Originally Posted by
tuapekastar
Often a little concerned on these boards when people talk about 'earning' their privileges. I think the majority of (and I do not know your personal situation) SGs and WPs posting here are flying courtesy of their employers (yes, there are exceptions). Sure, there is a cost in time away from family, and enduring many BIS miles, but a significant tradeoff is the miles earned, which most employees, I believe, are allowed to keep. And people are rarely forced into a job with travel.
plenty of people have this idea that travelling for work is glamourous and enjoyable, almost an international playboy type lifestyle. while you do often get to go to some different or cool places, a lot of the time it is far from enjoyable, and quite often very lonely and exhausting. some of the places can be the most unglamorous imaginable. sure you might get a bucketload of points and duty free grog, but (as someone else pointed out) it takes more to earn the points than to burn, and some people dont have the time to use them anyway. when you're travelling a lot for work, the idea of travelling for a holiday is not appealing. most business travellers (especially those with a Y policy) most definitely 'earn' their status...
having said all that, i would prefer to travel with work than not
