the.com/frequent flyer
Someone who traded their circadian rhythm for a loyalty number and free upgrades.
means A traveler who flies often enough, usually on business, to rack up miles and elite status with an airline.
from A 20th-century compound built straight from its parts — 'frequent' (Latin frequens, meaning crowded or repeated) plus 'flyer' (from 'fly,' Old English fleogan). It took off as marketing language once airlines launched loyalty programs rewarding repeat customers with miles, upgrades, and status tiers — the term describing both the traveler and the program itself.
- origin
- term coined by airlines in the 1970s
- top tier secret
- status matters more than ticket price
- real currency
- miles outlive the airlines that issue them
- paradox
- elite status often means more time in airports