Originally Posted by
MrBizFlyer
We need more posts like this! I am flabbergasted by the emotional turmoil this is causing so many people. Let's face a simple reality, most people here are long haul flyers worried about status. I'm willing to bet that most of these long haul flights are anywhere from 6 to 12 hours in length unless you happen to be on the near 19hr flight from EWR-SIN. You guys telling me you can't handle 6 to 12 hours in e or e+ on a flight?
I wised up to the game many years ago when a friend who flew worldwide nearly weekly said that I was playing the wrong game. He asked, "Where do you spend the most time when you travel? In an airplane or hotel or car?" He had a point. At most I was spending 6 to 12 hours on a plane and spending several days or weeks in a hotel. Perhaps many of the complainers here are the opposite, living in airplanes over hotels. If that's the case then your whining is understandable.
I have never heard of or stayed in a hotel where I could not cross my legs, roll my shoulders, or lie down at my leisure without touching another person. Even hostels are light-years ahead of Economy seats for comfort. "A human can physically endure this if they prepare themselves mentally" is not exactly a ringing endorsement of long-haul Economy as a reasonable way to travel, so it's somewhat understandable if people have feelings about it.
But more importantly, the FFPs are for most of us a
game. That's why we joined FT. Having the game changed to where you can't afford to play, or the rewards are no longer worthwhile, takes almost all the fun out of it. Flying in the back of the plane is an otherwise miserable experience, and playing the game was something to look forward to, something to make it worthwhile, something to pass the miles. It's sad to see it slowly go away.