I have always wanted the jet-setting life: thinking nothing of flying across the country for the weekend or night, hoping over to Europe for a weekend get-away and knowing all of the ins and outs of the airport routine. However after these past two weeks (with 5 cities, 10 airports and countless lines – for security, check-in, taxis, etc) I have learned that there are pros and cons for this life style.
The Pros - After so many flights (and not hesitating to take a non direct route for points), I have managed to reach an elite status on my airline of choice –United. This status entitles me express check in, free baggage and potential upgrades…on my flight from Minneapolis to Chicago I was upgraded from the cattle call of coach to first class. And while it was only an hour and a half flight, I managed to make the most of it….free glass (es) of wine, reclining seats and a fast exit off the plane. And the same holds true for hotel points… my status with Starwood got me an upgrade at the W to a lake view in Chicago and a free drink at the bar! The only problem is when you randomly end up on a non-preferred carrier, the experience can be traumatizing, as was my experience trying to get home to SF on a regional airline.
But even better than the freebies, is the zen-like attitude I have adopted with traveling. I can no longer take the time to get upset when someone boards out of their seating order or takes too much time in the security line. Those little concerns, in aggregate, would lead to a very short, frustrating life. And in the end, I will still get on the flight and my seat will still be available. Amazing how that works.
The Cons - After so many flights, hotels, office buildings, time zones in such a short period of time I started to get slightly confused as to where I was and where I needed to go. I stayed in 3 different hotels (one twice) on floors 14, 5, 30 and 7; I visited 3 different KPMG buildings (floors 37, 20, and 41, I think) and went to several different client buildings, offices and locations. By the time I was back in Minneapolis for the second time (in 24 hours), I had no idea what hotel room I was in or what floor I should head to in the office. The effect was paralyzing, and if it weren’t for my blackberry to phone a friend (or the front desk) I could have easily tried to get into the wrong office, or worse, hotel room.
Unfortunately, the worst part of all this current travel is that with all of the flying around, I haven’t had time to fully look forward to or plan for my upcoming holiday to France with Martin! I leave in 2 days and there is still so much to do…hopefully I can use these travel skills and pull it off.
The Pros - After so many flights (and not hesitating to take a non direct route for points), I have managed to reach an elite status on my airline of choice –United. This status entitles me express check in, free baggage and potential upgrades…on my flight from Minneapolis to Chicago I was upgraded from the cattle call of coach to first class. And while it was only an hour and a half flight, I managed to make the most of it….free glass (es) of wine, reclining seats and a fast exit off the plane. And the same holds true for hotel points… my status with Starwood got me an upgrade at the W to a lake view in Chicago and a free drink at the bar! The only problem is when you randomly end up on a non-preferred carrier, the experience can be traumatizing, as was my experience trying to get home to SF on a regional airline.
But even better than the freebies, is the zen-like attitude I have adopted with traveling. I can no longer take the time to get upset when someone boards out of their seating order or takes too much time in the security line. Those little concerns, in aggregate, would lead to a very short, frustrating life. And in the end, I will still get on the flight and my seat will still be available. Amazing how that works.
The Cons - After so many flights, hotels, office buildings, time zones in such a short period of time I started to get slightly confused as to where I was and where I needed to go. I stayed in 3 different hotels (one twice) on floors 14, 5, 30 and 7; I visited 3 different KPMG buildings (floors 37, 20, and 41, I think) and went to several different client buildings, offices and locations. By the time I was back in Minneapolis for the second time (in 24 hours), I had no idea what hotel room I was in or what floor I should head to in the office. The effect was paralyzing, and if it weren’t for my blackberry to phone a friend (or the front desk) I could have easily tried to get into the wrong office, or worse, hotel room.
Unfortunately, the worst part of all this current travel is that with all of the flying around, I haven’t had time to fully look forward to or plan for my upcoming holiday to France with Martin! I leave in 2 days and there is still so much to do…hopefully I can use these travel skills and pull it off.
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