Former 1k flyer here.  The perks used to be nice.  I&#x27;d show up at Logan and they&#x27;d already have me rerouted if my flight was delayed (and of course, upgraded to 1st class).<p>OK, so that was the one perk.  That and the red carpet clubs used to actually be nice.  I remember spending some miles on my wife&#x27;s membership so she could enjoy a drink while waiting for me at the airport... then a month later the security lines being moved in front of the club so she couldn&#x27;t get in.<p>All my miles were spent on other people.  It&#x27;s surprising how many people will hit you up when they need to fly somewhere but can&#x27;t afford it.  For the longest time I was saving up for a trip to Asia on one of those lay-flat seats in a private suite.  I was close when my wife mentioned to me that she sent her brother, his wife, and their kids to Kansas.  Freaking Kansas... oy.  They might have said thank you.<p>In all the years I did it, I had one proper &quot;free&quot; vacation.  It included a suite at a crazy nice hotel in Manhattan well above anything I could afford.<p>All that flying and being a 1k made me bitter.  I hate traveling now because of the way they treat the no-ks.  I&#x27;m bitter with the casual travelers who don&#x27;t understand how to get through security with any efficiency at all.  I&#x27;m bitter with security for it&#x27;s intrusiveness that provides no security at all.  I&#x27;m bitter with the airlines for putting their most jaded and customer service averse flight attendants on the planes that go wherever you want to vacation.  I&#x27;m bitter with the guy who puts his bag in the overhead 3 seats back and has to swim upstream when we&#x27;re departing the plane.  The list goes on.  Don&#x27;t even get me started on the &quot;$25 extra for a bag or a seat upgrade&quot;  I&#x27;m an angry old man in airports.<p>For anybody still putting in the time in the air - look into surfair.  Chartered flights out of private airports for a monthly membership fee.  No TSA, No lines.  No last minute $2500 tickets.  It&#x27;s awesome.  Limited range of cities though.