Next time you start thinking about how you really should manage airline miles more closely, go gaze at the stars for a minute.
Yes, the cosmos holds even more wisdom than you might think.
Here’s what to contemplate: Twenty trillion miles.
That’s roughly how many frequent-flier miles — minimum — the airline industry estimates are waiting to be claimed around the world at the moment, according to a recent San Diego Union-Tribune article.
Twenty trill-ion. Miles. How far is that? Glad you asked.
Let’s say that instead flying business class in a 747, you’re riding in the cargo bay aboard Voyager 1, which travels at about 39,000 mph. It’d take you 50,000 years to cover all 20 million of those unused miles.
How many stars are you seeing now?
OK, so first, unless you’re commuting between L.A. and, oh, Venus, you’re obviously not the only one who’s not cashing in their miles.
There’s enough guilt to go around among the world’s travelers.
But secondly — and this is the sad thing here — the airlines might have a little different take on the time/space continuum than you do.
In other words, you don’t have until infinity and beyond to use those miles.
Think of them, the Union-Tribune says, as an investment.
That’s why the paper suggests travelers consider consulting with sites like ours to make sure you’re managing your miles effectively, and not letting them slip off your radar.
“When it comes to frequent-flier miles,” the article says, “don’t agonize, organize.”
We agree. Contact us if you’d like some help navigating.
