United hails its 10-million-mile man

CHICAGO, July 11 (UPI) -- A Chicago-area auto sales consultant has become the first United Airlines frequent flyer to log 10 million miles in the air.

Tom Stuker of Bloomingdale, Ill., set the record somewhere over Iowa Saturday on United Flight 942 from Los Angeles to Chicago.

Champagne was popped during the flight, and when he landed at O'Hare, United Chief Executive Officer Jeff Smisek and other executives welcomed him with the first titanium Mileage Plus membership card, MSNBC reported. His name also was painted on the fuselage of a Boeing 747 jet, after already adorning one of United's 777s.

Since joining United's Mileage Plus program in 1982, Stuker has flown 5,962 flights, including travels to all 50 U.S. states, 200 round trips to Australia and nearly 30 round trips to Asia, the airlines says.

In a rare display of dedication to air travel, he has spent five consecutive days in the air on three occasions, living on airplane meals, The (Arlington Heights, Ill.) Daily Herald reported.

"I love the solace and peacefulness at 40,000 feet," he said. "That's where I do my best creative work writing my training materials."