And yet. I keep doing it. I'm sure whatever it is I'm getting in return for my extra time and money would be cheaper if I just paid for it, right? I'm sure of it. But for some reason, I got sucked in. Last year I did it to reach the Silver status. I kid you not, New Year's Eve last year, I flew from Salt Lake City to Denver and back. I don't mean I went for a short trip. I mean I flew there. Stayed in the airport. And flew back. Same day. No tourism. No celebrating. My only purpose was to get those last few miles in so I could reach my status. And you want to know what's even crazier? I sat next to a guy who was doing THE EXACT SAME THING! Seriously - he was flying from Denver to Salt Lake for the same reason, which totally made me feel justified that maybe I wasn't actually crazy for doing it. HA. Just what the airlines want you to think.
So, this year, New Year's Eve, exactly one year later -- what am I doing? I'm taking one extra flight to LA to make sure I hit my Gold status. It's addicting. I can't help it. I even made a spreadsheet so I could track my status and insure I get my Gold. Well, a few of my trips got cancelled so I ended up scrambling to fit just one more flight in before the end of the year. December 31. Last chance. So what do I get for all this? There's plenty of perks, but what are the things I'm most excited about? The priority security line. I already have it and now that I've tasted of that sweet nectar, I can't let it go. No joke. It's a life changer. Travelling is so different when you can plan to show up at the airport 45 minutes before your flight when you only have a carry-on and an hour ahead of time when you're checking your bag - because of course there's a priority check-in line too. It's pretty sweet. The other thing, well two things I'm excited about: 1 - I get 2 free checked bags up to 70 lbs each! (despite the picture, I rarely even check a bag) and 2 - that I get to book a complimentary Economy Plus seat at the time of my booking instead of when I check in. Was it a big deal to wait? No. Is the seat that much bigger? Nope. But those are my 2 things - 3 really. Ridiculous? Probably. But they make you feel special and they make it addicting and I got sucked in.
