While many of us view airline travel as a necessary evil, there are some people who actually like it and even consider it a hobby. A planeload of them gathered for a semi-regular event for passionate frequent fliers last week in which they flew around the U.S. in their own airliner and got to go behind the scenes at the American Airlines’ ops center and training facility along with a plant tour at Boeing’s 737 factory. According to the Associated Press story, pretending to be a ticket agent and using the slide in a simulated water evacuation were only parts of the attraction for the $1,700 ticket (the flight sold out in 17 minutes).
Sharing the flight with those who have common interests was a big draw for most of the self-described frequent flier geeks most of whom had some stories to tell. For instance, there was the guy who flew back and forth to Chicago from San Francisco on red eyes (showering at the airport before going to his Silicon Valley job) to get enough points to qualify for a special flight. It’s probably no surprise that these folks don’t get to talk for long about their hobby in most settings so the chance to have the seat in front of you reclined in your lap by a like-minded soul inspires celebration. American told AP the plane was stocked with four times as much liquor as a normal flight.
