Billionaire Mark Cuban once drunkenly splurged six figures on a lifetime flight pass. During his recent appearance on the the Club Shay Shay podcast, the 66-year-old explained that back in 1990, he purchased the now-discontinued American Airlines AAirpass for $125,000. The Shark Tank judge had just become a millionaire at the time by selling his first company, MicroSolutions for $6 million.
Mark Cuban once spent $125,000 on American Airlines lifetime flight pass
In the interview released last week, Cuban told host Shannon Sharpe that he was out drinking with his friends to celebrate his freshly-minted millionaire status. “My buddies and I went out and just got destroyed,” he recalled, adding, “They’re like, ‘What do you think you’re going to do with all this money?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t care about cars or houses, but boy, you know, I fly a lot for work.’”
Despite not knowing whether the airline even offered lifetime passes, Cuban dialed them up, “slurring my words” and asked, “Do you guys sell lifetime passes?” He went on to say that he “got all that information, hungover as hell” and “signed up.” “Initially, it was $125,000 and then I upgraded it. I forget how much I paid, but it gave me almost unlimited miles for me and somebody else for the rest of my life,” the business tycoon added.
American Airlines launched its AAirpass in the early 1980s, giving flyers unlimited first-class travel for the rest of their lives. Back then, the prices were determined based on the customer’s age. As the entrepreneur was just 32-years-old at the time, he had to spend the hefty amount, which is estimated to be around $300,000 when adjusted for inflation, per NY Post.
Despite splurging six figures, Cuban did not avail much use of the pass as he reportedly transferred it to his father. And after he passed away, the billionaire gave it to a friend. “I’d be out in LA or Dallas like, ‘You want a road trip?’ Let’s call American Airlines,” he quipped on the podcast. The airline no longer offers lifetime passes and discontinued its ’80s AAirpass program in March 2024, per the outlet.
