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JOHNNY JET'S Q & A
With Frequent Flyer Guru: Randy Petersen

PROFILE

Randy heads up a number of travel related companies which began in 1986. These companies all evolve around frequent traveler programs and include InsideFlyer magazine, WebFlyer.com, FlyerTalk.com, MileageManager.com, AwardPlanner and The Official Frequent Flyer Guidebook. The Wall Street Journal refers to Randy as "... the most influential frequent flyer in America," while The New York Times tagged him "the world's leading expert on airline frequent flyer programs." Randy is editor and publisher of InsideFlyer. InsideFlyer has readers in all 50 U.S. states and 134 countries. He is also the editor of The Official Frequent Flyer Guidebook; a regular speaker at business travel seminars and conferences in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia; and is often called upon by the industry itself for his comments and suggestions about frequent traveler programs. Randy has been named to the "Frequent Traveler Hall of Fame" sponsored by the Hilton Hotel Corporation and has been named "One of the 25 Most Influential Executives in Business Travel Industry" by Business Travel News. Always busy, Randy is currently at work on a Mileage Donation Center (miledonor.com) for people to donate unused miles to charitable groups.

Some say his address says it all:
1930 Frequent Flyer Point
Colorado Springs, CO 80915

RANDY'S ANSWERS

HOW OFTEN DO YOU FLY?
honestly it seems I don't own my own schedule - others do, so my travel really changes daily. In years past I have traveled up to 200 days a year. I remember one month about three years ago where I only spent 1 whole day in Colorado, the rest was a series of international and domestic trips - all business. A normal year for me is about 250,000 actual flight miles.
IN A YEAR HOW MANY MILES/POINTS DO YOU EARN?
Good question. I'd say I average somewhere around a million a year. Obviously I maximize everything I do and run much of the business through credit cards and then there's my travel. I have my great years like when two years ago I did the infamous LatinPass trip and earned a million-mile bonus and then there's times like the last six months when travel and miles haven't been as normal to earn. And then of course the US Airways 'Come Fly With Me' tour last October with 56,000 actual flight miles in two weeks......
WHAT CLASS OF SERVICE DO YOU MOSTLY FLY IN?
as goofy as it may be, I'm a bona-fide coach kind of guy. I often get razzed from guys like Joe Brancatelli for my "cheap" habits, but you're more likely to see me in 22F than in 1A. And while from time to time I'll grovel for an international upgrade to biz class, I'm taking my girlfriend to Paris for 10 days in May and yes, we're both flying coach. I don't think of myself as a cheap flyer, it's just that I'd like to go more often and as much travel as I do, I've learned to 'numb' myself during travel in coach so it's no big deal. Actually with the new legroom on American in coach I'm just fine with that airline.
FAVORITE AIRLINE?
so this is your trick question? as much as I travel I've had the best and worst from all of them by now. Favorite, well domestically it's American because I simply love that extra legroom in coach and internationally I'm still a fairly huge fan of Virgin because of the entertainment and anticipation that they are going to do something different.
FAVORITE AIRCRAFT?
if your other question wasn't the trick question, then this must be it. Surely you'll embarrass me when everyone finds out that I don't know one aircraft from another. In other words, I simply get on these things to go somewhere and have no interest in aviation, let alone knowing how an airplane flies. all I know is that a 747 is a big plane and all the others are smaller and honestly couldn't tell the difference between a Boeing and an Airbus other than what their PR people tell me.
FAVORITE HOTEL?
as they say, it's location, location, location. I've got two domestic faves: the Marriott Solana near DFW in Texas because of the architecture and fact that it doesn't seem like a hotel and the Hyatt Regency LaJolla near San Diego which has a great pool area and better yet, an attached gym for a pickup basketball game. Like my attachment to coach class with airlines, I'm not much for those foo-foo hotels like the Ritz and the Four Seasons. I bet they are great, but can you really earn points and redeem for free nights?
FAVORITE AIRPORT?
Gee, kind of like picking out a new home..... In the U.S. I like the new San Francisco Airport (hate Kansas City), internationally I like Singapore (hate Heathrow) but my favorite really has to be Colorado Springs - then I know I'm home again.
FAVORITE CITY?
has to be San Francisco. I walk it well, I know it well and it's still the place to enjoy the best Dim Sum in the land. Besides, it ranks in the top three of most popular cities to redeem your frequent flyer miles to.
AISLE OR WINDOW?
Aisle forward non-bulkhead. Too bad that airlines just want to know aisle or window - there's so many other choices.
ETICKET OR PAPER?
Really, is there a choice? Heck, I'm not paying extra for a paper ticket. Just give me something that tells me when the flight leaves, all else doesn't matter to me.
TRAVEL AGENT OR ONLINE?
Got to be a travel agent. I absolutely have no desire to manage my own travel and can't for the life of me figure out how people have the time to research and book online - other than for the extra bonus miles.
FAVORITE TRAVEL WEBSITE?
I don't have a favorite. Really, with all the travel I do, the last thing I want to do is spend time online about travel. Of course for pure clinical research, there's no place like FlyerTalk.com. I'm not a destination travel person, but the people up there really know their miles and points and that is worth the read alone. I'm also a huge fan of JoeSentMe.com and that's all the farther I go on the Internet.
FAVORITE TRAVEL COMPANION?
It's got to be my girlfriend Julie. She's the perfect match for me, no apprehension of not getting to the airport 3 hours in advance or need to unpack your bag at the hotel. She's funny, willing to grovel for an upgrade if need be and totally the best. Outside of her, I love to connect and travel with any of the FlyerTalkers. The questions and insights and the instant camaraderie makes any trip that much more pleasurable when i meet them while flying around (look for their bright yellow luggage tags).
BEST TRAVEL TIP:
Never try to redeem your frequent flyer miles for 5 seats to Orlando in July for the family vacation - you'll live a lot longer and still be married if you make these kind of plans another time.