Upgrades
Posted on January 26, 2007 - Filed Under Philosophy |
For this blog and my life in general, the primary goal is to increase the quality of my life. Penny pinching beliefs such as the Latte Factor mean nothing to me. Nor is dipping my finger in coin return slots a viable source of extra income.
A nice hybrid between the "quality of life" argument and "reducing expenses" must exist.
Thus Frequent Flyer Miles.
It’s no secret my preferred airlines is American Airlines. My frequent flyer credit card has proved invaluable for collecting miles. Also, shopping through American Airlines website this last week netted me hundreds of frequent flyer miles.
There are so many other ways of collecting miles. Financing a home loan through Wells Fargo nets 1,000 miles for every $10,000 financed. You hate Wells Fargo as much as I hate IKEA? LendingTree.com gives 1,250 miles for every $10,000 financed. BankDirect.com gives you 100 miles per month for every $1,000 kept in a checking account PLUS they pay interest.
What to do with all these frequent flyer miles?
Free flights is not my answer. However flying first class for a fraction of the price sounds good. In other words, my sights are set on free upgrades.
After all, when flying would you rather go economy class or business class? The choice might be easier if thought about this way: For breakfast, would you rather eat a stale muffin OR have a hot omelet with a mimosa?
If your argument is "Yeah Cliff but that hot omelet cost you $1,000 more because you’re in first class!" then that’s cool. You’re arguing for your right to have a free uncomfortable seat in the cattle car, surrounded by little kids who scream and projectile vomit. Your fighting for a seat which doubles as a punching bag for the passenger behind you. That mystery meat you’re about to eat . . . wait, the airlines have canceled meals on economy flights. Oh well, that mystery meat you would have eaten didn’t cost a dime. And the smelly passenger seated next to you, rubbing against you the entire flight because he already forgot his new years resolution of showering daily . . .
I respect your opinion. But I don’t believe in it. I’ll take the hot omelet with mimosa, s’il vous plait.
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3 Responses to “Upgrades”
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Amen! We just upgraded to first class on our way back from Vegas for $45 per person! I enjoyed the trip so much more, I’ve decided to do everything within my power to go first class from now on!–Particularly during those miserable 9 hour flights to Hawaii! 9 hours in coach is pure hell, I’ll tell you. You can’t lean back, sleep, or stretch your legs, and you’re usually stuck in the seat that has the screwed up jack for headphones when you want to watch the only thing would distract you from the fart smell coming from someone VERY nearby–the in-flight movie.
Preach it Sister! My favorite aspect of flying first class is feeling more rested when I reach my final destination, no matter where that may be.
For $45 it’s absolutely worth it. I have done some longer segments on business class (London to Boston, Singapore to Sydney). The upgraded food etc. isn’t worth it IMO but space is (especially as I’m 6′ 3″). Flying LA to Sydney or a crowded flight can be pretty torturous. Unfortunately I haven’t done that segment on business class yet