Brett Snyder, a self-professed airline dork, says he's had the bug since he was young. As a kid, he never missed a chance to go to LAX and pick up airline timetables and his grandmother even took him to an airport hotel for his birthday one year so he could watch the planes land. By the age of 12, he had become a travel agent and it wasn't long before he was volunteering at Traveler's Aid.
Since then, Brett has worked for USAir (before it was US Airways), America West (uh, also before it was US Airways), Eos (which still isn't US Airways), and United (which tried to buy US Airways but failed) mostly in revenue management, marketing, and sales. Today, he is out of the industry but the blog keeps him connected.
Brian Cohen first became a frequent flier in 1988 when he joined the OnePass frequent flier loyalty program, which at that time was shared by both Continental Airlines and Eastern Airlines. Shortly thereafter, he caught the fever of the obsession of miles, points and elite status and became a member of numerous frequent traveler loyalty programs -- an obsession which still exists today.
In 1992, he launched his own company, BRC Associates, Inc., of which he is currently President and Chief Executive Officer. Because his clients and customers are located all over the United States and in several other countries, Brian continues enjoying the opportunity to travel, earn points and miles, and maintain elite status.
Brian could have been an Original Member of FlyerTalk in 1998 had he not been overseas during its launch and had he not an aversion to joining an Internet bulletin board. However, the changes proposed by Delta Air Lines in December 2002 compelled him to finally join FlyerTalk after being a long-time "lurker" and he is now one of four Senior Moderators on FlyerTalk, as well as a co-moderator of two forums. He continues to earn countless points and miles, while maintaining elite status, visiting many places around the world, and meeting dozens of people he now considers friends of his -- all because of FlyerTalk.
Kiwi Flyer is an avid collector of points, miles and status. KF is usually on a plane or at an airport or at a do, and if not will be planning the next trip - with the best possible comfort vs cost vs frequent flyer benefits trade-off thanks to FlyerTalk. Kiwi aims to travel to all countries of the globe and currently has visited about 80 of them.
Ric is a writer in Monterey, California. He spent decades figuring how to get from here to there in an affordable way as a backpacker, hitchhiker, couch-surfer, and jetsetter. Hotels are his primary topical interest since he needs a place to stay when he gets there.
As an army brat he lived in 5 states and three years on U.S. bases in Germany. Numerous camping trips across Europe as an impressionable adolescent broadened his global perspective far more than his language skills. Crisscrossing the U.S. several times by car, more times by plane, and even Canada once by train, he still has not routed himself to Dakota - North or South.
Calculating how to earn enough miles and points to see the world in one life keeps him up some nights. He has participated in many travel loyalty program promotions, earning millions of inexpensive hotel points and airline miles, while traveling through more than 30 countries. His Loyalty Traveler objective is detecting authentic value in a pile of travel industry PR.
Ben is a college student and avid points collector living in Florida. He travels nearly 200,000 miles per year, mostly with United and the Star Alliance. He has visited over 30 countries and counting, and has a particular interest in the Asian-Pacific region. Beyond blogging on Boardingarea.com, being a student and traveling, Ben spends considerable time on FlyerTalk.com under the handle "lucky9876coins", serving on the TalkBoard, FlyerTalk's member elected board.
For almost two decades R. Keller, the founder of Pointswizard.com (also an educator and an MBA), has been strategizing to accumulate the maximum amount of points and miles in the shortest time possible.
His family has traveled to countless places around the world for free or for a minimum amount of money. Stories of his free trips spread amongst friends, families and even strangers. R. Keller's proclivities for business, education and points programs evolved naturally into a consulting program that allowed those outside of his immediate circle to be guided in his travel strategies.
R. Keller is dedicated to bringing you the latest information on points programs and how to easily accumulate points and miles, making the most out of every purchase or transaction. Read his blog for tips on how to fly or stay for free or at amazingly discounted prices, truly making the globe your playground.
Dan Webb is a college sophomore who has been obsessed with the airline industry since childhood. When his dad brought home an inflight magazine when he was eight, Dan began drawing the route map for "Dan Airways," and a passion was born. Dan enjoys writing about the airline industry and is trying to build up his collection of inflight magazines.
Upgrade: Travel Better is written by Mark Ashley, a writer and frequent traveler who lives by the blog's motto of "Living the first class life, at coach prices."
Mark's blog provides news, travel tips, and commentary on happenings and trends in the travel industry for the traveler looking to maximize comfort, style, and convenience, while getting a great deal. It is not a travelogue or traditional travel writing per se. The blog focuses primarily on the mechanics of travel, seen from a consumer's point of view
The blog began in February 2006 at the urging of friends, who felt that his travel and deal-finding experience needed a web presence. He's cashed in hundreds of thousands of miles over the years on vacations that he could not have easily afforded otherwise. He does not work in the travel industry (though he had a brief stint in the hospitality business many years ago.)
Gary Leff is Chief Financial Officer for a university research center, where he gets to hang out with Nobel laureates in economics, a member of the 9/11 Commission, and a New Zealand Cabinet Minister. He's also the Chairman of a non-profit that provides networking and professional development opportunities for young people in policy, politics, and journalism.
In addition to blogging about his miles and points obsession, he's currently the member-elected TalkBoard President and a senior moderator at Flyertalk.com. He has been cited or profiled in numerous publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Washington Post.