• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Nonstop Points Logo

Nonstop Points

Life is short, and the world is wide.

  • News
    • Airline News
    • Credit Card News
    • Hotel News
    • Trip Reports
  • Reviews
    • Airline Reviews
    • Credit Card Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
  • Tips
    • Award Travel
    • Deals
    • Personal Finance
    • Travel Tips
  • About Us

Year of Nonstop Travel: 106k Miles as a Student!

January 22, 2024 by Payton Turner 1 Comment

a city skyline with a sunset

Nonstop Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Nonstop Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. This post may contain affiliate links; please read our advertiser disclosure for more information

Despite almost being February, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what can only be described as an incredible year of nonstop travel. I wanted to capture a few of my favorite moments across my travels and highlights. 

Flight Statistics

I did not expect to fly nearly as much as I did in 2023, but with the addition to a last-minute trip to Oktoberfest in Germany, an unplanned few domestic trips, as well as some creative routings, the miles flown certainly increased. 

a map of the world with red pins

Instead of flying directly from Addis Ababa (ADD) to Singapore (SIN), which would have been just over 9.5 hours of flight time, my routing was far more convoluted. I flew from Addis Ababa (ADD) to Washington D.C. (IAD) via Lome (LFW) before returning to the airport just 36 hours later to fly to Singapore (SIN) via Abu Dhabi (AUH). Why fly for 10 hours when you can fly for 37?

In 2023, I flew:

  • 105,675 Miles
  • 62 Flights (44 Economy, 16 Business, 2 First)
  • 249 Hours In the Air (Over 10 Days!)

In addition to flying nearly halfway to the moon, which is 4.2x times around the Earth, I am happy to say that I covered about 90% of this distance on flights booked with miles! 

a table with food on it and windows in the background

Hotel Statistics 

My travels took me to 18 different countries. I visited 13 new countries, including Switzerland, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Germany, Austria, Mauritius, Seychelles, and the UAE. This included my first time in Asia. From surfing in Hawaii to safaris in Kenya and sushi in Japan, there were many different highlights. 

a lion in a grassy field

All this travel meant I spent 119 nights away from home this year (home being both Charlottesville and Northern Virginia). Of those nights:

  • 82 Nights in Hotels (Fairly evenly split between Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton)
  • 11 Nights on Airplanes (2 Economy, 7 Business, 2 First)
  • 10 Nights at Friend’s and Family’s Homes
  • 10 Nights on a Cruise Ship (All Royal Caribbean)
  • 5 Nights at AirBnbs
  • 1 Night in a Capsule Hotel
a house with a pool surrounded by trees

The Last Point

To all of my friends and family who wondered where I was for quite literally a third of the year, I hope this helps to explain. 

However, I cannot mention this travel without stating my deepest gratitude to everyone who made this travel possible. I appreciate that this is quite abnormal for a college student. While strategic use of points and miles paid for 99% of my travels, I am incredibly fortunate to not only have the ability to collect these rewards but to possess a passport that allows me to travel, to be in the health required for travel, and so much more. Truly, thank you.

Well, that was 2023, a year of nonstop travel. Time to make the most of 2024!

Let me know if there are any other statistics I should have included!

a train on a snowy mountain

Nonstop Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Nonstop Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. This post may contain affiliate links; please read our advertiser disclosure for more information

Related

About Payton Turner

Payton Turner is a University of Virginia student whose passion for all things travel has led him and his family to the far corners of the earth. While loving the luxurious life of first class, his AvGeek heart is just as happy in the back of the plane taking off on his next adventure.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. David Aguirre says

    September 26, 2024 at 5:11 am

    Brilliant. I wish you the best on your next journey.

    Reply

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Keep up with the latest travel news and tips to maximize your travels
Invalid email address
Thanks for subscribing!
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Credit Cards

a jet plane on a runway

Why to Pick Your Least Flown Airline for Your Fee Credit

November 21, 2021

Footer

Nonstop Points Logo
Nonstop Points shares the latest travel news and tips for helping students and young adults maximize their travels while being financially responsible.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

About Payton

Payton Turner is a University of Virginia student whose passion for all things travel has led him and his family to the far corners of the earth. While loving the luxurious life of first class, his AvGeek heart is just as happy in the back of the plane taking off on his next adventure. Read More…

Payton Turner: View My Blog Posts
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Contact Us

© 2025 · Nonstop Points
All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nonstop Points with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.

Cleantalk Pixel