Frequent Flyer Funnies: The Long, Hilarious Road to a “Free” Airline Ticket

by BoardingArea | May 3, 2024 | 2 Comments

Ever looked at your hotel loyalty points and felt like you were on a marathon with no finish line? Well, you’re in good company. Our inaugural #FrequentFlyerFunnies takes ‘loyalty’ to new heights… or should we say lengths?

Take a peek at the comic below where our intrepid travelers calculate just how many nights they need to bag that elusive free flight. It’s a laughably long stay – 274 nights, to be exact. And the catch? A daily game of hotel hopscotch with check-ins and check-outs. Talk about dedication!

A comic depicting a couple in a hotel room with the man excitedly telling the woman, 'If we stay another 274 nights, we’ll earn a free airline ticket!' He is sitting at a desk with a sign that says 'Frequent Stay Program', smiling and looking at his computer. The woman, unpacking a suitcase, does not look amused as the man adds, '...Course, we’ll have to check out and back in each day!' Caption below: 'Why is it that one person is smiling and the other is not? “It’s not the destination (free airline ticket), it’s the journey (274 hotel nights)

What the Comic Shows:

A couple is surrounded by the all-too-familiar chaos of a hotel stay. Amidst the unpacked luggage, one has discovered a ‘reward’ that’s almost too Herculean to consider. The punchline? They’re in it for the long haul – plus the daily grind of check-out and check-in rituals.

Punchline:

“If we stay another 274 nights, we’ll earn a free airline ticket!”
“…’Course, we’ll have to check out and back in each day!”

Why We’re Chuckling:

The humor is in the hyperbole – a free ticket at the cost of practically moving into the hotel! It’s a playful jab at the sometimes absurd points system that many of us frequent flyers know all too well.

Dive Deeper with Us:

This week’s comic pokes fun at the extreme lengths some of us go to for a “free” ticket. It’s humorous, yes, but it also sheds light on the sometimes absurd realities of loyalty programs. Let’s peel back the layers together:

  • System Gamed or Game System?: Have you ever stopped to think if we are gaming the system, or has the system gamed us? Share your thoughts or experiences where the chase for points might have felt a bit more consuming than the rewards received.
  • Practicality in Points: We all love accumulating points, but when does it become impractical? Were there times when you felt you went too far for too little?
  • Real-Life Laughs: Surely, this comic must remind some of you of bizarre or funny incidents during your stays. What’s the strangest situation your loyalty program commitments have put you in?
  • Broader Implications: This comic, while humorous, can be seen as a critique of modern consumer behavior or corporate loyalty incentives. What are your thoughts on how these programs shape our travel decisions and habits?
Frequent Flyer Funnies
Also on BoardingArea
View from the Wing
Amex Platinum Turns An $895 Fee Into $2,800+ In Perks—And Earns 175,000 Points: Right For You?
American Express Platinum Card® has gotten much better. I kind of hate admitting that, because I don’t love expensive credit cards bundled with statement credits. But there’s so much value here now, it’s hard not to get this card if you can. And there’s an initial bonus offer as...
{Tech} for Travel
Edifier ES20 Speaker Review: Budget Sound Done Right
Edifier ES20 Speaker Review: The Edifier ES20 delivers premium performance on a budget. A flawless 5-star effort.{Tech} for Travel Credit Tech for Travel ...
PointsMath
Buy Avianca LifeMiles with up to 165% Bonus Miles [1.25¢ or ₹1.10/Mile]
Avianca is a member of Star Alliance. Its frequent flyer program is excellent for redeeming miles on Star Alliance airlines due to the fewer miles required than other airlines and low taxes. It is one of the valuable airmiles programs. You can transfer HDFC Points to your Avianca Lifemiles account...
PointsMath
Buy Flying Blue Miles with up to 45% discount [1.68¢ or ₹1.48/Mile]
Flying Blue is the miles currency of Air France and KLM, a SkyTeam Alliance member. You can transfer your Axis Bank and HDFC Bank Points to your Flying Blue account in India. If you’re short of miles, buying them can make sense. Buying Flying Blue Miles until 5 November 2025...
Frequent Miler
Singapore Airlines: Long haul premium economy to/from the US starting at 36K
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is out with its latest list of “Spontaneous Escapes,” which are discounted award redemptions that are only good for travel in the following calendar month. There are several routes available to/from North America this month, though be aware that Spontaneous Escapes bookings are completely inflexible and cannot...
PointsMath
Buy Air Canada Aeroplan Points with up to 90% Bonus [1.41¢ or ₹ 1.24/Point]
Air Canada is a member of the Star Alliance. Its frequent flyer program, Aeroplan, is one of the best since it has many airline partners, offers a stopover for just 5000 points and has a good availability of awards. You can always transfer HDFC Points, Axis Bank Points, HSBC TravelOne Card Miles or SBI...
Economy Class & Beyond
Discover Airlines to add Airbus A350s to its fleet, with plans for 40 aircraft in its entire fleet
Lufthansa Group’s leisure airline – Discover Airlines  – is preparing for a big fleet upgrade, with the Airbus A350 planned to join the fleet. The airline is progressing with its growth, with it planning to grow its fleet to 40 aircraft by mid-2028. Helping in that process will be the Airbus...
The Alviator
Cathay’s New Membership Changes: Easier Progression, Diluted Benefits
Cathay has rolled out some new membership changes for its loyalty programme. These changes mainly involve around easier progression opportunities, though Diamond members have more limited benefits than they had before, mainly due to the addition of a tier called “Diamond Exec”. Here’s what the changes are in summary, and which...
Miles To Memories
Save $70 on VRBO Bookings with New Amex Offer
Save $70 on VRBO Bookings with New Amex Offer American Express has a new Amex Offer out today that can save you $70 on VRBO bookings. This offer requires booking through a specific VRBO link and only applies to bookings of US properties. Let’s see the details. The Offer Earn a one-time $70...
One Mile at a Time
Buy Air France-KLM Flying Blue Miles For 45% Off (1.68 Cents Per Point)
Strategically buying miles & points for luxury travel can be a great deal. We’ve just seen the Air France-KLM Flying Blue program launch a new promotion on purchased miles. This offer is just about as good as the deals we see from Flying Blue program nowadays, since it has been...
Frequent Miler
Avianca LifeMiles on sale with a 165% Bonus (1.25 cents each)
Avianca has another bonus available on LifeMiles purchases; this time it’s up to a maximum of 165%. That brings the cost per mile down to 1.25 cents, which is just below our reasonable redemption value for LifeMiles of 1.3 cents each. At this price, buying for a high-value redemption could make...
ATX Jetsetter
The Detroit Airport is not Happy About the TSA Checkpoint Videos
The United States is currently experiencing its second week of a federal government shutdown with many federal workers furloughed. Essential employees, like Air Traffic Controllers and TSA Agents, are still reporting to work, just without pay. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been putting up videos near checkpoints, featuring Homeland...
Points With a Crew
5 reasons to sign up for the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
KEY LINK: Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card – Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. $0 annual fee. The Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card is a great card to add to your collection. With incredibly high rewards to be earned,...
Live and Let’s Fly
Review: Delta Air Lines A321neo First Class
I don’t think my Delta Air Lines A321neo flight from Los Angeles to Seattle in first class could have been smoother: fast, free Wi-Fi, a delicious lunch, and excellent service. Delta Air Lines A321neo First Class Review (LAX-SEA) I flew from Los Angeles to Chicago via Seattle because Delta offered a very...
{Tech} for Travel
Apple iPad Pro M5 launched with new M5 chip and AI boost
With the new M5 chip, the Apple iPad Pro M5 seamlessly blends desktop power with tablet versatility, catering to both creative professionals and travellers. Credit Apple ...
Your Mileage May Vary
What’s The Best Program To Book AA Award Flights?
I was looking for a flight between Miami (MIA) and Austin (AUS) and found a nonstop option on American Airlines that fit perfectly with my schedule. The cash price was $106, which is pretty cheap — but flights like that can also be a great place to find discounted award...
View from the Wing
Forget Flying — United Reveals To Wall Street MileagePlus Will Double Its Profits By 2030. Will It?
United Airlines made a fascinating shift in its third quarter earnings call on Thursday morning. They announced that their big growth in revenue over the next five years is going to come from their MileagePlus loyalty program, which they have big plans for. And they admitted to two...
Frequent Miler
Earn up to a $715 bonus with a new SoFi checking/savings account
SoFi has recently increased a stackable offer that can give you up to $715 back when opening a new checking/savings account. The shopping portal Swagbucks is offering a 41,500-point (~$415) bonus for opening a new SoFi Checking/Savings account by clicking through the portal link and making a $400 direct deposit within...
One Mile at a Time
The World’s Best & Worst Passports: Some Rankings Might Surprise You
You’ll often see rankings of the world’s most useful (or “powerful”) passports, in terms of the number of destinations that can be visited without a visa. The latest rankings have just been published, and the United States continues to slip… The world’s most & least powerful passports The latest Henley Passport Index...
Live from a Lounge
24 Hours Only: Earn INR 2000 cashback for Hotel Bookings
One of the easiest ways for customers to earn cashback on top of their purchases is by using the Cashback portal, Cashkaro. Once you sign up on the Cashkaro website, you can log in and then gain additional rewards on your purchase. For instance, you can visit the Amazon/Flipkart/Myntra website through...
Economy Class & Beyond
Cathay Group to update their frequent flyer programme, with full changes starting 2027
The Cathay Group has chosen to evolve and update its frequent flyer programme. Time to dig in a little. The new changes go into full effect from 1st January 2027, with them tapering in from 1st January 2026 as a transition period begins : Major changes include Status Points will no longer reset...
Dots, Lines, & Destinations
DLD 556: Asian Influence
Fozz and Stephan are off to Asia, talking shop along the way. Single-aisle long-haul, amenity kits, and much more in the conversation. Also in this episode: Fozz and Stephan head to Taipei A220 issues and airlines grounding them SFO craziness For our Patreon subscribers we have bonus content, including: Qatar thoughts Delta says they won’t fly single...
One Mile at a Time
Fascinating: How The Fake Airline Phone Number Scam Works
One of the most common scams in the airline industry involves “bad actors” claiming to be representatives for an airline, pretending they can help you with flight changes, when really they’re just scammers trying to profit off of you and screw you over. This whole concept recently went viral, when someone...
Live and Let’s Fly
Magnifica Air Promises “Private Class” Travel, But Its $14,995 Membership Fee Is A Mystery
Magnifica Air wants to redefine premium travel with an exclusive fleet and a buy-in membership, but it is the fine print of that membership, not the aircraft, that raises the most questions. Magnifica Air: $14,995 Membership Raises More Questions Than It Answers Magnifica Air has drawn attention for its promise of “private...

2 thoughts on “Frequent Flyer Funnies: The Long, Hilarious Road to a “Free” Airline Ticket

  1. If it doesn’t cost me more than I’m getting out of it, I’m “game” for whatever it is.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories

Our Bloggers