Purchased a 'Lifetime Air Ticket' for 300 Million Won... A Man Who Has Flown 3.2 Billion Won Worth in 33 Years

33 Years of Flying Back and Forth Between the Moon and Earth 48 Times
Enjoy Hotel Stays and Cruise Trips with Mileage

A story about a man who bought a lifetime airplane pass 33 years ago, travels abroad as often as eating meals, and lives a luxurious life with hotel suite stays and cruise trips using mileage has become a hot topic.

On the 23rd (local time), according to The Washington Post (WP), Tom Stooker (69), a car dealership consultant living in New Jersey, purchased a lifetime pass for United Airlines in 1990 when he was 36 years old for $290,000 (approximately 280 million won at the exchange rate at the time).
[Photo by Tom Stooker Instagram]

According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 23rd (local time), Tom Stucker (69), a car dealership consultant living in New Jersey, purchased a lifetime pass for United Airlines in 1990 when he was 36 years old for $290,000 (about 280 million KRW at the exchange rate at the time). Until recently, he traveled to over 100 countries using the lifetime pass and flew about 37 million kilometers. This distance is equivalent to traveling back and forth between the Earth and the Moon (about 380,000 km) 48 times.

In 2019, the year he flew most actively, he boarded a plane 373 times and flew about 2.35 million kilometers in total. He once flew from Newark Liberty International Airport near his home to San Francisco, Bangkok, Dubai, and back to Newark Airport, going 12 consecutive days without sleeping in a bed. WP reported that if he had purchased tickets for all the flights he took in 2019 with money, it would have cost $2.44 million (about 3.18 billion KRW).

The man who flew the longest distance in history with a lifetime airplane pass he bought once shared his boarding tip: "Pretend to know the flight attendants." In an interview with WP, he said, "When you meet a flight attendant at the airplane door, lie and say, 'Thank you for your service last time.' (The flight attendant) will provide all kinds of free services."

The man who flew the longest distance in history using a lifetime airplane ticket shares his boarding tip: "Pretend to know the flight attendants."
[Photo by Tom Stucker Instagram]

However, WP introduced that what Stucker truly benefited from was the mileage accumulated during the flights rather than the ticket price.

As United Airlines' first lifetime ticket customer, Stucker used mileage to enjoy luxurious hotel suites worldwide, Crystal Cruises, and high-end restaurants. WP reported, "Stucker lived like a sultan with his mileage."

Stucker also used mileage to rebuild his family home, cash out Walmart gift cards, and bid in charity auctions.

Not all of Stucker's flights were happy. Before the COVID-19 pandemic halted travel, Stucker witnessed four people die of heart attacks during his decades of flying.

Regarding criticism that flying harms the environment, he said, "Planes will keep flying whether I board them or not," and added, "People using private jets instead of commercial flights will help the environment less than I do."