[XCRN]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

Splurges on hotels.
Hotels cost $80-100/night

What is this? A forum for civic owners?

Used BMW owners are worse off.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

Splurges on hotels.
Hotels cost $80-100/night

What is this? A forum for civic owners?

Have you seen some of the post on here? 21 making $35k/year live at home... should I buy M3?

BMW owners be broke af!

[UPSROD]

I travel in style every time that I drive my E92 M3!

[Angry Ketchup]

Only.

When we lived in The States (I'm from PA), I would only splurge for First or Biz Class when flying internationally - when paying for it myself.
US domestic airlines are inherently trash and the top of the line product isn't worth the premium (*most of the time).
That 100year old United Airlines stewardess is counting on you to pull her to safety in the event of an incident; and she doesn't really care about your comfort, because she's been the 'union steward' and worked her way up to the F/J cabin team when Orville Wright was the captain. Consider the 'Singapore Girl' or an Emirates/Etihad/Qatar F/J-class stewardess, and we're talking apples and oranges. Competent, professional, satisfying and.. typically very sexy.

With that said, most of my travel (approx. 300k miles/year back then) was for work, so I was flying Biz Class anyway on the US domestic legs connecting to Biz (minimum) for international destinations). But again, that was a constantly constantly mobile: 2 "around the world trips" plus short trips to APAC, India, or 3 or 4 to Europe every month. That gets old after a while, but was worth it.

Now that we live in the UK (and I travel about half as much for work), we have more options with way better airlines, e.g. Emirates, Etihad, Singapore, etc. So, when we travel to Asia or the States for family/fun/etc., I have no problem spending the money for premium product. I want to enjoy my trips and time there, especially if it's all on my own $,£,€, or ¥. For work-related travel, globally, I just make it part of the Ts&Cs of engaging my services that the client will foot 'at least direct flights or minimum connections in Biz on X airline' and I already know which airlines I want to be on for collection of miles/status. If it's a short hop, say London to Amsterdam to meet up with my brothers for a night out, then I'll suffer BA in Biz, but those sorta flights are typically "free" paid for with a few Avios.

-=-

IMO, once you're flying First/Biz regularly and build up status to enjoy the 'better' lounges, reward perks, and chauffeur services, you can't go back. Plus, I justify it to myself as I am typically working during those lounge visits/comfortable flights and thus earning income at that time anyway. So, at the very least, it keeps me and my family happy and I work/earn better when we are all happy.

As far as hotels, go... When I travel for work, I just stipulate that it must be minimum 4-star and nearby the client's site. The clients typically have rate-deals with local big chains and will take care of me.
When I bring the family along for work, or we all travel purely for leisure, then we typically rent a house/flat or splurge for multi-bedroom suites at the better hotel chains.

I think in the end, it's just gotta work for the individual. Such arrangements as mentioned above allow me to work/earn better and keep everyone happy.

YMMV.

[ASAP]

Haha, that above is gold with the stewardess comparison...

I've only flown business class twice...

Once on Lot Polish on their old 767-200... lets just say I am not sure how that even qualified as business class, albeit it was a free upgrade due to the airline running out of coach seats lol...

The 2nd time was on the A380 with Lufthansa... I also expected much more. The business class was imho too large and did not have enough attendants. The lie flat beds were not large enough for me to actually get any sleep... albeit I only paid $600 for the one way upgrade.

Lets just say the business class experiences that I have had were remotely not worth the money over coach. I think airlines have gotten so shitty across the board that even premium classes suck now. I still have premium lounge access with my CSR, so that is a nice perk.

[BuiltnBoostedZ]

I got to ride in a new greyhound bus once.

[Angry Ketchup]

Originally Posted by ASAP

I think airlines have gotten so shitty across the board that even premium classes suck now. I still have premium lounge access with my CSR, so that is a nice perk.

Unfortunately, you are spot on. These days, the level of service rarely leaves you feeling like you paid for a "premium" product, or sometimes paid for anything at all. :/

It's slid all across the industry for a variety of reasons. I think it's a lot having to do with costs-hedging related to fuel spend and difficult to predict market variables (terrorism, natural disasters, rowdy football hooligans (I jest, some)).

The days of Dapper Dan smoking a stogie on some 747 and pinching the hot PanAm girl's butt after she's given him her hotel details are long gone. And I am too young to have truly known them anyways...

[RickFLM4]

100 year old "stewardesses" have been retired. Mostly cranky 35 - 45 year old gay guys as "flight attendants" now on U.S. airlines.

[kscarrol]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

100 year old "stewardesses" have been retired. Mostly cranky 35 - 45 year old gay guys as "flight attendants" now on U.S. airlines.

[kscarrol]

Dating myself a bit but a great old song by the Replacements from the mid-1980's... Waitress in the sky.

[Angry Ketchup]

I do have to admit, Aeroflot's UK-APAC routes (via Moscow's SVO) are worth every penny.

I've flown LHR-SVO-PVG on a few recent Shanghai trips and I gotta say, they are not the "old Soviet Aeroflot" any more. I'd happily fly them in top class on that route anytime, considering the price.

[3rdcoast228i]

Bungalow over the water in Tahiti was pretty nice.

[Angry Ketchup]

Originally Posted by 3rdcoast228i

Bungalow over the water in Tahiti was pretty nice.

I'm jealous.

We've never been to French Polynesia and have it on our list for this coming year or next.

[3rdcoast228i]

Originally Posted by StraightAero

I'm jealous.

We've never been to French Polynesia and have it on our list for this coming year or next.

Highly recommend French Polynesia in general. I only stayed in Tahiti, but I learned a little about the other islands while there. Also spoke to others that had toured the other islands.

[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Dating myself a bit but a great old song by the Replacements from the mid-1980's... Waitress in the sky.

Same here! My first trip across the pond was in the late 70's and I distinctly remember how hot the flight attendants were. Unreal.

Now it's wildebeest city or gay parade at FL350 with a smattering of hotties thrown in.

If anyone is offended by my non-pcness...TFB!!

[davis449]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

Splurges on hotels.
Hotels cost $80-100/night

What is this? A forum for civic owners?

Maybe I should've clarified. I would, and could afford to, pay the higher costs before I had that benefit. Interestingly enough, I didn't pay much more than than the aforementioned rates to stay at luxury or semi-luxury hotels. I would use benefits from my credit cards or deal hunt before booking.