ travel
Subtotal ~565K

It appears that during the decade of Medallion Qualification Miles bonuses (2014-2023) for AMEX spending I was getting 30K per year ~300K

Total ~865K doesn't include short trips in western US and Canada. Also a lot of those East Coast/Caribbean trips were not nonstops and may have accrued more than 5K per trip. There may have been a couple of years there where I got more than 30K in card bonuses.

Basic economy is a very recent development, since COVID I think. The vast majority of the above travel was on tickets cheapest available or using FF miles. I won't use basic economy now; the limitations aren't really worth the modest price difference vs. "main cabin."

 

[Sbooker]

Maybe this works on lie flat seats
In the back of the bus where I sit, it’s like trying to fall asleep on a kitchen chair
I’ll try this in 2 weeks
I have a long haul coming up

I too hang at the back of the plane. I too have a long haul in the coming weeks.
I'll be disappointed if I don't get an unbroken 6 hours at some point and a total of 9 hours. I'll report back.

 

[Sbooker]

I use an eye mask for darkness, but don't need ear plugs for sound.

An eye mask and ear plugs are essential tools for my flight sleep.