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AIBU?

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Original poster

My daughter upgraded to Business Class on a flight! She’s 18!

214 replies

pietersburg · 14/08/2018 09:05

DH has chastised her for being a spend thrift, and wasteful. I’m proud of her in a wayWink

She is travelling 14 hours with a rich friend who travels Business. She’s only ever been in Economy, extra leg room seats at bestBlush I’ve flown Business for work a few times and it was great.

Her friends parents wanted to upgrade but DD said sorry no she couldn’t afford it. So they said ok if you make a contribution they’ll
pay, so they came to the sum of £180.

It’s come out of her savings for her spending money whilst back packing.

Who’s being unreasonable, me or dh? I think it’s OK, as it’s a one off and heavily subsidised.

OP posts:
Daisy03 · 14/08/2018 13:43

Maybe I’d be proud if you end up not subsiding her financially at all, either whilst she’s backpacking, or until she finishes studying and enters full time permanent employment, otherwise she’s just blown £180 on nothing

Hissy · 14/08/2018 13:44

Once you’ve turned left you never want to turn right again.

Turning left is First Class I thought, most business class sections I have seen/flown in are just the early seats on the main cabin

IceCreamFace · 14/08/2018 13:52

DH is BU, of course she was going to upgrade to be with her mate when it was massively subsidised. If its her money and her budget it's really none of his business!

FevertreeLight · 14/08/2018 13:55

Turning left is First Class I thought, most business class sections I have seen/flown in are just the early seats on the main cabin

Totally depends on the aircraft. Club is upstairs on many long haul. Lots you walk through club before you get to 1st if they are only using 1 jetty. Some have multiple club cabins.

FatToni · 14/08/2018 13:56

Tbh my first thought is that people are proud of their dc for the weirdest reasons.

Sticking to her decision, telling her friend she couldn’t afford it and then making the best of the situation by, I don’t know, making friends with a seat neighbour...not letting the experience spoil the trip and making the best of things...that I’d be proud of.

Not being able to afford something, bowing to peer pressure and then spending money she doesn’t have - normal in the scenario but not something to feel pride over.

Guienne · 14/08/2018 14:05

But she did have the money, FatToni. It's up to her what she chooses to spend it on.

PollyFlinderz · 14/08/2018 14:05

Turning left is First Class I thought, most business class sections I have seen/flown in are just the early seats on the main cabin

On long haul international flights they are in separate cabins.

In fact a lot of airlines are doing away with First Class altogether and increasing their Business Class capacity on a lot of their routes though they may keep First on their Premier routes/route.

Some like Singapore airlines are actually making their First Class better.

Business Class on a budget airline? I think some airlines may just have the seating at the front of the economy cabin.

bellsbuss · 14/08/2018 14:06

For £180 it was worth every penny and will be a lovely experience for her. I was in my late 20s before I could afford it, once you've done it going back to cattle is tough. Only done business with children once as a treat , we save it for when we go away just the 2 of us. I love airmiles

FlowersAndHerts · 14/08/2018 14:07

But she did have the money, FatToni. It's up to her what she chooses to spend it on.
It's whether she has enough money to finance the whole trip right to the end that counts. Hopefully she does, but it remains to be seen.

PollyFlinderz · 14/08/2018 14:07

Op, did you actually find out if she was subsidized by enquiring as to the cost of an upgrade.

It could actually be that she’s paid the normal rate.

NadiaLeon · 14/08/2018 14:15

180 pounds is a lot of money for backpackers.
I don't think for an instant that the friend will be slumming it however..

alltoomuchrightnow · 14/08/2018 14:18

It's a huge amount of money out of a backpacking budget, would be massive to me. Personally I'd rather slum it on a flight and have extra money for emergencies or even just day to day stuff.
If you're used to travel 14 hours is nothing and will fly past (excuse pun). But being stuck in a shitty room for double, triple that time with a hole in the ground for a loo and not having the money to upgrade as you blew it on a flight? But that's just me

Aridane · 14/08/2018 14:21

I would be embarrassed that she was sponging odd driend’s well off parents Blush

FevertreeLight · 14/08/2018 14:23

I would be embarrassed that she was sponging off driend’s well off parents

That was my thought. Either pay for it or don't but don't think that getting someone else to stump is anything to be proud of.

AmICrazyorWhat2 · 14/08/2018 14:25

It'll make a massive difference for a 14-hour flight and help with jet lag. I wonder if they're asking her to make the ₤180 contribution (which is probably a percentage of the full cost) so she doesn't feel unable to accept the gift, i.e. she feels more comfortable knowing she's paid for part of it?

Not all Business upgrades cost thousands, I've seen some that are a few hundred more than Premium Economy seats. I get upgraded occasionally as I fly regularly with the same airline...love it!

user1457017537 · 14/08/2018 14:59

I know people who went backpacking with round the world First Class tickets. They were all in the same situation though and were wealthy.

NadiaLeon · 14/08/2018 15:05

@AmICrazyorWhat2

Jet lag is the difference between time zones. Flying business makes no difference. It makes a now comfortable flight and resting easier, but doesn't help her lag. I say this having flown to NYC on business on Sunday. Nice hotel and flight, and still her lag.

FlowersAndHerts · 14/08/2018 15:07

I wonder if they're asking her to make the ₤180 contribution (which is probably a percentage of the full cost) so she doesn't feel unable to accept the gift
Do you think that perhaps Fevertree had it correct when she said: "I did wonder if the £180 was just the tax difference between economy and club on a miles redemption flight"?

alltoomuchrightnow · 14/08/2018 15:14

I back packed at that age and again in my 30s, just my opinion but it was about seeing as much as possible as cheaply as possible. Some days I had just pennies to live on. I didn't have parents to bail me out. At 21 I was upgraded to business class, I didn't pay a penny,I wouldn't have, I didn't have it. This doesn't bode well spending that sort of money at the start of a trip when you should be putting money aside for unforeseen circumstances. But that's just me and I don't expect everyone to agree. But I'm well travelled and situations do arise and if I was £180 down at the start I'd be panicky. But then the friend's situation seems worlds apart from mine... someone mentioned the Pulp song. A upgraded flight that isn't actually free, is not necessary. People are saying oh it's such a bargain... but then would a designer dress reduced to that price be? Not if you didn't want it or need it in the first place.

Lydiaatthebarre · 14/08/2018 15:17

I think the other parents are in the wrong here. Instead of pressurising your daughter they should have just let the existing arrangement stand. It wouldn't kill their teenager to fly economy class, and if that's what her friend can afford they should have a bit of tact.

alltoomuchrightnow · 14/08/2018 15:17

She said she couldn't afford it, it seems she was a bit pressured into it, this isn't a good sign for me... as people have said.. she might want to spend a few dollars on a beach shack when they are running low of funds and a friend wants a hotel..who wants to be in debt to a friend's rich 'mummy and daddy'? It's not how I'd want to travel anyway... I never wanted that sort of security and wanted to prove I could do it on my own, at times it was really quite tough.. sleeping at roadsides or going to a hostel and not being able to hire the sheets and pillows.. living on bananas and biscuits reduced to pennies at the end of a day.. (Yeh I came home fat from that trip!)

letsdolunch321 · 14/08/2018 15:20

Sounds extremely sensible when on a 14hr flight.

noego · 14/08/2018 15:38

Has backpacking/travelling changed then or is it just this thread. When I went travelling it was about living cheap, seeing and experiencing different cultures. I was gone for three years, bummed around, worked in beach bars, lived in ashrams, travelled on buses, hitchhiked, stopped with families, worked in schools, lived with the locals. Had to work my passage to get home. I've continued to travel like that all my life. I much prefer it.
My kids did the gap year travel thing, they saved up and paid for everything. They loved it and we constantly share stories of our adventures, people we met, different cultures, You know the ones!! Remember that 2 day train ride from Brisbane to Melbourne, The Delhi belly in India, The job in the beach bar when you slept in the back room of the bar. The meditations at the Ashram. The frat house on the shore in New Jersey. Volunteering at the golden temple :)
Ahhh happy days.....Goes to dig out rucksack :)

Is backpacking all about Gucci rucksacks and turning left when boarding the plane nowadays?

AmICrazyorWhat2 · 14/08/2018 15:55

@NadiaLeon

Yes, I know what jet lag is Smile, but it does make a difference to me if I can sleep on a flight, I find I can adjust more quickly. I do mainly transatlantic flights as well.

AmICrazyorWhat2 · 14/08/2018 16:03

noego I'm wondering the same thing, as I have memories of sleeping in basic hostels and eating/drinking whatever I could get cheaply.

Of course, I didn't stay in hotels or eat out much when I was growing up...whereas my DCs have travelled a lot more with DH and I - and our middle-aged bodies like decent beds/food!

It'll be interesting when they have to pay for themselves - I'm certainly not providing Business class upgrades Smile