How do you explain your frequent flying?

[althaluss]

As someone who travels internationally about 3 times per year (with the odd interstate trip thrown in occasionally), when friends or acquaintances bump into me, quite often the reactions are one of the following:

(a) "Oh, you're actually in Melbourne"
(b) "When did you get back?"
(c) "How long are you home for this time?"
(d) "I thought you were in <fill in destination of choice here>!"

My response is usually just "It's a tough life, but someone's gotta live it." The joys of travel and flying Business or First (points use only) cannot be explained. You either have the bug or you don't.

 

[Steelo]

Such a brilliant thread and I am so pleased to learn that I am not alone.

I hardly ever mention my travelling to most friends and family - sick of the raised eyebrows and comments like"you're so lucky" and once again the comments that I must be rich etc.

I would never ever check in on FaceBook at the F or J lounge. I barely mention most of the trips I do (certainly not a weekend trip to HK or BGK etc). No one except my partner and I know we are off to NYC in August.

Sometimes it is a bit sad, but I have found that it is the easiest way forward.

I understand. People look at us weird when we explain our travel and our travel routes. A travel agent friend described us as weird, saying she had never met people who were "happy to fly via Madagasca to increase their status credits". Similarly, they think we are extravagant for flying in J. My wife is sometimes in denial - but soon came down to earth when she had to come back from Singapore in Y because we couldn't get an upgrade. But I have friends with more resources than us who claim they are happy to fly in Y internationally, despite the fact they could, with a little bit of planning and a small amount of $s enjoy a flat bed.

Good to see others enjoy the art of flying in comfort.

 

[qbc1511]

Fortunate enough to have a good "friend with benefits" where I get to fly FC - I travel practically each month to a long distance exotic location & love it! Dinner table conversations usually will cover air travel and often I hear comments on the merits of an airline's business or first (the most vocal usually are the novices or "wannabes"). I usually shy away from adding any input despite my many experiences mainly because I almost feel embarrassed of my good fortune and don't want to come across as a show-off. It's funny to think about as it seems to be a case of when you've got it, you don't need to flaunt it BUT when you don't, you do want to show off!

 

[leadman]

As someone who travels internationally about 3 times per year (with the odd interstate trip thrown in occasionally), when friends or acquaintances bump into me, quite often the reactions are one of the following:

(a) "Oh, you're actually in Melbourne"
(b) "When did you get back?"
(c) "How long are you home for this time?"
(d) "I thought you were in <fill in destination of choice here>!"

My response is usually just "It's a tough life, but someone's gotta live it." The joys of travel and flying Business or First (points use only) cannot be explained. You either have the bug or you don't.

Just a few variants;

(a) "Oh, you're actually in Melbourne (oh, you're home!)" {note exclamation mark!)
(b) "When did you get back?"
(c) "How long are you home for this time?" (How long before you go again)
(d) "I thought you were in <fill in destination of choice here>!"
(e) "I can never follow where your are, just call me when I'm not sleeping"

 

[Jo145]

I'm not a FF (1, maybe 2 flights a year paid by me) by any means, but thanks to the info in this forum (I joined because I am obsessed with travel) I'm looking forward to my first trip Mel-LHR QF A380 first class!! It is here that I learnt about AA points. To go back to one of the first comments on this thread - I was really worried it was all too good to be true, until I booked my flights!! I will tell anyone who stands still long enough how I managed it and a few have joined AAFF and are on board too (so to speak). Friends, family and work colleagues all know I am not paid a massive amount - not even close to six figures - and have all been excited and intrigued with my first class trip. The only people I find who ask, "Where are you going this year?" are people I am not close to. Please keep all the great advice coming as I search for the best ways to travel cheaply and more often!

 

[DontGetMeStarted]

Loving this thread. I do get asked when am I going on holiday "again" you must earn a fortune ( I don't) but thanks to this community I (we) have gone from Bronze to Platinum and held that for 2 years but with the demise of MASA's will drop down the ranks again, but have learnt so much and completed my first F flight a few weeks ago from London to Melbourne. We don't smoke, drink very little (unless flying in J or F ) and travel is our passion, so its how you want to spend your money. I am just helping out a close friend with some AA miles and bonus, but generally I find others are lazy and don't want to do the research themselves, so I will keep saving my points and using them for J travel in the future. Actually just trying to research a K UP fare with AA, but they seem sparse at the moment.

 

[cove]

I just corrupt all the folks around me so they are all now flying better for less. One hold out is my eldest brother who thinks it is too hard to bother with. I may fly my 18 year old niece to Europe in Suites for her birthday present so she can then work on him at home.

 

[mooingchicken]

I just corrupt all the folks around me so they are all now flying better for less. One hold out is my eldest brother who thinks it is too hard to bother with. I may fly my 18 year old niece to Europe in Suites for her birthday present so she can then work on him at home.

Cove, are you sure we aren't somehow related? My birthday is in September just in case you were wondering

 

[burmans]

My wife is sometimes in denial - but soon came down to earth when she had to come back from Singapore in Y because we couldn't get an upgrade.

My wife sometimes describes it (purely within the family/close friends) as "bordering on an obsession" but then goes on to admit she is happy with the outcome!

 

[Cessna 180]

I have trouble explaining to people that I fly on a plane to get to work to fly a plane!

Then there are those who seem to think that because I am regularly in different states I have trouble keeping a job because I am somewhere different to last time we spoke.

People regularly ask me if I 'plan on settling down any time soon',

 

[Deleted member 29185]

People regularly ask me if I 'plan on settling down any time soon',

Well, are you?

 

[boomy]

People regularly ask me if I 'plan on settling down any time soon',

Oh I'm also being asked that all the time.
I hate this question so much!

 

[woodborer]

How do I explain it? I don't!

 

[RTWtraveler]

It is refreshing to read about other people with the same "problem." We usually say, it is not much more expensive to fly round the world, or, we are spending our kids inheritance, which is not far from the truth.
Happy flying.

 

[Cessna 180]

Haha, probably not......

 

[Duffa]

Respones from friends vary greatly. I've explained it many times. Yet only recently, two of them spent an afternoon drinking coffee and lamenting the fact that Mrs D and I are always jetting off in J or F, despite earning the same as them. I've patiently told them how to maximise cc spend, churn cards, reduce annual fees, capitalise on interest free days etc. Then I tell them I spend at least an hour a day doing it and they go all glassy eyed.... "Oh, we haven't got the time...?"
Fine. Travel whY!

However, just had a text tonight from one friend who DID actually listen and then put in the hard yards.
She and Mr B are off to Europe next year - SQ Suites both ways!!

 

[Duffa]

My wife sometimes describes it (purely within the family/close friends) as "bordering on an obsession" but then goes on to admit she is happy with the outcome!

Some nights I get "you're on that bloody website again........" but when we are sitting, sipping bubbly in J/F as the Y's file past I ALWAYS get "Oh, I do love your points obsession...."

 

[cove]

We used to tell our youngest son that we would be up the front and his seat was 91J which was his year of birth and the first name initial. We never did that.
Our eldest son turned and asked if we were ok financially the first time we all flew in first class and were not going to be broke when we returned from the U.S.
Since then they have built up their frequent flyer points but don't tell their friends much at all and especially nothing about their frequent flyer points numbers.
Our sons like the SQ business class lounge as it has Tiger beer on tap apparently but I think they do go to The Private Room now at Changi.
One of my sons friends is on AA miles so it has been mentioned.
A couple of our friends still don't get it but we have not travelled with them.
i remain amazed by members in AFF who go to the U.S. or England for a long weekend.

 

[Deleted member]

Which begs the question. What's your longest (furthest away) long weekend destination? Non business trip

 

[cove]

For the weekend with a status run all we have done was PER-ADL-MEL-SYD-BNE and back whereas I see folks flying to a sporting event in the U.S. and then straight back to Australia.