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Roll Call Thread Part III - Including Maps of Our Locations in 1st Post

Roll Call Thread Part III - Including Maps of Our Locations in 1st Post

Old Jan 9, 2008, 4:51 pm
  #61  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: PHX
Programs: AA1MM, QF/NZ/VA/UA/DL, etc...
Posts: 516
Randy / 39 / PHX / Phoenix

Hi everyone!

I finally figured to check the roll call thread after looking around the site and being distracted by forums like SQ and the amazingly busy UAL...

My profile has my main memberships and I split my time between the USA (where I'm from) and NZ (having permanent residence there). I work as a solo contracting psychiatrist and love to travel. I usually am working too hard to have many hobbies, but like all the usual stuff like movies, restaurants, wine, blah blah...

My partner of 2.5 yrs is Chinese Malaysian and is in NZ while we work on the uphill battle for US Residency for him. Even thought we've been in a committed, monogamous relationship, lord knows the Federal govt won't recognize our relationship, but hey, any str8 guy can go over and pick up a mailorder bride and get her instantly into the country!

Anyway, enough of my soapbox!

I look fwd to hopefully getting to know some of you - have a great 2008!
RandyNZ is offline  
Old Jan 9, 2008, 5:03 pm
  #62  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Priceline Titanium
Posts: 1,402
Welcome to the forum, RandyNZ and I hope the slog through immigration goes as smoothly as possible.
FlyBalletGuy is offline  
Old Jan 10, 2008, 2:47 am
  #63  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mainz, Germany
Programs: AAdvantage, SkyMiles
Posts: 45
Brian/38/FRA/Mainz

Flyertalk shows up in Google a lot when I am searching for the answers to obscure questions. After reading a few posts every few months, I finally felt called to write some advice myself recently, which required registering, and then I discovered the roll call while browsing the forum, so here I am.

I live about 25 km (15 mi) west of the Frankfurt airport. My most frequent route is FRA-ORD, as my parents live in CMI. In the 1990s, when I was a grad student in PHL with a German bf, I got enough miles with BA Executive Club to get a free transatlantic trip, but stopped collecting there after that. 2002 I started with Lufthansa Miles and More, but due to their mile expiration rules (not as good as US programs), no longer really try at Star Alliance anymore. 2004 Swiss was offering a much better fare trans-Atlantic, but I had wised up to the US-partner-airline idea and started with AAdvantage (this was before they moved to Star Alliance), and about the same time AA displaced UA as offering the better FRA-ORD deals, and my parents asked me to figure out a way to get rid of their AAdvantage miles (ca. 50k each), which I used for transatlantic upgrades twice for me and my bf. Still haven't made elite status (2007 I was just about 2000 miles short and considered a year-end mileage run, but that conflicted with holiday blackouts for discounted fares) anywhere ever, but I guess the fact that I am considering mileage runs, even if not taking them, means I should sign up for this forum, right?

The SkyMiles is a recent result of a LAX-LMM/CUU-GDL-PVR trip, where I booked the "outbound" on Delta Connection and the "return" on AeroMexico, then Delta cancelled the first and put me on AM LAX-HMO-LMM, charged $75 extra, and gave me a $75 voucher for a future Delta trip. I figured I might as well get some miles for all that as well, and have just spent the voucher for an upcoming DL flight FRA-JFK-FLL/FLL-ATL-FRA in February. We'll see if the mileage program amounts to anything for me.
ConradMZ is offline  
Old Jan 10, 2008, 7:13 am
  #64  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Priceline Titanium
Posts: 1,402
We're glad you found us, ConradMZ - welcome to the forum. (It's funny. I only got here in 2004 and I can't recall how I found FT. Was it a Google search as well?)

Glad to see you've already jumped into the discussions - enjoy yourself!
FlyBalletGuy is offline  
Old Jan 12, 2008, 2:16 pm
  #65  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA EXP, Hertz #1 President's Circle, SPG Platinum
Posts: 275
Franklin/31/DFW/Dallas, TX

I've been on FT for a couple of months now, mostly lurking in the AA forums. I ran across this forum by accident last week and have been looking around. What a great forum!

I work in IT as a consultant, mostly in the hospitality industry. I live in Dallas but I'm never here, gone every week. Because of a job I'm on now, most of my time is spent in "fabulous las vegas"

Thanks to my first MR last year (LAS-ORD-MKE,MKE-ORD-LAS) I secured my EXP status in late November. (I didn't want to end up like my friend taking 6 trips DAL-AUS in 2 days just after Christmas)
I've read about the Gayla in SFO and am hoping to attend that, going to try Virgin American for the first time as they fly direct LAS-SFO.
DFWSkylink is offline  
Old Jan 12, 2008, 2:25 pm
  #66  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Priceline Titanium
Posts: 1,402
Welcome to the forum, DFWSkylink, and looking forward to seeing you in SFO!
FlyBalletGuy is offline  
Old Jan 12, 2008, 2:29 pm
  #67  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mainz, Germany
Programs: AAdvantage, SkyMiles
Posts: 45
Speaking of Gaylas, I was wondering if there are any ever held east of the Atlantic?
ConradMZ is offline  
Old Jan 12, 2008, 3:24 pm
  #68  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Priceline Titanium
Posts: 1,402
As far as I know, there have been mixed Do's in Europe frequently (Boo-Do in Sitges was mixed with a very gay vibe from what I can tell) but a Gayla that's primarily sponsored by this forum's readers hasn't happened in full blown form yet (ecaarch put together a great London mini-do in late November of 2006) but there has been interest. All that's needed is an organizer, persistence and opportune scheduling. I first wanted to do an NYC Gayla in late '04 after the Philadelphia one - I finally made it happen in June of '07.
FlyBalletGuy is offline  
Old Jan 12, 2008, 7:51 pm
  #69  
Moderator: GLBT Travelers & Hyatt Gold Passport
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: CVG
Posts: 15,300
Gaylas (as all of Flyertalk Dos in general) are not "official" events but just something that is arranged by members - so they can happen anywhere at any time. Take the attitude of "build it and they'll come"
peteropny is offline  
Old Jan 14, 2008, 8:21 pm
  #70  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Mileage Plus, Skymiles, EleVAte founding member, SPG
Posts: 1,910
Originally Posted by FlyBalletGuy
As far as I know, there have been mixed Do's in Europe frequently (Boo-Do in Sitges was mixed with a very gay vibe from what I can tell)
Plan a Do in Sitges and I'm there. Just say the word. And from NYC to BCN on Swiss through Zurich is a whole lotta miles!
wiredboy10003 is offline  
Old Jan 14, 2008, 10:35 pm
  #71  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SFO by way of YYZ
Programs: AC SE MM, UA Silver, DL SIlver, Marriott TE/LTPE, HH Gold,
Posts: 250
Andrew/29/SFO/Palo Alto

Yet another newbie to the FT world <waves to the crowd>. Introduced to it this morning by a super nice fellow FTer "NJTravelers". Seems as though I suffer from jet lag quite a lot, so this seems like a nice community to be part of ha ha ha.

Combo traveler - work and leisure. Started off as a starving student traveler, taking one trip a year and spending the next 12 months paying off the VISA card. Oh, how I miss those days ......

A Canuck by heart and by passport I moved to the SF Bay Area 2.5 years ago after being recruited out of grad school to work for a pharma company here. Most travel is for work, and mostly international. Have had the pleasure of spending a lot of time in Australia the past two years, as well as nice parts of Europe as well. All of my family and good friends are in Canada, so there are routine trips to YYZ, YVR and YYC to visit them all, grab a Timmy's large double double and shower my little niece and nephews with toys and trinkets from around the globe that I pick up.

Try to do two big/bigger trips a year - 2006 was Peru and Spain, 2007 was all work and NO PLAY, so 2008 is going to be (hopefully) Mt. Kilimanjaro and/or a cycling trip in Cambodia/Vietnam, with hopefully some extensions to business travel in Nice, France and Berlin. And a "sanity regaining" beach lazy venture to Peurto Vallarta at the end of this month ...... no blackberry allowed.

For some reason, I stuck with AC for my FF program - I am SE, but I wonder if that actually means anything. I've been spoiled lately with being able to use SSWU and NAU upgrades off of cheap Latitude fares to YVR, but usually my main benefit is the lounge and the pre-15 hour flight cocktails and WiFi. If anyone has tips on how to maximize you status potential, I'd love to hear them.

Thank you
mugatu is offline  
Old Jan 15, 2008, 6:39 am
  #72  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Priceline Titanium
Posts: 1,402
Welcome to FT, mugatu! We're glad you found us.

I do need to mention though, that I believe it is against the Flyertalk Terms of Service to attempt to brainwash any member of the forum to assassinate the prime minister of Malaysia. Kindly do not attempt this.

(and don't forget the SF Gayla at the end of the month!)
FlyBalletGuy is offline  
Old Jan 15, 2008, 4:25 pm
  #73  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: AA, DL, TK
Posts: 230
Gerry / 49 / BOS / Boston

Hi, I've recently de-lurked and am happy to join the roll call here! I'm a manager with a big pharma co - business trips way down in the last year but still enough travel for fun & family to maintain status. My partner's family is just outside KUL, so at least one big trip every year or so plus transcon and/or TA holidays. Have not met any FTers in person yet, but the forums have been very valuable, such as detailing use of ANA web to find *A award itineraries to anywhere, and providing candid feedback on all the major global carriers.

Dreading the upcoming big five-oh, but looking forward to celebrating with a long weekend in SAN
Gerbs is offline  
Old Jan 15, 2008, 7:32 pm
  #74  
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA 2MM PLT, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Platinum, Marriott Silver, Hilton Gold
Posts: 425
Wade/38/DFW/Dallas

I've been a member on here a couple of years now, and FlyerTalk helped push me up to EXP from PLT on AA, as well as finally cross over 1MM. On my way to the second as quickly as I can! And I'm going on about my 8th month without missing an upgrade, so that has me REALLY jazzed!

I'm very excited about finally making it down to South America this year, and I'm sure I'll hit Europe a time or two as well. And of course, I'm always looking for someone fun to take a trip with.....as long as it's on OneWorld!
DFWFlyer2 is offline  
Old Jan 15, 2008, 7:41 pm
  #75  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Priceline Titanium
Posts: 1,402
Welcome Gerbs and DFWFlyer2! Gerbs - it's great you de-lurked, and that DFWFlyer2 found our corner of FT. I gather you're not "alliance versatile," eh?
FlyBalletGuy is offline  

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