How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot etc?

[hummel]

My other half pretends to understands it but really as long as she get's the benefits from status runs, buying points etc she is very understanding. Perhaps I shouldn't have set the bar high with a TG F trip early on in the piece. She asked me when we are going SQ Suites after she caught me looking at a trip report on the weekend. I told her we can to HKG... we just won't come back.

My family understand USDM, our business does a fair bit of travel to China and the boss and I have used this to great affect booking 12 MEL-CAN rtn trips in TG/SQ J over the past 12 months. Have saved a lot of money as it is very hard to justify the normal J fares when just inspecting for a couple of days.

My friends, they ask and I try to educate and it goes straight over their head. Perfect like that!!

 

[JessicaTam]

Most of my colleagues just nod and smile politely when I try to explain. *sigh*

After explaining to one of them, though, she came back a week later to explain she was off to Nepal in a month. A convert. Yes!

 

[zig]

Consistent theme here.
I generally just tell anyone who asks that I used 'points' to travel. A couple of friends pushed for more information last year, and as they were planning a trip to Europe I explained some options to them, mentioned things like some sign up offers on credit cards etc.... They never bothered to follow up and look into any of these possibilities, and then were envious of my last trip to LAX in F. What can you do.

Personally I think we should stop trying to explain and keep the flights for ourselves.

 

[Buzzard]

I don't say too much. When I have told a few people in the past the usual reaction was it must be some sort of scam

 

[JohnM]

I don't say too much. When I have told a few people in the past the usual reaction was it must be some sort of scam

I never get that. It's always either the glaze-over or "Wow, that sounds great, I'll contact you about how to do it next time I want to go somewhere." - but they never do.

 

[boomy]

How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

I never get that. It's always either the glaze-over or "Wow, that sounds great, I'll contact you about how to do it next time I want to go somewhere." - but they never do.

Because they just don't care enough to follow up. Most people view flying as a task they have to endure, not as something enjoyable.
As one of my friends told me recently: "when I fly long haul I take half sleeping pill after dinner, sleep well and wake up for breakfast".

 

[zainman]

Re: How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

It was almost embarrassing for me to tell my boss that I went to SIN for the long weekend... simply because I could.

 

[boomy]

Re: How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

It was almost embarrassing for me to tell my boss that I went to SIN for the long weekend... simply because I could.

Some things are better left unsaid
Like when you meet the boss in HKG and he got there in J and you in F

 

[QF WP]

I don't tend to share too many "deals" that I find on AFF, as I travel more than any of my friends/family (other than friends who are FA's or crew). I don't consider that I travel a lot, compared with some on this and other FF related Forums.

I explain the basics if they are interested but assess the level of interest from the questions asked in return. Most of my family are juts happy that I track their accounts via Award Wallet and tell them (well in advance) when they are going to lose points if they haven't added to them (more often than not, AAccounts).

 

[harvyk]

Re: How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

It was almost embarrassing for me to tell my boss that I went to SIN for the long weekend... simply because I could.

Yeah, I got a few strange looks from the guys at work when I went to LAX for a weekend.

 

[Awesom Andy]

Re: How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

As one of my friends told me recently: "when I fly long haul I take half sleeping pill after dinner, sleep well and wake up for breakfast".

Would they do the same if they had lounge access with made-to-order food, and then on board, they have bubbles, a flat bed and a large on-demand screen? (Obviously, they aren't flying on a QF A330).

 

[Sprucegoose]

Re: How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

Yeah, I got a few strange looks from the guys at work when I went to LAX for a weekend.

tell no one nothing. We are all looney to the outside world.

i looked up exclaimed to a colleague, look there's 93, running an hour late...they accused me of being a plane spotter with all the downside associated with train spotting!!

 

[Awesom Andy]

Re: How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

i looked up exclaimed to a colleague, look there's 93, running an hour late...they accused me of being a plane spotter with all the downside associated with train spotting!!

I did that once in SIN. Looking out of the observation mall at T1 landside, I was telling my friend where each of the QF jet parked at the gates were going to. And that was before the EK tie-up when they had a few more flights. My friend's expression was basically - who the hell are you?

 

[Deleted member]

How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

Mrs GPH found this site when I was first offered an Amex Centurion card.
The most / best information she found was on AFF.
It transpires that she gave up looking elsewhere as the depth of knowledge here was so great ( and so accurate......mostly) that the decision to not accept the offer was made with little or no regret.
When it comes to non AFF persons asking how / why I fly as well as I do, I too find that a blank stare is about as good as it gets.
I did direct one person this way, she has joined I believe, but I am yet to discern if she has become hooked like me .

I have learned ( by observation) that too much sharing of (some )information is possibly the reason some opportunities are lost to us a frequent flyer community.
On line ASA is a case in point. ( at the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist) .
I notice that earning points has become harder , while the sale of taco mix was initially a good thing for product T/O for the manufacturer, once the eagle eyed FF or coupon crew worked it out, the opportunities disappeared overnight.

I know for example that the more savvy AFF'rs are more circumspect with sharing their knowledge , tending to PM or share in face to face encounters.
AFF is in some ways a victim of its own success.
All that being said I am so pleased to have enjoyed the benefits of listening to ( making ) contributors here, had flying and dining experiences I would never have thought possible, and made some great friendships along the way, with people I would never have connected with otherwise. I have had lounge guest experiences that not only help the recipient , but enrich my experience as well.
I only wish I had known about you lot a long time ago.
Thank you everyone.

 

[cove]

Re: How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

This week I spoke with an AFFer who has been reading up on some posts. Naturally she is planning to push Cruiser Elite off his Suites perch using credit card points. Research and smiles can all go together quite nicely and she waited for the children to be off their hands and into their careers.
No need to tell too many but of course you could give them the pajamas from First Class.

 

[harvyk]

Re: How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

Had an interesting talk with Mum on Sunday, she was questioning the logic of taking the family OS vs putting the money into the home loan.
The thing is that she knows I play the FF game, and yet couldn't get her head around the fact that no I didn't pay close to full price for the tickets. Sometimes those conversations with family are not by choice...

 

[JessicaTam]

Re: How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

Yeah, I got a few strange looks from the guys at work when I went to LAX for a weekend.

I am still working on getting to LON for dinner on my days off. One day.

 

[cove]

Re: How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

Jessica that would be for an AFF drinks and dinner night? Then back home.

 

[JessicaTam]

Re: How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

Jessica that would be for an AFF drinks and dinner night? Then back home.

Yep, about the height of craziness.

 

[Awesom Andy]

Re: How much do you tell your family and friends about travel deals/FF sweetspot ...

Yep, about the height of craziness.

Are you jet lag proof or simply permanently jet lagged?