All the Hacks · Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Chris Hutchins advocates for parents to set up frequent flyer accounts for their children, similar to investment accounts. He notes that children can accrue miles on their own paid tickets, and there's even a possibility of them earning status, which can be a fun, albeit perhaps unnecessary, perk.
“And then I looked and I had enough American Airlines miles from flying on trips with my family and other things, because I didn't sound like I was traveling for work in college. To buy the ticket to go on this trip that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to go on.”
“I love that your parents set up these accounts for you because I think the discourse right now is that parents really need to set up investment accounts for our kids, which they should. I totally agree. But next level, set up frequent flyer accounts for your kids.”
“Absolutely. Like, they're going to earn miles on all their paid tickets. So why not? My my secret goal and I think it might happen, I'm not sure is like, can my kids earn status? Like, can we're taking a couple of trips to Europe that if they all happen in the same year, I think there's a world where they might have status.”