If you've never traveled with someone, it doesn't matter how good a friend you think they are. I wouldn't make my first trip with them a "big" trip to Cambodia. I had an awful experience traveling with "friends" for the first time to, well, I don't want them to ever find this, so I'll just say a well-known foreign country. I had no idea that my friends were such a horrible slobs who couldn't pick up after themselves and thought that I was the maid and that my male friend was the part-time babysitter. They also turned out to be wussies who didn't want to eat anything but MacDonald's and Burger King and take-out from the grocery store. Fortunately, my other friend and I had scheduled some time before/after the trip, where we could travel without the doubtful companionship of the other couple. If this is the first time you're traveling with someone, by all means, schedule your own flights and have some solo time. It is too bad that they aren't as well-to-do as you are but, traveling that distance, I would certainly use my miles to go business/first and meet up with them wherever. Just because you're a few years older, don't be mommy and try to buy them by giving them miles, tickets, etc. Then you'd really feel used if they turned out to be unpleasant travelers. Some people's whole personality changes when they're out of their comfort zone.
Lots of women travel alone for all or part of a big trip. I certainly do. It's just not that big a deal. I'd much rather travel alone in first/business than travel in a group in coach, unless it's a VERY short flight indeed. "Suck it up and fly with them?" I don't see it. How does making yourself miserable help anything?
Originally Posted by
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I have a friend who will be in Cambodia next year for a while and a group of us are planning to head over there and travel around for a couple of weeks. I turn 40 next year and have been thinking about doing a big trip to commemorate and this could be it. But here's my dilemma.
I pretty close to one of the friends, but we've never traveled together. The rest are her friends who I've gotten to know, but not that well. I have more miles and make more money than they each do. And they're all younger than me, closer to 30. I've only been to Asia once before but that was on Singapore (coach, not full flight) and they are thinking of flying Air China - I don't think I'm willing to do that. What I was considering doing is cashing in some miles for a business seat. I've got enough Amex Membership rewards to do it with one of their partners.
How weird would that be? I could try to get us all on the same flight, but if they upgrade from Air China it would probably be to Eva Air. Would it be too odd to fly in business on the same flight when they're in coach? Or I could take a different flight altogether and meet them in Bangkok. Weird too. Not sure how I feel about showing up in Bangkok alone.
Part of me thinks, just suck it up and fly with them. The other, more petulant part, thinks, it's my 40th, it's time to use those miles I've been accumulating for something other than transcon upgrades.
I guess this is a miles/etiquette/relationship question. Is this the kind of query to post in the Women Travelers Forum?
