jrl767

I had to do a double-take after initially misreading that as "diner"

MissJ

I have a policy that I do not work on my birthday. So far, I've been able to stick to it (I think, I can't exactly remember every year). When I was in my late teens, I worked this awful retail job and on my birthday, a customer was terrible to me, the store manager was also terrible to me, so I ended my day by telling the boss off and quitting. I then hit a squirrel on the way to dinner. That is when I decided that working on my birthday is just a bad idea.

This year, I went to Alaska to see whales and puffins. Much, much better.

mbece

I've done it for the past five years. Some I've gone out with work friends, some I've done nothing special.

I'm old enough to that not dying is a good enough celebration for me.

RandomNobody

Quite often I transit the international date line going west, and completely skip my birthday.

That doesn't mean I'm a few years younger than I actually am, though. *grin*

bpe

Has anyone here 'lost' most of their birthday due to flying across the international date line?
It hasn't happened to me, although I have missed some holidays that way.

Edit - apparently yes. RandomNobody beat me by a minute.

darthbimmer

I've traveled for work on my birthday once or twice. It'd happen more frequently except my birthday is in the second half of December. Because so many employees take holidays (with varying schedules) around Christmas, my customers rarely schedule onsite meetings or project work for that period.

Even so, I'm not obsessive about my birthday. It's just a day. If I feel like celebrating the occasion I'm just as happy to do so a few days earlier or later, when I'm home.

Big4Flyer

We flew this past Christmas and I didn't do anything out of the ordinary except I bought chocolates for my kids to give to give to the crew. Most just gave a kind thanks, but one FA seemed particularly touched. I had talked to her during the flight and she seemed sad at missing her grandkids first Christmas so it felt good to do something for her, even if it wasn't much. After all, spending Christmas night at a hotel in Idaho Falls isn't most people's idea of how to spend a Merry Christmas.

Of course, then they lost our bags, and our return flight was canceled, so I don't think I'll do that again.

HawaiiTrvlr

When I used to travel for work (and when I worked), I spent my one birthday while on a business trip to Korea. I asked some coworkers if they wanted to go to dinner (they didn't know it was my birthday that day). "Sure....we will call your room when we are ready to go." After waiting, I went to the local restaurant and who is already there? I sat in a different part of the restaurant. A few days later and on the way back from the trip, I was sleeping in a row of seats (it was about 50% full) when a coworker woke me up to have the FAs sing me happy birthday. I just turned over, covered my head and went back to sleep.

RandomNobody

And it's happening this year again, for me.

metallo

I suppose I technically traveled alone on my birthday this year for the first time, although it was intentional and only for a few hours. My birthday was on a Monday, and I had made plans for a weekend trip the Saturday/Sunday just before that. I ended up on a redeye flight departing Sunday, arriving early Monday morning. I asked for a PDB of "champagne" on my US flight in First and promptly dozed off prior to wheels-up. I was still able to celebrate by going out to dinner with friends/colleagues on Monday evening and with family later in the week. Fortunately, I've never truly been by myself on my birthday, but if I were, I would definitely splurge on something much nicer than US Airways "champagne."

lhrsfo

This is what I do, and have some decent wine with it. I like to mark it somehow, and indulge myself, even if I am alone. I would be too depressed sitting in a hotel room with a salad and a glass of water.

gobluetwo

Done it before for work. Doesn't bother me. I don't really celebrate my birthday. More than anything, I guess my wife and kids like to recognize it, and cake and celebration is really for the kids. I do like their homemade cards and stuff, but that's really it.

I will sometimes go out to dinner and tell the waiter/waitress it's my birthday to get free dessert.

airchick

A couple of years ago, I was on a long trip that included my birthday. Coincidentally, I had the day off. Two things happened: 1) I treated myself to a nice leisurely day with a little touring and then a nice lunch 2) Later in the day after I returned to the hotel, there was a knock on my door from a waiter with an entire cake (strawberry shortcake, my fav) and two little bottles of milk in an ice bucket along with a few birthday cards that had arrived in the mail.

Turns out my sister had called the hotel a few days prior, telling them my birthday was coming up and what were they going to do about it? (And the flavor of my favorite cake.) Somehow they connected with the mail room and held the cards that came in for me until the day and delivered them with the cake.

I was stunned and it moved me to tears. Granted, I've stayed at this hotel about 90 nights a year for the past 5+ years. But I was really surprised how they came through. Marriott, by the way.

RandomNobody

Well, technically, it's only possible to completely skip the birthday if you cross the date line at exactly midnight local, so I'm counting "Take off on Wednesday night, land on Friday morning" when my birthday is on a Thursday, for example.

There's still 5-6 hours where it's technically my birthday in the local timezone the plane happens to be at the time.

Doc Savage

Lots of places to get free meals on your birthday...