AC

Every second counts for Bob Johnson. An advance scout for the Atlanta Braves, Johnson attends baseball games across the country where he scrutinizes every hit and pitch executed by the competition. So to avoid missing even an inning, Johnson aims to be on the first flight of the day. "Fly early," he advises other travelers. "That's basically my mantra. I will try to get the best first flight I can get out in the morning. … And I don't mind connections." By the end of this year, Johnson, 64, expects to have flown roughly 120,000 miles. "I'll set my schedule up so I can see every pitcher we're going to face in the upcoming series," says Johnson, who also studies the hitters on opposing teams. "I saw every starter the Atlanta Braves faced this year." Making it to all of those games makes him an early riser. "It's very rare I fly after 7:30 in the morning," says Johnson, who recommends that travelers book connecting flights that depart at least an hour after the first flight lands,...