rankourabu

I disagree. Its more about how people allocate their money.
Priorities are not the same as spending power.

While one can "afford" a $5k business class ticket to Europe, one chooses to pay $700 for this kind of a short flight in Y.

cyclogenesis

Great thread! So business travel is very different to vacation travel.

When on business my costs are constrained by allowable expenses and perdiems. Of course this allows some latitude as long as it is justifiable. As bought up a few times I always use a car service from O'Hare to home (actually really not much more than a cab) while on the other hand, if my destination airport is well served I will tend to take mass transit.

Within allowable range I will try to stay at major full service properties, preferably with a lounge as breakfast is so very convenient and it is nice to have a place to unwind in the evenings..

Vacation travel:
With a 10 yo daughter the use of the lounge takes on a whole new meaning as a place to relax with my wife as the 10yo goes off to sleep in the room.. So yes, a good hotel with a lounge and a pool is something I am willing to pay for out of my own pocket!

If we are spending a week some where one of those days us usually reserved for a "popular activity" (eg Versailles in Paris, London Tower etc...), another splurge is that when we do this I will very happily pay a premium to (1) Enhance the experience with group yours etc.. and (2) avoid hideous queues (see earlier posts about time being a commodity!)

Lovethecabin

I grew up travelling on the cheap and it was great. The way I travel now would make my father turn over in his grave.

After getting married and having a child, I now appreciate great hotels in great locations. I definitely splurge for our city trips, we stay where we want in 4 or 5* hotels and don't sweat a $50-$75 per night price difference between our ideal location versus a less expensive hotel in a less desirable location.

We splurge on the quickest and most convenient form of transportation and that typically is the most expensive, Uber for example. I am not opposed to public transportation but our vacation time is limited.

We have hired private guides several times and never regretted it. Every time it has enhanced our experience 10 fold.

We are able to fly business/first with a combo of points and cash and I don't think I can go back to coach.

Kagehitokiri

agreed (biggest reason for really expensive accommodations to me)
i wish there were more yachts that would take bookings for one cabin

agreed

"afford" is used incorrectly all the time. most who have money, if they choose not to spend it on something, say they cannot "afford" that thing. if one has thousands or tens of thousands of dollars of disposable/discretionary income/savings, they could "afford" to spend it on a single purchase. choosing not to do so has nothing to do with "afford"

as i said, i spend more on less travel, and i dont pay for J/F
different people value different things a different amount >

Forrest Bump

And the second?

anaggie

that is one word

jacobac00

Fun thread.

I like to spend a little extra, when necessary, to get "freebies". For instance, take a flight with a connection to an airport with better lounges (FRA), rather than fly direct. I really enjoy the international lounges and when I'm on vacation, that is a great place to be. What better than drinking some champagne and plane watching.

I'll also spend a little more to get a hotel where I have status. Access to the club/lounge and free wifi and the like make a trip so much more enjoyable.

Everywhere else I'm pretty frugal. Street food is the best food! (most of the time)

Exterous

We splurge on whatever 'makes the trip' for us which can be quite different trip to trip. If we are out sight seeing then we don't care much about the hotel as long as its clean because we won't be there long. We will, however, spend more on admission fees or experiences. If we are just going to lounge on the beach we spend more on the hotel\resort

I think thats the joke

darthbimmer

I agree. The essence of "splurging" is making choices within the constraints of what's feasible. My wife and I could afford $5000 flights to Europe. Doing it once a year wouldn't jeopardize our budget for housing, food, health care, basic transportation, retirement savings, etc. In that sense we can afford it. But it would consume a significant part of our discretionary income-- requiring us to cut back on small treats throughout the year as well as spend very little on hotels and food during the trip-- so we frequently choose not to do it. It would be a splurge if we did.

emma69

For me it tends to be hotels, good 4 or 5 star standard, I like white bed linens, a certain degree of anonymity, good and plentiful towels, cleanness, a spotless soaking tub, etc. Every so often I relent and let a friend talk me into 'different' accommodation (e.g. a place with 'character' in Quebec). I usually regret it.

I also splurge on room service from time to time (not all the time, as I do like getting out and about) but some nights it is just the right thing to do, service charge, tip and gratuities (in 3 separate places) be damned!

The other thing I have started doing to paying more for quality tours - e.g. earlier this year I wanted to visit a couple of very touristy places while on vacation. I could have done the 50 person bus tour very cheaply, and seen pretty much the same things. Instead I hired a private driver, at a cost several times higher - I prefer being on my own schedule, not having to listen to other people, and the ability to customize things at the drop of a hat 'rain, oh well, let's reverse the order of these two things and hope it dries up' type idea.

bhrubin

My splurges vary depending on whether I travel for business (I own my own business) or leisure.

Business travel:

I most often splurge on room service, since I am often traveling alone and love the ease and laziness allowed by room service.

I splurge occasionally on nicer hotels than I need if I'm there for more than a night or two--since I can write off the expense and would rather enjoy a longer hotel stay. But I never splurge on true 5 star luxury hotels for business unless a major deal is available.

I sometimes splurge on Uber and taxis as opposed to public transit in some places where time and convenience is more an issue for me.

Leisure travel:

I splurge on hotel suites, room service for breakfast, and fine dining most often.

When I can take advantage of my SPG and Hyatt status, I'll use points for rooms/suites and then expect to get an upgrade--as long as the property is truly 5 star luxe, such as with St. Regis, Park Hyatt, and occasional Luxury Collection/W and Grand Hyatt properties. Otherwise, I'm happy to splurge on Aman, Peninsula, Four Seasons, and MO. (But when I can get the luxe or near-luxe hotel for free on points, as with St. Regis, Park Hyatt, I almost always do so.)

Fine dining is critical for me when traveling with my husband or friends. To travel with me is to know that I will be having at least one meal at one of the best restaurants in town (unless I'm in a remote place, where I'm most likely to have splurged for the nicest hotel anyway). If the wine pairing costs as much as the meal, I'm still game. I like to dine--major foodie and wine fanatic here!

I rarely splurge on airfare, since I almost always can use points/miles to get premium class airline tickets to where I need to go. For the first time, however, I just purchased Emirates F for our return from Cape Town (CPT-DXB-LAX) at a steal of a price ($3200 per person OW). I couldn't resist such a great product for such long flights at such a good price.

I splurge on private guides, since doing it at my pace and seeing only what I want has tremendous value for me. But when hotels charge too much (like Amangiri in Utah for private tours to Monument Valley, etc.), I'll arrange a small group tour when necessary. We usually go through the hotels, since they often have better rates than the travel packagers/high end travel agencies and usually use the same guide pools anyway!

KatW

Fun thread, interesting to see how we splurge and what we value.

I travel only for leisure these days. We're getting older so comfort is our primary concern. We typically do only two or three big trips a year so scrimp in almost no category. Flying is first or biz; airport car service; airport lounges where available sans mortgaging home; sometimes flight greet and escort with expedited immigration access. Regarding accommodation, prefer suite in luxury hotel/ resort; attentive, kindly service; great concierge; excellent room service cuisine.

Tchiowa

2 strippers?

jadecocoa

My splurge is to go where I want, when and how I choose. As these can be off the beaten path, trips are more expensive (in time and hassle as much as money) than standard itineraries. My recent trip along the Karakoram Highway from Lahore to Kashgar or Dushanbe to Bishkek along the Pamir Highway.

Minor splurge: good coffee.

obscure2k

Food. Definitely food. Last month in VCE 75% of all meals included fresh white truffles.