Steak and Sundae
I started caring about earning miles when I figured I should probably make the most of travel to and from graduate school abroad. Once I had masters degrees in hand, I found myself traveling frequently for work. Getting geeky about miles was a good way to make all the travel more fun, and I got hooked on the perks of elite status and the potential gains of maximizing my earning and burning.
Though I've tinkered around with other airlines, most of my loyalty is reserved for American Airlines and the OneWorld Alliance. Since I'm based at LAX and almost all of my travel is domestic, AA was a good choice because their robust presence in LA means it's easy to get me where I need to go. (And they were kind enough to let me challenge my way to status several years ago. I haven't looked back.)
I believe that it's virtually impossible to get a good steak on an airplane. I have a strong dislike for Southwest Airlines, and I get nauseous when Southwest zealots talk about the wonders of their crappy airline (although I've come to appreciate them).
Since I joined the UPGRD.com team, things have changed a bit. Most importantly, I started a new job that doesn't require me to spend so much time traveling. Despite that, I still fly as often as I can, I'm still on a quixotic quest for a decent steak at 30,000 feet, and Southwest still rubs me the wrong way. (No, not that wrong way, Hunter!)
