First man to fly 10 million miles gets name on United airplane
July 12, 2011
Thomas R. Stuker just crossed the 10-million-mile threshold in United's Mileage Plus program, making him the airline's most frequent flier. The American businessman is the first passenger to ever fly this many miles in the program, and United is honoring his loyalty by putting his name on the nose of a Boeing 747-0400, according to ABC News.
The new source reports that the Chicago-native salesman, like many other frequent fliers, gets treated the way most people only dream about. Stuker never misses a connection, never sits in coach and is addressed on a first-name basis by United employees. He is part of a small group of frequent fliers that were previously off the radar of the general public, until George Clooney's movie about such people, Up in the Air, was released.
Stuker told National Public Radio that he used to fear flying, but now feels out-of-place if he goes more than a week without getting on a plane. For someone who travels even half as often as Stuker, calling cards can be handy to get in touch with loved ones from airport payphones or hotel rooms in between flights.