Least we forget
 

Seeing another post on her about a FT’ers Fiancé flying for the first time in J and what she could “request” from the crew for souvenirs, it led to a bit of banter. It lead me to think (I am not that busy in the office today) about the first time I flew in J – and then in F, and it took me on a trip (in Y class in fact) down memory lane.

Years ago (and I mean years) other than our annual trip to a caravan site in Bridlington we used to fly to Mallorca, or The Costa Del Sol with Mum & Dad on Dan Air, or the likes of – and we were the lucky ones then! As a student, I would fly the cheapest thing going to get me where I needed to be, no care of safely records, or on time departures, not even a care in the world as to the quality of the champagne served in the lounges – my only thought when booking flights was how much would I have left for beer when I arrived?

My first J flight was in 1999 from Bahrain to Prague on Czech – not the best, but I certainly felt like a million dollars up there, I was upgraded, having known someone that worked at the airport that sent a lovely message to the check in agents.

A full 2 years later, I was on Emirates from DXB to HKG and have never really looked back since.

A full further 2 years later and I was introduced to First Class on BA.

I am now, a very seasoned Premium Cabin traveler, (Despite my name down_the_back) but I am not one that “belongs” as it were, if I am in J and do not get bumped up to F, I am not disappointed, I have no right to be in F on a J class ticket. I look around at other passengers and smile inside at those in premium for the first time. If I hear anyone telling the crew it’s their first time, I smile at the crew, and hope, if they have to divide their time, that they give them far more attention than me.

I flew my mother over on a BHX-DXB-BHX in J class – her first time NOT on a charter. I asked her how her flight was when she landed – her response – “The Drinks were free!” (Now I know where I perhaps get it from) but these are my roots, I am from the Charter Stock, just LUCKY enough to be able to travel in Premium now. My Dad checks my passport each time I see him, to see where I have been – that he hasn’t – I am no better than him, his or my friends in charter and in Y, I am just different!

I have a collection of pointless memorabilia form my first days of premium travel, including stolen salt and pepper shakers, menus, glasses, cocktails sticks etc. I still to this day take off the menu on each flight – with the permission of the crew of course – I make up the same excuse and tell them that Partner Down_the_Back is a Chef! We just have the guessing game of “What did I eat” when I get home!

So I end this saying, I am lucky enough to be up there, nut never assume it’s my right to be there and I am no better than those in Y. And for those that have questions, no matter how simple to make sure their first flight is a memorable then ask away!

GOOD ON YA – MILK IT AND LAP IT UP FOR EVERYTHING IT’S WORTH……

:YAWN:

asking how to make it more memorable and get the best out of it is one thing.. but to start posting on these forums asking for someone to send you free miles is another.

had he asked how to get the most out of his trip FIRST then he would have received a more civil reply.

Though I did not want to post in these forums, I felt I should atleast thank Down_The_Back for a nice post.

1. My Fiancee has been travelling to Europe, Russia for the last three years. Only this year did she register for Skywards. Had she registered during her first international flight, she would have had a Gold card long ago. Her company manages her flight bookings and hence we had not bothered with FF programmes.

2. Owing to this lack of knowledge in FF programmes, I was of the thought that one Skywards member can gift his existing miles to another Skywards member. The Skywards peronnel I spoke to first time was rather misleading in this regard and it added to my confusion.

3. Assuming that existing miles can be gifted, I searched online to see if such transactions have occured elsewhere and I chanced upon this forum where I saw few members mentioning that their miles are going to lapse and they dont know what to do.

4. As it were, their miles were not being used so I thought I can request them to gift their miles. Mind you, I was not aware that gifting miles will also mean purchasing them and then gifting. So I accept what I requested was silly and one would have felt I am scamming others.

5. When I spoke to Skywards again, then I realised what gifting miles was all about and I also told Skywards that if a Travel Co-Ordinator can redeem miles on behalf of the member, then he should be able to purchase miles too. I find the lack of this feature rather silly.

6. Then my Fiancee's colleague who is in Dubai told he wont mind gifting miles for her (the cost of which will of course be repaid to him in cash whatwith me not being Nigerian scamster and all).

7. Thanks to those miles, the ticket was upgraded to Business class and I posted the same here too.

8. Rather strangely, few members took my posts negatively and commented that everyone knows Skywards miles can be used for upgrades etc etc. I was taken aback by the strong repelling replies I got given that I was a newbie here and also I had lack of knowledge in this aspect. In my opinion, communities and forums are where people go when they want some advise online. Probably I did not read rules here. But does that make reason enough to call me a scamster? Atleast one could have informed me what exactly this gifting business is (few did albeit a bit late). My Fiancee not having a credit card is her own business. That was termed as being a 10 year old.

After all those posts, I wrote in a new thread that she has got a business class upgrade and since its her first trip on Business class (I didnt even know it was called J class), I asked some suggestions from members, for as Down_The_Back said, for some, a few things will be special. Here in India, traveling by flight is still a luxury. Only because of the recent low cost airlines that it is becoming a bit common. Given that fact, traveling by business class is quite something. My Fiancee is not a Corporate Honcho, yet. At these times of recession, all companies are cutting down on costs. And when the company had paid for her economy ticket and she could upgrade to Business class for a relatively small amount, it was quite nice and it was chance to make the best out of it. Obviously, when I asked that what souvenirs can be asked for in the flight, I did not mean stealing salt pepper shakers (no offence to Down_The_Back). She is not going to steal beer cans or beverages from the lounge. Probably the Lounge invitation ticket or some Business class memorablia was all she is interested.

But asking all that was too much I suppose. Anyways, I wanted to make these things noted and done.

Thanks again, Down_The_Back and Congratulations. Being Up There will be certainly nice

dude make up your mind, your girl just started traveling or has been for 3 years? you contradict yourself in your own posting.

and how can she travel and not have a credit card? i haven't been able to check into a hotel for the last 15 years without a credit card, so she travels to other countries without a CC, yeah ok buddy.

no one spoke as if this knowledge is a given.. you were the internet equivalent of a pan handler. people come here expecting to be given advise + information.. you came here expecting miles..

http://img.moronail.net/img/1/5/615.jpg

I dont understand which part of my post seems contradicting. My Fiancee is traveling international from the last three years. Skywards registration only this year. Low cost airlines in India helping middle class citizens to travel from last two years. Which part is contradicting?

As I mentioned, her company manages her travel arrangements. From the door step pick to drop to the airport and after arrival airport pick up, drop to hotel /apartment, meals, transport everything is taken care of by her company. Given her corporate status, she can get Platinum plus credit cards from any bank in a bat of an eyelid. But she intentionally stays away from credit cards. It has never been a major problem for her. If any establishment refuses to accomodate her request owing to not having a credit card, they lose a corporate customer. But that has never happened given the tie ups her company has. Not every individual who travels has a credit card. Its an additional amenity. Not a necessity. Atleast not to us.

Thanks to the OP for a nice story.:)

Forgive me for saying it but there really is something about your posts that just doesn't quite add up. . . My limited experience of this board is that it's pretty much full of seasoned travellers and as such, we are all fairly worldly-wise. So to that end, I would respectfully suggest that it's probably best you stop digging. . .

^^^

You might want to notice that I had not mentioned about my Fiancees background. Only because jumanji here kept telling life without credit card is improbable. Though I mentioned a few times that not having credit card was intentional, he repeated that getting a hotel is not possible. (Jumanji: so she travels to other countries without a CC, yeah ok buddy. )

I am sure most of the members here are seasoned travelers. Which is more the reason I posted my queries. And my mentioning of the things in my last post did not mean any disrespect to the well mannered members here.

And if I may add to JGX , posting a lengthy page with numbered paras or bullets would not hide or convert story telling to reality! Be precise.

Reading JGX's post, I was taken with the reference to "digging".
I presume he was referring to the famous quote from a performance appraisal (which seems very apt here):
"This person has reached rock bottom and commenced digging".
I'd like to add my own favourite from the same series:
"This person is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot"
Dave

The quote I had in my mind was, "When You Find Yourself in a Hole, Stop Digging." ;)

Yawn, stop it children! :)

Enjoyable tale, Down_the_back. Yes, lovely though J travel is, it will never match the thrill of sitting in a Dan Air Comet 4C. I don't know why that is, but I've got a long-haul in Y next week on EK just to re-orient myself and get back to basics.

Although it strikes me from Down_the_back's posts that this is one flyer who still enjoys every moment onboard.

Really when you think about the harsh existence most people on this planet lead, a bit of perspective is welcome now and then. Y class travel is hardly a privation.

i made fun of your "fiance" for not having a CC.. i never said anything about hotel rooms.. that was nuzbim.

and i only mentioned it once you troll.

ash your stories get better and better, next thing you'll tell us is your girl is Ms. India, good for you.

i travel corp for a large company with over 50K employees worldwide that our corp travel team books all my rooms, flights and transfers and not once in the last three years have i checked into a hotel and not had to confirm the room with a Credit card, that's just the way 4 and 5 star hotels operate.

but if Ms India with the background which you can't speak of gets away with it, WOW good for her. you should marry her right away so those "low" cost airlines can carry both of you to international lands where you can check into rooms without any CC, maybe on your honeymoon you can check into a 5 star hotel and ask housekeeping for all the small bottles of shampoo, conditioner and lotion as memories of the once in a lifetime event.

good luck buddy

But look what I have started, it was not directly in responce to the posting i had mentioned, it just twiggered some memories of my first time too...

Wow I am getting to like this. Its added some spice to my boring & lonely night in HKG.

ahh but if you are stayin in a hotel were you able to check in without using a credit card? cause ash's girl is super important and can travel the world for the last three years without ever having to provide a CC to any hotels.

man i hope when i grow up one day i can get to her level. then i can hoard all the small bottles outta the bathrooms, and shhh don't tell anyone but i hear they have small special minibottles in the hotel fridges. i'm gonna load up.

Not to defend Ashwinsid or anything, but this aspect of his story seems entirely plausible to me. I know dozens of people who travel Business Class intercontinentally on a regular basis staying in 5-star hotels and deal purely in cash.

Back to the OP, I remember the first time I flew EK Business Class. It was on a packed 3-class A330-200 in the horrible claustrophobic single row of seats in front of door 2. I hated it. Never bought a Business Class ticket with EK again, but the A380 Business Class experience may have converted me back to the dark side!

I still remember my first Business Class experience with EK. It was back in '95 or '96, flew DXB-LHR. The first 2 rows were smoking, and although I appreciated it at that time, it was'nt much fun when you are sitting next to a heavy cigar smoker.

you must not have been drinking enough..

Even though I am a smoker, I never appreciated the pungent smell of a cigar. :confused:

I have always tried to collect some memorabilia from every trip, normally the menu's from EK flights.

But the best I heard was from my late uncle who was a university professor and often travelled 1st class, on a particular flight he noted the passenger sitting next to him pocketing what ever he could including the metal cutlery.

During the flight my uncle having to answer the call of nature mentioned his observation to a FA who said he had not gone unnoticed and were anticipating some interesting activity when he had to go through the body scanner for his connecting flight.

Probably the worst thing I have seen was in-transit at Dubai, passing the security check I saw in the bin of confiscated items was a life vest obviously taken from some one who had nicked it from under his seat.

Good grief. I wonder which airline.

What are you on about nuzbim? The lack of cc may be a bit weird but I did not see any contradiction about his fiance flying for the past 3 years and flying being relatively uncommon in India ...??:confused: