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Meet Ben, OMAAT Founder
5,163,247 Miles Traveled

I’ve flown all of the major (and many minor) airlines, including every international first class cabin.

32,614,600 Words Written

I write all my own content; no ghostwriters at OMAAT!

35,045 Posts Published

14 years (and counting) of daily blogging add up.

Anchor Our Story

A Little History

I’ve been obsessed with travel, and particularly airplanes, since a very young age. My family is from Germany, so I’ve been flying back and forth between the United States and Germany since I was a child. Growing up, our flights were far from glamorous (we typically flew Condor from Tampa to Frankfurt, and this was back when there was a smoking section on the plane), but I still loved everything about the journey, from the airports to exploring new places.

When I was a teenager I discovered the world of miles & points, and all the amazing premium travel this could unlock. On weekends I started taking mileage runs (flying for the sole purpose of earning airline miles), and before I knew it, we were redeeming miles to fly Lufthansa first class to Europe. That was quite an upgrade, and suffice it to say that I was hooked.

I’ve been chronicling my thoughts and travels here at One Mile at a Time since early 2008, when I started this blog from my college dorm room. This was intended purely as a hobby, and I never thought turning this into a career would be an option. Well, nearly 15 years later, I’m grateful to be able to say that this is not only my passion, but also my job.

I’ve flown nearly five million miles since I was a teenager, have visited nearly 100 countries on six continents, have spent thousands of nights in hotels, and have earned tens of millions of rewards points. OMAAT is now the most widely read independently owned points & premium travel site on the web.

Favorite trip?

I’m fortunate to have had so many great trips that it’s hard to choose, but the special birthday trips I’ve taken with my mom and dad have been some of my favorite and most memorable ones.

 

Favorite lounge?

Hands down, the Air France La Premiere Lounge in Paris (CDG). Air France has perfected the ground experience in a way no other airline has, from the restaurant with an Alain Ducasse menu, to the spa, to the chauffeur service to & from the plane.

 

Favorite airport?

I love nearly all airports, but especially Singapore Changi (SIN). The variety of amenities (with everything from swimming pools to movie theaters) is unparalleled, and I always enjoy connecting here.

 

Favorite destination?

Japan is probably my favorite country in the world. I love the food, I love the variety of things to do, and I love how unique the culture is.

Meet the OMAAT Team

Tiffany Funk

Tiffany Funk is a passionate traveler who has visited over 90 countries, and lived abroad on multiple occasions. Tiffany is one of the world’s top experts on airline award travel, and speaks at conferences worldwide to educate business and leisure travelers on frequent flyer programs and maximizing their points. Her posts offer a different perspective on earning miles, tricks for balancing multiple household accounts, and break down the basics of redeeming miles for aspirational travel — whatever those aspirations may be!

Read articles from Tiffany Funk
Tiffany Funk’s Favorites
  • Airport: Long Beach Airport (LGB)
  • Destination: Oman
  • Lounge: Swiss First Class Lounge Zurich (ZRH)
Jordan

Jordan is a lifelong aviation enthusiast who loves mixing adventure travel with luxury travel. He has backpacked through much of Asia, Europe, and South America. He enjoys traveling slowly and getting to know a place from a local’s perspective, and now focuses on exploring more exotic destinations. Through PointsPros – and now point.me – he likes connecting with people and learning about their travel desires, then working together to achieve them!

Read articles from Jordan
Jordan’s Favorites
  • Airport: Doha International Airport
  • Destination: Indonesia
  • Lounge: The Pier
Jamal

Jamal is an avid miles and points collector, (former) mini shampoo collector, enjoys scuba diving, high thread count sheets, a good game of pickleball, and travels about 200,000 miles per year.

Read articles from Jamal
In Jamal’s Wallet
  • The Platinum Card® from American Express
  • Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
  • World of Hyatt Credit Card
Steph

A frequent traveler for both business and pleasure, Steph strives to maximize her “workcations” whenever possible. Whether she is traveling to the far reaches of Sierra Leone or the depths of New Jersey, she does her best to maintain a sense of adventure and a sense of humor.

Read articles from Steph
In Steph’s Wallet
  • The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve®
  • Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Winston
Freya
Poppy
Andrew

Andrew’s work as a government employee has forced him to learn to find humor in every situation, which he believes is the key to enjoying travel. An aviation geek who had never flown in a premium cabin prior to winning a trip to Finland from One Mile at a Time, Andrew now uses miles, points, and elite status to up his globe trekking game. His favorite animal is the golden retriever.

Read articles from Andrew
Andrew’s Favorites
  • Airport: Hong Kong Airport (HKG)
  • Destination: Tokyo, Japan
  • Lounge: Cathay Pacific “The Pier” Hong Kong (HKG)
Travis

Travis has been playing in the world of miles and points for over a decade. At one time or another he has held status on just about every major domestic airline and hotel program. He has visited all 50 US states and over 50 countries. Nowadays he travels almost exclusively with his wife and three young children.

Read articles from Travis
In Travis’s Wallet
  • Citi Prestige® Card
  • Brex Cash Card
  • United Quest℠ Card
Kate

Kate’s a lawyer based in Calgary, Alberta. Originally from Newfoundland, she was bit by the travel bug as a student and managed to squeeze three international exchanges into her university experience. These days, when she’s not in court, she’s sharing the world with her husband and two sons, aged 5 and 7. She’s pleased to bring a Canadian perspective to the travel game.

Read articles from Kate
In Kate’s Wallet
  • About One Mile at a Time
  • About One Mile at a Time
  • About One Mile at a Time
Mike

Mike has two young daughters and an insatiable appetite for travel. Thankfully, miles and points help make family adventures much more affordable. When he’s not obsessing over his points balances, Mike is playing with his kids, enjoying the Arizona sunshine or watching hockey and football.

Read articles from Mike
Mike’s Favorites
  • Airport: Los Angeles Tom Bradley International Terminal [LAX]
  • Destination: Spain
  • Lounge: Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai [DXB]
Nick

Nick brings the perspective of the infrequent but savvy traveler who finds that getting there is actually less than half the fun, but you might as well fly business class on the way and get a good night’s sleep. Despite a relatively sparse portfolio of flown miles and hotel stays per year that would never otherwise qualify for status, Nick manages to leverage credit cards, promotions and points to secure elite status and increase his chances for that sought-after upgrade.

Read articles from Nick
Nick’s Favorites
  • Airport: Washington National (DCA)
  • Destination: Tokyo
  • Lounge: Cathay Pacific “The Wing” Hong Kong (HKG)

OMAAT today

I never set out to be a writer, but am incredibly grateful to have made a career of blogging and writing about the travel industry. I wake up every day excited to “work,” if it can even be called that, since this is what I’d otherwise do in my free time.

I believe that anyone can elevate their travel experience by leveraging their resources. I’m never going to try and sell the idea that travel is free, because it certainly isn’t, but there are so many opportunities to enjoy truly amazing experiences while spending significantly less than you might think.

So welcome, and please make yourself at home here.

If you have a travel-related question that you can’t find an answer to otherwise, check out the Q&A page, where we’ll do our best to get you answers to your questions.

You can stay updated on the latest in the travel industry, from promotions to program changes to mergers, by subscribing to my free daily newsletter.

You can also like One Mile at a Time on Facebookcheck out my YouTube channel, or follow my travels on Twitter and Instagram.

Thanks for reading, and safe and happy travels.

Best,
Ben

New to miles & points?

Check out the Beginner’s Guide to learn how you can leverage loyatly programs to travel better

 

Looking for reviews?

My team and I have crafted independent, unbiased reviews of all the best airlines, hotels, and airport lounges

 

Need help redeeming your miles?

Check out our mileage consulting service, PointsPros. (Note that unlike the blog content here on OMAAT, PointsPros is a paid service)

Advertising
For advertising inquiries: Note that we do not accept guest posts, link exchanges, or similar submissions Our display ads are managed through the BoardingArea network, please contact them directly if you are an agency, platform, or other ad service All partnership agreements must adhere to our advertising and ethics policies Partnership and advertising opportunities that meet the above criteria should be directed to tiffany @ onemileatatime.com
Contact Details
For general questions and inquiries, the best way to reach me is via Twitter or here on the blog. If you need award help, please contact my award consulting service directly Otherwise, you can email me at lucky @ onemileatatime.com.

Anchor Giving

Anchor Ethics

Ethics

As an independent company, it’s important to us to be as transparent as we can about how we make money, what inspires our content, and anything else that informs our perspective. While many of our competitors have multi-billion-dollar parent companies with the associated corporate “standards”, we recognize that the thriving community of readers is a big part of the magic of OMAAT.

We take that trust seriously, and you can read more about our approach to ethics here.

Giving forward

I’m grateful every day for the life I have, and while I’ve of course worked hard for it, I also recognize the huge advantage I’ve had in having parents who were supportive of my ideas (and my sexuality), being exposed to travel and different ways of life from a young age, and taking advantage of programs that allowed me to graduate from college without any debt.

And so in both my personal giving, and in what we do through the blog, I try to focus on giving to organizations and causes that help put a thumb on the scale for people who don’t have the same access to opportunities. Getting a little push or extra support can make a huge difference in terms of what a person can ultimately accomplish.

Media Requests

I love to talk about miles and points with anyone who will listen, and have been cited as a travel expert in various publications.

I am available for interviews and appearances, and am happy to speak on:

  • Airline industry and aviation news
  • Travel
  • Frequent flyer programs
  • Redeeming miles and awards
  • Best travel credit cards

Please send media and press inquiries to [email protected].

Selected Press

June 2, 2021
CardRates
April 14, 2020
The New York Times
June 26, 2018
Time
February 2, 2015
LA Times
February 22, 2017
Bloomberg
April 6, 2011
The New York Times

Upcoming Events

I love meeting blog readers and other frequent travelers, but don’t have any speaking events scheduled at present. If you see me in an airport or lounge, please say hello!

New to One Mile at a Time? Check out these guides to get started earning and redeeming miles and points: