His name is Tom Stuker — a 69-year-old New Jersey car dealership consultant — and he's the biggest mistake United Airlines ever made. In 1990, United offered a lifetime pass for $290,000.

In 1990, a United Airlines "Unlimited Mileage" lifetime pass cost $290,000. Some variations, including a companion pass, were reportedly sold for a combined total of around $500,000. The most famous holder of this pass, Tom Stuker, has since accrued over 23 million miles, making him the most-traveled person in history. United, like many other legacy carriers, eventually realized the immense long-term cost of these "all-you-can-fly" deals and stopped selling them shortly thereafter. In 2026, such a pass would be worth millions of dollars in actual airfare value. While the upfront cost seemed staggering in 1990—equivalent to the price of several high-end homes at the time—it proved to be a legendary high-value investment for those who used it to travel the world for decades. Today, airlines have replaced these passes with complex "Million Miler" status tiers that require decades of loyalty to achieve similar, though far more restricted, benefits.