American with lifetime United Airlines pass has flown over 23m miles to more than 100 countries
American Tom Stuker isn’t your typical frequent flyer. The 69-year-old man from New Jersey bought a lifetime pass from United Airlines three decades ago and has flown more than 23m miles and visited more than 100 countries since then. Stuker had paid US$290,000 (S$391,000) for the pass in 1990, according to the Washington Post, a decision he said was the “best investment of my life”. He has flown about 22m miles more than the 953,000 miles Apollo 11 spacecraft clocked in 1969 to take Neil Armstrong to the moon. In 2019 alone, Stuker’s mileage from 373 flights covered more than six trips to the moon. Had he paid cash for those flights, it would have cost US$2.4m. On top of the great value he gets for flights, Stuker has been able to “live like a sultan” from the frequent flyer miles he has accrued. He passed the 5m-mile mark in 2009, according to aviation news site Simple Flying, and passed the 10m mile mark in 2019. According to Washington Post, he has enjoyed lavish hotel suites all around the world, week-long cruises and gourmet meals from Perth to Paris. He also had used miles to “redo his brother’s house” and in the process once cashed US$50,000 worth of Walmart gift cards in a single day. Stuker also won a charity auction to make a cameo appearance in an episode of the hit sitcom Seinfeld by bidding 451,000 air miles. United Airlines has embraced their loss leader. They asked for his input in crafting the menu of their new Polaris clubs and have a Mercedes ready on the airport tarmac if he needs to make a quick connection.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-06-26/star/american-with-lifetime-united-airlines-pass-has-flown-over-23m-miles-to-more-than-100-countries
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American with lifetime United Airlines pass has flown over 23m miles to more than 100 countries
American Tom Stuker isn’t your typical frequent flyer. The 69-year-old man from New Jersey bought a lifetime pass from United Airlines three decades ago and has flown more than 23m miles and visited more than 100 countries since then. Stuker had paid US$290,000 (S$391,000) for the pass in 1990, according to the Washington Post, a decision he said was the “best investment of my life”. He has flown about 22m miles more than the 953,000 miles Apollo 11 spacecraft clocked in 1969 to take Neil Armstrong to the moon. In 2019 alone, Stuker’s mileage from 373 flights covered more than six trips to the moon. Had he paid cash for those flights, it would have cost US$2.4m. On top of the great value he gets for flights, Stuker has been able to “live like a sultan” from the frequent flyer miles he has accrued. He passed the 5m-mile mark in 2009, according to aviation news site Simple Flying, and passed the 10m mile mark in 2019. According to Washington Post, he has enjoyed lavish hotel suites all around the world, week-long cruises and gourmet meals from Perth to Paris. He also had used miles to “redo his brother’s house” and in the process once cashed US$50,000 worth of Walmart gift cards in a single day. Stuker also won a charity auction to make a cameo appearance in an episode of the hit sitcom Seinfeld by bidding 451,000 air miles. United Airlines has embraced their loss leader. They asked for his input in crafting the menu of their new Polaris clubs and have a Mercedes ready on the airport tarmac if he needs to make a quick connection.<br/>
