<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Rare:
Only if the person on the receiving end says "You gave that to me for free once, therefore I will never pay for it again, and if you refuse to give it to me for free henceforth I will never do business with you again." That is incredibly selfish and ungracious, and, unfortunately, is an attitude held by too many in this world.
On the other hand, if that person appreciates it for what it is--an unexpected and undeserved gift--both the giver and receiver are rewarded. And perhaps others too, as more "gifts" are given down the line.</font>
Unfortunately, it appears that some folks here fall into the former category. They get a free upgrade here and there, and maybe a bottle of champagne here and there, and then when they don't get it, they scream and ***** about how horrible the service on UAL (or, I am sure, AMR, DAL, CAL, or NWAC) has gotten, and geez, doesn't that gold card of theirs mean something?
That's not right. Just take it as a bonus -- you got more than you paid for -- and enjoy it instead of letting it set the floor for your expectations!