How to Get Your Better Half Addicted to Earning Miles

How many of you have heard the expression “a happy wife is a happy life”?  Someone is going to have to tell me if that works in reverse too, although I have my doubts.  This is very true when you have a passion for collecting miles and points.  Here are the steps I have experienced with my own lovely spouse (all Army wives are “lovely” when introduced) and this hobby/ obsession of mine.

Here’s how things evolved between my wife and I regarding mileage programs:

1.  You’re collecting “miles”?  What’s a mile?

2.  Why are your spending so much time on the computer?  What is this “Flyertalk”?  Are there women on there?  You better not be talking to women on there.

3.  Another credit card?!  How many credit cards do you need?  You got one for me too?  OK, I’ll use it!

4.  Hurry up we going to be late for the airport!  What do you mean we get to use a special line through security?

5.  We have to hurry on board to find a place for my carry on.  You got upgraded?  First Class, really?  You’re giving it to me?

6.  And they had free wine, the dinner came with a salad first, and then they came out with a cart just to serve ice cream sundaes, and I could recline all the way, and…

7.  You got free tickets for me and Stephanie (our daughter) to visit your folks?  That’s good, why didn’t you get a free one for yourself?  Status?  What status?

8.  So I just show this card everytime I fly and I can be a Gold too?  I have how many miles in my account?  How many First Class tickets is that?

9.  We are all flying First Class?  Oooh, I wonder what they are serving for dinner?  You better not drink too much wine.

10.  I hate staying at your parents house for Christmas, you know how noisy it is and..we don’t have to stay there?  What are hotel points?

11.  And I didn’t get upgraded!  Don’t they know I am a Gold?! ! Humph!

12.  So if I fly from Anchorage to Boston, get off the plane and get back on the same plane, that will give me enough miles to make Gold again this year?  A Mileage Run, huh?  OK, I can do that to maintain Gold.

Well, that been my experience over the years, anyway.  Just tell them to bear with you in the beginning of collecting miles.  Once they get an upgrade or two, they will start to see the benefits.  Don’t try to explain all your knowledge on the subject at this point.  Let’s face it – miles and points are not easy to understand!  Start with collecting miles for free tickets and then introduce them to all the other uses such as status and credit cards.

After that you will start to find that they become as fanatical as you to keep that status and all the good stuff that goes with it.  My wife does mileage runs in order to keep her Gold status, and she is fine with it, although my daughter is horrified what I am doing to a 53 year old mature woman.  Why do I always get blamed for these things?

The wife and I are doing a mileage run together from BWI to SIN in November because she wants me to keep my United 1K for another year.  She is flying in International FC on my miles while I am back in coach earning my status, but she said she will think of me…

I confess, it is not a true MR as we will spend 4 (free)nights there to celebrate our 25th anniversary.  She has become a true convert to the cause (and an AS MVP Gold for the last five years running)!