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Anyone who travels by air frequently has probably seen the film Up in the Air, starring George Clooney, perhaps even as an in-flight movie. The film offers a fairly accurate – and fairly comical – account of many aspects of life as a frequent flier. Clooney’s character, frequent-flier Ryan Bingham, appears to have one aspiration in his career: to reach ten million miles on his mileage account. Fellow business traveler Natalie Keener, played by Vera Farmiga, seems baffled over this goal, and wheedles Bingham into explaining:

Ryan Bingham: I’d be the seventh person to do it. More people have walked on the moon.
Natalie Keener: Do they throw you a parade?
Ryan Bingham: You get lifetime executive status. You get to meet the chief pilot, Maynard Finch.
Natalie Keener: Wow.
Ryan Bingham: And they put your name on the side of a plane.

While airlines may not actually name a plane after a passenger, they are increasingly offering more perks to travelers who fly hundreds of thousands of miles each year. Granted, some of the rewards are simply new tiers of status. Delta Air Lines awards Diamond level for those who travel 125,000 miles each year. Continental Airlines grants Presidential Platinum for those flying 100,000 miles and spending $30,000 a year on tickets. With the new status, however, there are, indeed, substantial perks.

Access to airport clubs gives members the opportunity for a shower, free drinks, massage chairs, work stations, and in the case of Delta Air Lines, the occasional putting green. Still, the most valuable of these perks may be the intangible gift of added convenience. Priority seating, automatic check-in, fees for extra baggage waived – all can save executives time and hassle. The new tiers offer the most value when things don’t go as planned. Access to special hotlines means escape from interminable hold times, and members are given preferred treatment when it comes to rescheduling flights.

Even Southwest Airlines, not known for amenities, has their A-list, members who are allowed to board first, are not required to check in online, and earn passes allowing them to bring along a guest. With revenues from first-class passengers falling about 20% since pre-recessionary levels, all the airlines are eager to court executives in any manner they can. For businessmen and women whose work entails a substantial amount of air travel, now may be the best time to upgrade your status.

Business travel as an executive often involves several perks. Because many executives travel frequently, they are aware of the best hotels and airlines to use, plus they are offered rewards for their frequent use of hotels and airlines. Their status and connections also usually result in the VIP treatment they receive when traveling.

Executives frequently make use of travel loyalty programs, offered by hotels, airlines, and credit cards. With these programs, they are able to receive perks such as bonus miles or seat upgrades when they fly. Other perks include free nights at hotels, discounts at restaurants, admission to exclusive airport lounges, rental car coverage or even tickets to professional golf tournaments.

Executives also have access to some of the finest hotel amenities there are. Many hotel chains have special business facilities for executive travelers. Some of them place all of their executive rooms on the same floor with their own private manager so that the business travelers don’t have to be bothered by any families with loud children. At the finer hotels, executives have access to secretarial services, along with complimentary breakfasts, snacks, and beverages. The executive rooms in hotels tend to be larger, with more amenities than the average hotel room, such as large desks stocked with office supplies and free high-speed Internet access. Executives on business travel have private access to their own personal lounge in many hotels, where they can network with other executives staying at the hotel. Frequently these lounges feature alcoholic beverages and large televisions featuring international channels. Some hotels will even offer free clothes pressing services to executives. Hotels also offer express check-in and check-out for their business clients. The hotel staff usually takes the liberty of making car rental reservations for the executive as well, or providing the services of a shuttle.

Business executives do not have to wait in long lines at airports. Many of the major companies across America have their own corporate jet fleets as well as large expense accounts. These two circumstances allows most executives to travel in the lap of luxury.

Many of the major airlines offer select corporations excellent pricing on business section seating. This allows executives and top ranking employees lounge privileges as well as the ability to sit near the front of the plane. They are some of the first individuals on the aircraft and the first individuals off the aircraft. Executives also tend to gain frequent flier miles at a faster rate and often are able to redeem their miles just a few days before they need to travel.

Some corporations including IBM, Walmart and General Motors have their own fleet of private aircraft. These aircraft allow executives to travel to smaller airports closer to their destinations. They are also able to get to their meetings quicker and conduct more meetings throughout the day. Most of these aircraft cost millions of dollars and are tens of thousands of dollars per flight. However, the convenience and ability of the aircraft make the cost worthwhile to the businesses that own them.