Imagine if you could hop on an airplane anywhere in the world at a moment's notice without ever thinking about the cost.
Well, that's the life that my next guest lives.
Tom Steer is a sales and management consultant, mostly working in the auto industry.
In 1990 United Airlines was offering its customers a lifetime flying pass for unlimited travel.
Stucker jumped at the chance to invest in a companion pass.
That means that for the then hefty price of $510,000 he could fly with a partner first class on any future United Airlines flight.
He's now 69.
He's already traveled more than 23 million miles for Tom.
There's no such thing as a once in a lifetime type of trip.
He once brought a friend who loves Chinese food to Hong Kong for a meal and flew to Australia for a three hour 70 th birthday party.
He and his wife have taken over 100 honeymoons, but Stuer isn't just leaving with memories.
He's been racking up airline points and miles along the way.
Cashing in on high end hotel suites, gift cards, cruises and gourmet meals.
He once cashed $50,000 worth of Wal Mart gift cards in a single day.
He even earned a guest appearance on a Seinfeld episode all on United's Dime with Perks like that.
It's no surprise that the airline no longer offers such extravagant opportunity and yet the company adores him.
The airline has even put his name on two of its airplanes.
Tom Stucker joins me now, Tom, thank you so much for being here.
Three quick questions at the outset.
What's the best seat on the plane?
My favorite seat is the bulkhead domestically.
I like one B and internationally.
I like either especially on the players.
Aircraft which is so great is the one Apple or one Lima.
Those are the side, single seats by the window.
It's easy in easy out.
You're close to the bathroom and close to the bar.
What's the best airport in the world?
Uh anywhere?
Uh ok.
This is a little uh uh different.
My favorite airports, there's a lot, there's great things in every airport.
My favorite airports are the united hubs and that's just me personally because that's where my United family is.
These people are family to me and I get this, see my family members at all the hubs and these are my best friends.
So spending time with people I know at the airports is more important for other people.
They might, they might like other people might like Hong Kong or, or Amsterdam or Singapore uh for how fabulous those airports are.
Ok.
Uh, number three, best airline meal.
If there is such a thing, uh, this is gonna sound really, uh, iii, I like a good steak and United serves some nice ones.
But, uh, my favorite meal and they don't have it anymore and I miss it so much is they used to have lobster mac and cheese going back and forth to Australia.
That was my favorite with the garlic when you, it was so good when you, when you enter the plane, when you walk on, like, I, I do a lot of flying.
Nothing like you believe me?
I don't think I've ever recognized a flight attendant and, and thought to myself, oh, I know her or I know him from a prior flight when you get on board.
Do they all know you?
Not all of them, but especially on international trips.
I know an a I would say probably 50% of the flight attendants I've flown with and I know, and like I said, the best part, the best part of flying for me is the interaction with the cruises.
I love the cruise because I've known them again.
They're my family and I've known them forever and they're so great.
And you know what, whether you've never flown before, if you treat the flight attendants and crews nice, they'll treat you good too.
Just show respect to each other and, and a good rule for life.
Ok.
You're in first class, 23 million miles worth.
I gotta believe a lot of celebrities.
A lot of well known people give me one quick celebrity encounter.
Uh, Bill Murray in the first class lounge in Chicago.
My brother who's a great Bill Murray fan.
I even told Bill, I think my brother does a better Bill Murray than he does.
Um, my brothers had a great, a really tough life with 28 back operations.
And um, Bill Bill says, well, get him on the phone bill called.
My brother didn't answer left a two minute message.
That was just, just so beautiful.
The greatest guy I've ever met Bill Murray as a celebrity back in 1990.
It was a lot of money.
I mean, it's a lot of money today.
But, but you knew, like you knew, hey, this is, this is something I got to do and I'm going to get the companion pass as well, even if it cost me 500 and it, it did.
And it was, it was not only the best investment for me, but a lot of people think it was a bad investment for United.
Not really back.
Ok, maybe not for me personally.
But when they sold these passes, all the airlines had a cash crunch and what they did was brilliant.
What they did is say, let's get these passes sold and instead of borrowing money and paying interest, we'll just pair it with empty seats later.
On, I, I mean, I love my United.
It, it's a great, I love the direction to go and, and how they're going green to keep the atmosphere clean for everybody.
So II, I love flying.
I love flying and I love the people I meet on the planes and on the ground.
That's the best part.
Final question.
Check a bag.
Yes or no. Know if you can get away with it.
I mean, obviously I'm going on a two week cruise in August.
So I gotta check a bag on business trips where I have to wear suits and, and extra.
Yes.
Check a bag when you have to, but avoid it at all cost.
I go to Hawaii for 10 days without a checked bag.
They got, they got, uh, they got laundromats and if I have to buy uh, uh, some clothes and I just donate them at the end because I don't have room in my bag, but I like to save 30 minutes at the carousel.
Love it.
Thank you so much.
Hey, by the way, second weekend in August, I'm open.
I got nothing on the calendar.
Uh, I, I think my calendar is pretty full.
I mean, uh, I'll be up in those friendly skies, uh, just about the rest of the year.
Thank you, Tom.
Appreciate it.
All right.
You bet.
Thanks for having me.