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Have you ever regretted being frugal? I certainly did this morning. My 5:30 a.m. flight to Alicante in Spain was meant to be the start of a nice break meeting a friend flying in from London, but thanks to my decision to save forty bucks, it became an endurance test.
When I booked the flight, I decided against paying for a reserved seat, thinking I’d play the check-in lottery and get a decent spot for free. That bet didn’t pay off. Instead, I was assigned the middle seat, sandwiched between, shall we say, some rather large individuals.
For three long hours, I was crammed in there, all for the want of $40. It was an uncomfortable flight and a reminder that the true cost of a purchase isn’t just the price tag—it’s also the comfort and peace of mind it provides.
Now, not only do I need to figure out what sunscreen to use, but more importantly, whether I’ll pay for a seat on my flight home. Surely I won’t be that unlucky twice… right? Maybe I’m not being frugal, maybe I’m just being tight.
Once I tried to fly from Boston to Philadelphia (about a 1 1/2 hour) for the cheapest cost as it was for an unexpected funeral. Tried to book without an assigned seat, and for only a carry on as I was flying by myself, and the flight was so short I didn’t care where I sat. Frontier was the cheapest base price but I was unable to pay only for the few things that I wanted as their upgrades were package deals. Will never fly them again.
Monday afternoon we were on the final days of our vacation and had just arrived in Bilao Spain. We had planned on spending two days there and then fly home on KLM airlines Wednesday morning. I had already booked and pre-paid for a private guide and another excursions for the next day. After unpacking I got an email alerting us that KLM was going on strike Wednesday morning! I immediately called the airlines and changed our flights to Tuesday. The extra night at the hotel and the two tours were non-refundable. Then we paid extra to get the seats we wanted on the rebooked return flights home. We didn’t care about the lost expenses. Just didn’t want to be stuck in the connecting Amsterdam airport with over a hundred cancelled flights that morning.
Recently we booked a cruise on Oceania which was expensive and a splurge. We got an offer to bid on a higher level stateroom which went for almost triple what we paid for our room. We bid a reasonable amount and we got the upgrade! It was the best cruise ever and worth every penny. The room was hotel sized and the amenities incredible.
This may indeed touch on the difference between frugal and cheap…. For a one hour flight I’d probably be willing to risk the middle seat (not that I’d take a one hour flight in Europe when the rail system is so good), but for a three hour flight I’d pay up these days. Of course, right now I’m considering whether to spend the FF miles to fly business class both ways across the Atlantic. (Across the Pacific it’s a no-brainer.) I don’t need a lie-flat seat coming back.
Business class, odd as it might seem, I’ve never traveled business class. The closest I’ve been is premium economy on long-haul flights.
Believe me, the difference is night and day, although my info is a bit out of date as I haven’t flown since 2018. Consider:
You have access to the airline’s Lounge. Good seats, often peace and quiet, free food and drink, and, in many airports, free showers. If I’ve checked out in the morning and spent the day sightseeing, that shower is very welcome.
The seats are larger, further apart and comfortable. These days they often have privacy screens, and they lie flat.
Edible food and no one reclining into your tray.
I remember one flight with especial fondness: Bangkok to London on Qantas. I ate a very good dinner, followed by port, changed into PJs provided by the airline and slept until breakfast, after which we landed. No way I want to spend that long in economy.
I’ve flown biz a number of times, but only once paying cash instead of using FF miles. (No One World airline flies Tashkent to Seoul.)
The airline’s system of seat pricing is insanely advanced such that they know precisely how to get the occupancy levels they want. The only flights that I know of that routinely fly less occupied are the re-positioning flights so that a plane is in the correct airport in the AM to maximize it’s utilization and profits for the next day. (and end of day flights have their own issues esp if there are any weather issues)
Once upon a time you had made a good bet, technology and math have made it a bad one.
My reluctance to pay extra for the seats earns me another head slap from Chrissy. Then I pony up for the seats and reluctantly admit that she is the wise one.
If Suzie was traveling with me, I wouldn’t have been allowed to not book seats, lol.
“Maybe I’m just being tight.” Crammed in that center seat, I’m sure you were.
That made me laugh into my cold beer lol
Ye gads, pay for the seat✈️
I’ve pushed the boat out. Not only have I now booked an aisle seat, I divvied up for extra leg room!