How do you explain your frequent flying?

[tuapekastar]

Everything I'm going to say has been covered but here goes.
I'm relatively discreet these days, particularly when flying J (and very occasionally, joyfully, F), but am at pains to make it clear I never pay 'full price'.
When people give me the 'lucky cough always flying J/F' line I ask how their beach house/$100K car etc. is going, and remind them I have neither. I did try explaining 'the system' to one friend but after a minute or so his eyes started to glaze over and he said 'too hard, I just go to a TA and ask for the cheapest fare'.
Each to their own.

 

[blackcat20]

Most friends are in the marrying, baby-making and toddler-training phase of life to even care about flying overseas, though they do express some disappointment when I tell them I'm heading to Europe in

They don't have to be mutually exclusive...

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Makes me feel so much better hearing about all the others who, like me, largely keep their travel discreet.

It's a dirty little secret!

she is now addicted to flying as me

Addicted. I never really though of flying like that, but I must admit, the beginning of last year I only flew about 20 sectors in 6 months and I started to feel like I was missing it. Of course I quickly snapped out of it and came to my senses!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Most friends are in the marrying, baby-making and toddler-training phase of life to even care about flying overseas,

All three of my kids were snow skiing before their 2nd birthday......and they all learnt overseas (Ok, so it was just NZ, but it sounds flash)! A few years ago (before VA became VA), I was taking my youngest daughter to an AFL game (she won tickets and wanted to go......I was less than enthusiastic). There we were standing at the train station waiting to head south to the ground when the northbound airport train turned up. She turned to me and said "Dad, can we forget the football and just go to the DJ Lounge instead"! :shock:

 

[Saab34]

How does everyone go with Immigration around the world with such frequent activity/solo activity/short long haul trips?

Was stuck at LHR once for like 30mins as the officer was suspicious on the frequent activity, when I started mentioning FF points/Credit Card offers she called her supervisor! Been grilled by Melbourne Outgoing immigration many times too, might be something to do with my age, late 20s and solo traveller!

 

[Mattg]

How does everyone go with Immigration around the world with such frequent activity/solo activity/short long haul trips?

Was stuck at LHR once for like 30mins as the officer was suspicious on the frequent activity, when I started mentioning FF points/Credit Card offers she called her supervisor! Been grilled by Melbourne Outgoing immigration many times too, might be something to do with my age, late 20s and solo traveller!

I have *generally* not had too many problems. But I think the immigration officer in YUL earlier in the year was a bit suspicious. I got questioned for about 10 minutes about why I was travelling so much, where I worked, who I knew in Canada, and so on. In particular he wanted to know why I had taken 5 flights to get to Canada from South America (I was unable to get a direct flight as part of a FF redemption), and why I'd been to Turkey more than once in the last three months. I did get let in eventually though, so all good. Oh, and I am younger than you.

 

[kevrosmith]

They don't have to be mutually exclusive...

*I* know that, and was mightly impressed by harvyk's trip report (I think it was harvyk) taking the munchkins to Disney Land. However, it really is too difficult to explain it to them: they really do believe it's in the "never gonna happen" basket.

 

[amaroo]

They don't have to be mutually exclusive...

Yep, been taking the kids OS every year for the past 10, with the 11th already booked for later this year. Lucky buggers - the oldest just turned 14 the youngest is about to turn 12.

The split is 7/4 in favour of points over cash. We used cash when the specials are just too good e.g. pay J fly F

 

[Milefest]

Had trouble in LHR immigration as well (they asked us very specific questions about who we're staying with and why), caused me to miss my 4th connecting flight to MAN, luckily BA were able to put us on the next flight.

 

[dajop]

How does everyone go with Immigration around the world with such frequent activity/solo activity/short long haul trips?

Thing is that's such an Australian perspective, which is reasonable, as after all most of it's major population centres are it least 3 hours from another country, if not much longer. Since living in Singapore, I've realised how easy international travel really is (and indeed important when the country you live is 40km long and 20km wide!) . If just considering flying, popping up to KL, is like flying from SYD to CBR. In Europe it's even easier, although in much of Europe, with the Schengen implementation you don't even have border controls and passport stamps to contend with.

 

[harvyk]

*I* know that, and was mightly impressed by harvyk's trip report (I think it was harvyk) taking the munchkins to Disney Land. However, it really is too difficult to explain it to them: they really do believe it's in the "never gonna happen" basket.

I've got facebook today reminding me that was exactly a year ago... Pity we're right now doing the real-estate thing otherwise we'd be in the middle of planning our next OS jaunt.

 

[harvyk]

Everything I'm going to say has been covered but here goes.
I'm relatively discreet these days, particularly when flying J (and very occasionally, joyfully, F), but am at pains to make it clear I never pay 'full price'.
When people give me the 'lucky cough always flying J/F' line I ask how their beach house/$100K car etc. is going, and remind them I have neither. I did try explaining 'the system' to one friend but after a minute or so his eyes started to glaze over and he said 'too hard, I just go to a TA and ask for the cheapest fare'.
Each to their own.

I'm now a little bit more discreet than I used to be. Previously I was posting up each time I was in a lounge and each time I was in J, however now unless it's something completely unexpected, I've refrained from posting (lest there is a lynch mob waiting for me when I get back home).

 

[Atleastonce]

A little of travel but I had a mate who constantly hassled me about the car I drive and how could I afford it. I phoned him at 1am and woke him to tell him I was leaving the office and then again at 5am the same day when I was getting ready for work. That was the last time he mentioned how could I afford my car.
In relation to travel I had out Chief Risk Officer threaten a lifestyle audit on me the other day. Can't wait for this, bring it on!

 

[JohnM]

A little of travel but I had a mate who constantly hassled me about the car I drive and how could I afford it. I phoned him at 1am and woke him to tell him I was leaving the office and then again at 5am the same day when I was getting ready for work. That was the last time he mentioned how could I afford my car.
In relation to travel I had out Chief Risk Officer threaten a lifestyle audit on me the other day. Can't wait for this, bring it on!

Ha ha - love it!

Keep us posted on the lifestyle audit.

 

[leadman]

I go through a customs zone about 80 - 100 times a year somewhere in the world and have very little problem other than through UK customs, which I think they have some pleasure in picking on obscure stamps.

One other minor problem I solved was as my passport filled up (about a 2 - 3 year life for a 69 pager) outbound Customs Officers would get frustrated looking for the entry stamp, so I just use a green "post-it" sticker which I place on the page. Holding the page open for them never seemed to work, but I've had many smiles from officers who thank me for the thought. If people are going to try it DONT use a red "post-it" as my colleague liked the idea but first customs grilled him - red is danger/a warning/problem!

 

[wooley]

A little of travel but I had a mate who constantly hassled me about the car I drive and how could I afford it. I phoned him at 1am and woke him to tell him I was leaving the office and then again at 5am the same day when I was getting ready for work. That was the last time he mentioned how could I afford my car.
In relation to travel I had out Chief Risk Officer threaten a lifestyle audit on me the other day. Can't wait for this, bring it on!

I get similar comments.

I do have to ask though... What is a lifestyle audit!?

 

[JohnM]

I get similar comments.

I do have to ask though... What is a lifestyle audit!?

Getting nervous, wooley? . Just guessing, but I suspect financial institutions, in particular, need to keep an eye on the lifestyle and accoutrements of employees. Think of those recent dumbos in the statisticians office and one of the banks that were using embargoed information to trade forex or whatever and then buying very prominent costly property.

 

[phily]

Like many here, I don't like to brag about my frequent OS trips and that I'm usually in a higher class cabin than they ever would consider using, yet I enjoy dribbling out just the occasional tidbit about my travelling. If they ask what the higher cabins are like then I take that as my cue to tell them what it's like in J and F because I know that they'll never get those options.

There's been a couple of occasions when I've been able to share the benefits of being QF WP, guesting family or friends travelling in Y in the SYD Flounge, and they've asked "Is everything in here really free?" Flying F on a QF A380 I've been able to bring friends sitting back in hell to the J/F lounge area. Whilst it's a miserable area in the plane that was poorly designed, uncomfortable and is a waste of space, my friends were delighted, especially with the abundant drinks and cheese plates offered by the FA, and the chance to stretch out for a while.

When family & friends ask how I manage so many overseas trips that are personal travel only, like many here I simply say that being loyal to QF I get good points upgrades, and they readily accept that.

 

[OATEK]

Well isn't this thread bloody brilliant! It's like a Frequent Flyers Anonymous meeting. Makes me feel so much better hearing about all the others who, like me, largely keep their travel discreet.
<Snip>
The sentiment of it being a 'hobby' applies well. I'm more than happy to throw money at something that makes me happy.

SWMBO and I have different approaches to discussing our travel. I am always ready to mention my plans at work, and don't shy away from mentioning that it involves lots of J. But as I work in a consulting firm, they don't flinch that much even though most others in the office go Y/Y+. SWMBO on the other hand works in a school part-time, and is reluctant to tell them we are travelling in comfort. And if they do inquire of the details, I get the blame for "insisting" we go J. Mind you SWMBO has now got over the embarrassment of being in the front rows, and rather enjoys the attention.

I don't chase status, as its a bit too late in my career, although QF PS does help with seat selection. But I have worked out that travelling in J actually means I can fly more often and go further, and finding ways to make it happen more economically here has made a huge difference.

When someone said recently "you mean you travelled in business class on your intra-Europe flights" I said yes, of course. But they didn't ask the follow-up question which would have led them to the information that a 2-leg open-jaw booking on say BA or OS can be had for 125% of a single J leg (or equal to the cost of adding a Y leg). All "return" trips don't necessarily involve going back to your point of departure.

I am in a position to pay a bit extra for the great pleasure that traveling around the world and arriving in decent shape gives us. I know it won't last for ever, but as long as we are well enough we will have the joy of travel.

 

[TomVexille]

Getting nervous, wooley? . Just guessing, but I suspect financial institutions, in particular, need to keep an eye on the lifestyle and accoutrements of employees. Think of those recent dumbos in the statisticians office and one of the banks that were using embargoed information to trade forex or whatever and then buying very prominent costly property.

Ah that bloke. My old flatmate used to work with him