Frequent flying

We Love to Fly and It Shows: Inside the World of Mileage Running (Wired)

A fun look inside the strange practice of "mileage running," in which the goal is to accumulate a large amount of frequent flyer miles at the lowest cost per mile. Practitioners actually try to add as many connections as possible into their flights (as long as it doesn't increase the cost), solely for the purpose of racking up additional miles. The most dedicated mileage runners travel to faraway places purely to earn miles, and don't actually spend any time at their destinations!

So why take up such a hobby? It sounds like the main motivation is receiving the perks associated with being a frequent flyer, as well as the joy of solving a complex problem and feeling like you are "beating the system."

Strange, but true.