When Darren Booth first began his Frequently Flying blog, he turned to me often for advice—he said I was one of the bloggers who had inspired him to blog and we chatted frequently about blogging, award travel, and our shared loyalty to United Airlines. Darren’s blog quickly grew and he also took on a position as a travel editor at CNBC and used me on occasion in his stories. He loved to talk about travel and flying, and always had an uplifting and kind attitude. He was diligent and fastidious in his work; each blog post was carefully crafted and proofread. He had keen observations on all aspects of travel and weaved in his own personal history in the airline industry to create a blog in which I looked forward to every new post. I soon turned to him for advice.
Darren’s parents announced on his blog that Darren passed away on 04 January 2014. I think I speak for many in extending my thoughts and prayers to his family and also feeling a sense of remorse that Darren’s life ended at such a young age. Life on this earth is fleeting and Darren’s passing makes that all the more apparent.
Let us salute Darren on this day for doing what he loved and making that his career. Without exaggeration, I cannot think of a kinder and more genuine person in this industry than Darren.
There was an airline memorabilia show in Los Angeles a few years ago and Darren e-mailed me asking if I would be attending. I was in Philadelphia and unable to get away that weekend and he responded by asking if there was anything he could keep an eye out for me. I e-mailed him back noting a couple airline pins I was looking for.
A few days later, he sent me an e-mail with the picture below saying he had found the items for me and asking me for an address to send them to! He sternly refused my offer to pay for the items and they arrived a few days later with a nice note. This was the type of guy Darren was.
I do not know who is going to step in to continue the amenity kit reviews and vintage airline seat maps now, but no one will ever be able to replace Darren.
Life comes and goes in a heartbeat. Make the most of it.
Thanks Darren.
Sad loss that is for sure. I always enjoyed his blog.
Nice tribute Matthew. Darren will be missed in the aviation community!
Thanks for the great tribute to Darren. I never met him in person, but he certainly will be missed.
Great tribute and very moving.
I had the pleasure to meet Darren on three occasions dong the things we loved best: Airline points and miles seminars. He was such a kind and humble person. I really enjoyed our conversations. RIP Darren Booth.
Thanks for sharing your memories of Darren.
Dear Matthew,
You were such an inspiration for Darren and so very helpful. He was a loving, kind, thoughtful, and generous son, and it’s heartwarming to see how many others in the “blogging family” felt the same way and respected him. Your tribute is very special to us, and we deeply appreciate your “flying and United :)friendship” with Darren.
With most sincere thanks,
Sharon & Larry Booth