Man who paid $500,000 in 1990 for unlimited flights has racked up an unbelievable amount of air miles

Imagine being able to hop on a plane to anywhere in the world without worrying about the cost.

Many of us would say yes in a heartbeat, and that's the life of one New Jersey man.

Tom Stuker bought a lifetime pass from United Airlines for $500,000 back in 1990 calling it the 'best investment' of his life.

Since then, he's accumulated over 23 million miles and visited more than 100 countries, thanks to a companion pass.

That's over 24 times the distance of Apollo 11 which covered about 953,000 miles (1.5 million km) taking Neil Armstrong and his fellow astronauts to the moon.

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In 2019 alone, the 70-year-old's mileage 'covered more than six trips to the moon', according to the Post.

Had he paid cash for the flights, it would have cost him $2.44m.

He was the first United Airlines customer to do so and has been claiming numerous rewards from his air miles.

'Stuker has lived like a sultan on United miles ever since – lavish hotel suites all over the world, weeks-long Crystal cruises, gourmet meals from Perth to Paris,' the Post report read.

He has also used the miles to 'redo his brother’s house' and 'once cashed $50,000 worth of Walmart gift cards in a single day.'

Stuker even won a charity auction to appear in a Seinfeld episode by bidding 451,000 air miles.

However, there have been some less pleasant moments. Stuker has witnessed four people die during his air time.

'All heart attacks,' Stuker told the Post.

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'I’d met a couple of them, too. Just died right in their seats. The last guy was up in business with me, Chicago to Narita [Tokyo]. They covered him with a blanket and put the seat belt back on.'

Despite the bad moments, Stuker shows no signs of stopping with him and his wife taking regular trips and have reportedly been on 'more than 120 honeymoons.'

When asked about the environmental impact of his decisions, Stuker claimed: 'I’m not adding to the footprint.

'The plane is going to fly whether I’m on it or not. It would be much more relevant if I was flying in a private jet. Those are the people who can help the environment much more than I can if they flew commercial.'

It comes as no surprise that the airline no longer offers this pass. So unfortunately, we probably won't get to experience this kind of luxury in our lifetime, but flying on private jets like Uber might be the way to go.