British Man Trades Frequent Flyer Miles for Space Shot

lvmoon writes "Start saving up your airline miles. Alan Watts, a British businessman, was able to use his 2,000,000 frequent flyer miles for a space flight, a ticket aboard a 2009 Virgin Galactic space flight." From the article: "Electrician Alan Watts said he flew to and from the United States on Virgin Atlantic flights more than 40 times in the past six years, earning him enough miles to take the trip into space with Virgin's space wing, London's The Sun newspaper reported Friday. The trip cost 2 million frequent flier miles, compared to the 90,000 miles required for a first-class flight from London to New York." Besides being funny, does this say anything about space travel in the 21st century? Is space is no longer the final frontier? I'm pretty sure Roddenberry didn't have frequent flier miles in mind when he came up with the Enterprise.

Comments

Re:Hyperinflation in the Airmiles currency

[Anonymous Coward]

Now if only there were a conversion from EVE's ISK, to Air Miles!

Re:Well

[MyLongNickName]

he second is pure ego, and may get a blowjob or two,

Dude. If you think this is any less reason to go to space than the other three, you are nuts!

Re:"The Sun" is British gutter press

[Anonymous Coward]

I also read the article in the Guardian and the Independent

Much more dependable papers, but commonly read by pretenious middle class left wing wannabes who love the smell of their own farts.

Re:"The Sun" is British gutter press

[RealGrouchy]

To put it into context, its owned by Murdoch (like the Times), so think of the Sun as a slightly more intellectual version of Fox News.

They're both Rupert Murdoch. Just because the Sun has a British accent doesn't mean that they're more intellectual. Do you fall for this one at parties, too?

- RG>

More importantly...

[Anonymous Coward]

who is going to be first to join the 60-mile-high club?

Re:"The Sun" is British gutter press

[eipgam]

Reminds me of a quote from "Yes, (Prime) Minister":

Jim Hacker: The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country. The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country. The Times is read by people who actually do run the country. The Daily Mirror is read by the wives of the people who run the country. The Financial Times is read by people who own the country. The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country. The Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is.

Sir Humphrey: Prime Minister, what about people who read the Sun.

Bernard: Sun readers don't care who runs the country as long as she's got big tits.

Moo

[Chacham]

I wonder what 12 million pepsi points would get.