John Kerry Becomes First Secretary of State to Travel to All 7 Continents
The United States Secretary of State has one of the most high-stakes jobs in the world, and certainly one of the most exhausting. One aspect that everyone can't help but be a little jealous of is the near-constant travel schedule that the Secretary maintains. Secretary John Kerry, who has dedicated a significant amount of time and effort to researching the effects of climate change, will travel to McMurdo Station, a US research center in Antarctica in order to prepare for the upcoming climate talks in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Not only will Secretary Kerry have visited all seven continents, he's also the most-traveled Secretary of State ever, according to total miles traveled. Since 2013, Secretary Kerry has logged over 1.3 million miles traveled while visiting 90 countries and spending almost 120 days in the air if you add up all the hours he's spent in-flight. He often completed whirlwind trips on a special military version of a Boeing 757 known as the C-32 to several destinations in just a few days to places such as Rwanda, Ukraine, Mongolia, Vietnam, Cuba and many, many more countries in 2016 alone.
Kerry's travel has easily surpassed that of two of his predecessors, Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice. Rice traveled 1.06 million miles while she held the position under President George W. Bush, and Clinton traveled about 957,000 miles while she was Secretary under President Barack Obama. Secretary Clinton, however, holds a record of her own. She visited an astonishing 112 countries while in office, more than any of her predecessors. Too bad they couldn't collect points and miles for all of those hours spent in the air!
H/T: NPR
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app