Marginal value is a really, really, really sore subject for me after this trip. Let me explain. Back in August Delta published some ~$900 business class fares between Sao Paulo and New York. As it turns out they were meant to be economy class fares, though they stuck around for a short while.
Continue reading: Brazil Madness: Introduction
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I can't believe that US taxpayers will have to help fund this when you do a tax write-off for this
u just lost 10 days of your life for what... I think you lost the point sir...
@Rob
(Sarcasm font) Yeah, I hate how US taxpayers are always funding small (and large) businesses everywhere by reducing their taxes for spending money on their business. Businesses are the real takers!
On a serious note, I think many people are jealous that Lucky is able to do this as his career in this 21st century internet world. I assume your comment is probably based largely on envy. Good for you Lucky! The rest of us are cheering you on.
This is where your CPM or any other terminology regarding value gets tossed. I think I value my life way more than you do so I don't care what the cost vs miles benefits would amount to on a trip like this. I love and appreciate your reviews but this one makes me question your thinking. There is no status or reward worth giving away this much of my life.
I recently flew on a DL 767 with the business elite seats pictured above (I flew in Y, but walked through the J cabin on my way back), and I just remember thinking how small and cramped those seats felt, despite being lie-flat, after walking through the cabin. The week before I flew on LH's new business class, and at the time I thought those even felt a little tight--but nothing compared to what I imagine the DL J seat on those 767's must feel like!
I have no idea how you did six ~10 hour flights in those things...more power to you!!
OMIGOD, that's like a dream come true for me!! So jealous!! Looking at your itinerary gave me tingles! 😛
Congratulations, now you have the elite status you coveted. After accounting for the ginormous amount of time squandered (measured in weeks), energy wasted (Paul Bunyan-sized carbon footprint) and untold dollars spent (on air, transfers, hotels, etc.), you now have a better chance of an upgrade on your next Alaska flight from SEA to LAX, and perhaps a fancier 0.5oz package of nuts. Ahh, the good life!
This truly is the pinnacle of idiocy.
You are totally insane!!!!!! 🙂 BTW, Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo is probably one of the most expensive Category 3 Hyatt out there. Sao Paulo has one of the worst cost/benefits for hotels. You get so so hotels for the prices of a palace.
Can't believe you found a friend to join you on this mileage run from hell. The DL biz seat isn't even that nice. Brasil is a beautiful country. Sad that you didn't see much of it, other than an airport hotel. With all the miles you have already, you should reconsider how many paid BIS miles you really need each year to keep your blog going, and then start enjoying destinations more.
Completely agree Matt. And know he wants to move from Seattle, so not sure why he would care about Alaska status.
H should focus more on running a successful business. I had friends contact him for an award booking and he never responded to their inquiry.
If do this again - we all forget the pain with time- take a break down on Florianopolis. A little piece of Heaven on the shores of the South Atlantic
Wouldn't it have been cheaper and easier simply to buy First on Alaska when you need it rather than to do all this? Are you going to actually fly Alaska that much?
Interesting to read all the hate posts on this thread. Wow. Since Lucky views his airline seat as his office, it's no different than any of us spending overtime at work - which I did a significant amount of leading up to the end of the year.
Regarding the carbon footprint, this trip came in on the Terrapass.com carbon footprint calculator at just over 60% of my own footprint for the same miles traveled in my car.
I'm not sure why so many people are so antagonistic to this on the grounds that it's "wasted" time. It may be crazy, it may be odd, but the experience of doing such an odd thing could be totally worthwhile, firstly, and also given ben's flexibility and the nature of his job, how is this remotely not relevant?
Hell, it sounds crazy and if probably not spend the money, but the amount of reading alone I could get done without distraction seems to be quite appealing.
I wish I have the time to do this.
seriously, I am going to quit my job and to do MRs.
Hehe, just read some of the comments. This is quite the extreme version of a mileage run, encouraged by having a business that is mixed with a passion. For some it makes total sense for others it is crazy. Hat's off to Ben for following his passion, for there lies hapiness in life (albeit punctuated by moments of doubt).
That was a bloody foolish thing to waste your time on. All for what? Being served $15 meals and $0.50 Diet Coke's in cramped seats while watching movies on a small screen?
I would understand it slightly if you actually spent some time at your destinations, but flying back and forth for no real purpose really shows that you either have mental health issues, or that you are running away from something...
For those people posting about Ben wasting 10 days of his life & similar comments, given the average US male can expect to live for 76 years, according to Wikipedia, 10 days isn't much to 'lose'. He could make up the time in less than a year by skipping an hour's sleep each night. I think the negative comments are largely driven by envy for the totality of Ben's lifestyle.
@ Brian - That's not good. If you'd like to email me with your friends' name I'd be happy to look into their request. We did have an issue with messages getting trapped in spam folders last year, but we do try to respond to everything.
Only in America!!! (said it with my thick Italian accent)
That's a crazy itinerary, like it or not it's
Ben's job after all, the guy that made the point of working extra-hours was spot on
Ben, how does your body responded to that amount of travel? Do you exercise (ie go to the gym) a lot before and after such a combination of flights? I knew a guy who used to be an "tech-evangelist" for a giant US corporation and used to travel 10 out of 12 months a year in mostly Y class (as per his company's policy). While flying he totally cut off on any alcohol and turned vegetarian as he could not cope with it.
@ JetAway -- In retrospect, yes. 😉
That being said, I did want to review Delta BusinessElite so don't regret booking one of them, it's the two "extras" that I'm not sure about.
@ Giovanni -- To be honest it has kind of become the "norm" for me, so there's not a whole lot I had to change. I did exercise every day during the trip during layovers, which I think I needed to maintain sanity due to how much sitting I was doing.
But I'm also the type of person that can sleep either two hours or 14 hours a night, so it really didn't bother me otherwise.
@ Lamonster -- Yes, I actually have a separate post coming on that shortly, since I'll be visiting it again this week.
@ Dave -- I didn't have to do laundry. I just wore pajamas on the flight, so my clothes were always "fresh" while on the ground.
Folks, before you get negative, realize this is his job. Now, he literally just worked for 10 days straight, which is not ideal - but it's his career. People read his blog for the trip reports, and the crazy ones like this might even drive a little bit more traffic.
@Ben - If you can describe the experience in just one word, what would that be?
Just wait until the Carbon Police get on your case and come for you.
They're already lecturing people on how evil they are to fly anyplace even if you might have a damn good reason to go somewhere. They're going to really love your mileage run story.
Don't say I didn't warn you.