I have no moral fiber.
But come on, consider this: you are a lowly person who can never break into the inner circle of men who inhabit first class (on flights). But by some fluke and rather unusual circumstance (whereby you go so far as to travel to Japan via Paris, just to get the miles, and have several other overseas flights which you deliberately bunch in one calendar year), you get yourself for one year and one year only platinum plus status on Air France. The elite of the elite (and there are 5 gradations of elite status on Air France).
Then Air France merges with Northwest. Voila! This past week, I am flying with Ed to Canada on Northwest. On international flights, platinum plus bumps everyone and anyone. If the pilot wanted my seat, s/he could not have it. I am boss!
And so on each leg of the journey, I have been given first class seats. And each time I have said: no, if my companion cannot be with me up there in super stardom, then I will join the sardines in the rear of the plane.
Until this last, the fourth flight.
I mean damn, what would you do? Your super elite status is about to expire at the end of the month. You will never ever again be sitting among men who all wear conflicting scents of aftershave.
Would you not say YES! to that final upgrade, leaving your 6'4" traveling companion back there for the 56 minute flight to shift and squirm in the middle seat between two good-sized people whose extensions are more the side to side rather than up and down kind?
Still, I have such guilt. I am a weak person. I know that. As I sit in the first row, with what seems like ten drinks lined up for me to get through, I feel like an utter pig.
P.S. I have, this year alone (besides this Canada fancy), given up three business class upgrades on across-the-ocean flights just to be back there with friends. Does that gain me points?
I tell myself: if we crash, I swear I will give up my life to save those in the back. Fact is though, with all that alcohol, I wont be much use. Damn it. I am such a loser.
4 hours ago
Are you kidding me, woman? You're a saint! I would've been sound asleep with my slippers and eye mask up in First Class on every one of those flights.
ReplyDeleteLook - plane rides suck no matter what, whether you're sitting next to a friend or a stranger. You can't make his legs any shorter by being next to him, and maybe, just maybe, your absence in Coach will free up that precious middle seat so he can at least stretch his elbows.
The way I see it, you are doing him a favor by taking that seat up in First Class! I release you from your guilt.
I have a variation on What Jenny Said. Back in the days when I had Status, if only one of us had a first-class seat, Suzanne occupied the first-class seat. Period. And you know the height differential between us. So there.
ReplyDeleteIf only I had posted this dilemma before I embarked on those flights. Sigh... All that free alcohol... Oh yeah. And comfy seats.
ReplyDelete