mikesyr18

Just saying... Don't complain. Everyone here will understand more if someone doesn't get their perks based on spending money from their paycheck to earn status. We don't feel sorry for people who earn status based on the fact that your employer bought all of your stays.

mikesyr18

Yes, and everyone else works hard too. You aren't special.

PaxALotl

Now your just being resentful. You realize some people actually travel places they would rather not go for work, and would rather be home sometimes, right? Join me on a marathon trip to E. Europe sometime and see how you like it. Things aren't as simple as you make it.

mikesyr18

Not to sound rude, but find another line of work then. I'm sure you're well compensated for what you do and I'm sure some of the places you get to travel to are places people can only dream of visiting. Other people aren't as fortunate enough to make $300,000 a year and travel the world, even if some of the places you want to go aren't on your "list" of places you'd like to visit.

I'm not the type of person that likes listening to a sobfest from people who make six figure salaries, eat well, don't have to lift a finger (cleaning, eating, etc.), and carry their status their employer basically paid for. I'd rather do what you do than sit in one spot all day and barely get a lunch break.

PaxALotl

Respectfully, the sobfest is coming from you.

rankourabu

Why are you assuming people who fly for work make six figure salaries? More often they earn pitiful salaries, especially if entry level, work more than 8 hours a day, including weekends, and have a couple weeeks vacation a year. Hard to "hate" on those people, but one has to assume they enjoy this kind of work-centered lifestyle if they choose to do so. Airline and hotel status sure makes their lives easier.

Probably the more DYKWIA attitude, the further from six figures they are.

deniah

If one's hard earned money comes from that same employer as salary, what's the difference?

They already do. Those managing the travel partnership get perks and the company gets bulk savings. What's the issue here?

Sure, and they dont care if the money was funneled through an employer, or a pension, or an inheritance.

Butt in seat and body in bed gets the status. That's how it goes.

mikesyr18

The business travelers I know wear expensive suits and make six figure salaries... My own boss is just one of them.

What kind of low paying job requires traveling 6 times a month or more?

RichMSN

Considering that FlyerTalk consists of a lot of business travelers, perhaps you shouldn't use "we" as if it applies to everyone here.

I have maintained SPG PLT mostly on my own personal stays the last few years, but I have no problem with those who have higher status based on all business travel. Why would I?

PaxALotl

Junior flight attendant.
Sale reps from all industries.
Union reps.

There are so many. You have this idea that business travelers are all flying around first class and partying (or whatever you think), and while it's already been said that most are very lucky to get to travel around, that doesn't mean it's all just a big party. If you have such contempt for those who you think are having it so much easier than you do, try asking around on the plane - most of the biz travelers would rather be home with their kids.

Also, coming to a forum like this with an 'i hate business travelers' attitude really doesn't make sense. You should be at the 'i hate anyone i see as elite because I feel i've been wronged' forum.

mikesyr18

Let's see... Sales reps make good money. If they didn't, they wouldn't be traveling. FA's seem to love what they do and probably aren't part of the DYKWIA crowd. Union reps are most likely well compensated individuals near the $100,000 a year mark if they travel frequently.

I think everyone would rather be at home with their kids all the time. Also, I did not start this thread... Don't point the finger at me.

When a company sends someone to travel, they're most likely a big wig, director, VP or someone of higher status. They usually don't send their lowest paid employees out to do the duty.

NYTA

While I'm less of a "road warrior" than I used to be, I used to be based in NY and would have weeks where I'd be in a different city every day of the week - NY to Boston to Minneapolis to Dallas to Charlotte to New York or whatever. I have done European trips where we do three cities in one day! Given those kind of itineraries, I care very deeply about not checking a bag - not just because it adds 30-45 minutes to each trip of waiting for bags (three cities in a day add up) but also because if my luggage gets lost one one leg then I likely won't see it again until the end of the trip. This also means likely paying (out of my own pocket) for replacement clothes. Doing 5+ days on the road like this where I don't want to check bags, yes, I'll bring a standard rollaboard (that fits in the sizer) and my briefcase which fits under the seat. The main reason I historically wanted status was for early boarding to guarantee a place for my rollaboard in the bin. Now that I do a lot of international travel it's nice to be able to shower in the lounge after an overnight long haul before a connecting flight.

bitterproffit

I always figured that if a person had airline status, that they earned it not by who fronted the bill, but how many hours of sitting in a little tube that they have endured. If they have hotel status that they earned from spending a lot of nights away from their families. I remember the years of 200 nights a year in a Hampton out by the interstate in Tuscaloosa AL, or Jackson MS, or Wilmington NC, or Laredo TX and I felt I earned that Hilton Diamond status.

I would never begrudge any of those road/plane warriors any of the status that they have earned. Most likely, they did it the hard way. And its a small consolation for sitting for hours in terminals while your Friday afternoon flight home keeps getting pushed back further and further until there's no way you will make it home for dinner, or the kid's soccer match, or date night with your spouse.

PaxALotl

Ahh yes, all the bigwigs sitting in economy on an 18 hour flight to E. Ukraine, for the 15th time, to have long, boring meetings in the middle of winter. The life of a bigwig is very glamorous.

Did you know that everyone on the plane who is being paid for by their work also gets $2500 cash and a massage every night?

ROCAT

This is hardly something that is exclusive to biz travelers, the number of shift work jobs in America is high and we get no perks for being at work at odd times missing family or other events.