Luxury travel

Christian ethics and theology with an Anabaptist perspective

How much luxury travel befits the Christian?

 
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Josh
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Luxury travel

Post by Josh »

I am starting to question how much premium travel experiences befit the Christian. Jesus rode around on a donkey, not in a luxury sedan chair, and he did the most important work of any of us.

On the other hand, some of us need to travel for work, and some of what seems like "luxury" is indeed aimed at helping business travellers be their most productive. I will focus for now on just air travel accomodations. Please feel free to comment freely on your answers. I don't have any set opinion myself and am looking to hear what other people think here.

A few clarifications on luxury travel these days on airlines:

1. The most basic level is you have to stuff everything in 1 small bag and you will probably sit in a middle set in the back and have no ability to sit with any travelling companions. United calls this "Basic Economy". Typical fare: $42 - $80 one way from Minneapolis to Chicago.

2. The next level is paying for a seat assignment and bringing a larger carry-on bag on board. Most airlines call this just "Economy". Typical fare: $62 - $100 one way from Minneapolis to Chicago.

3. The next level is an "extra legroom" seat, which might possibly have a nicer snack and maybe free alcoholic drinks. American calls this "Main Cabin Extra". Typically costs $20 - $50 more for a flight ranging from 1 - 3 hours, or an extra $200 for an international flight. If you fly about 2 international roundtrips a year, an airline will let you have this for free.

4. The next level is "premium economy", which is a seat that reclines a lot more and has significantly tastier food. Typically costs about double that of regular economy.

5. The next level is "business class", which usually means a seat that fully lies flat on for international flights, or a much larger seat, free drinks, and better food on domestic flights. Typically costs about 3 to 4 times that of regular economy, but if you frequently fly the same airline, sometimes you can get this for a few hundred dollars extra from time to time.

6. There is a level of "first class", "first suites", and things beyond that like Etihad's "first apartment". You will have world class food, access to excellent lounges at airports, your own butler, and a chauffeur to drive you in a luxury car to and from the airport. Pricing could be anywhere from a free upgrade you can get (like I did the last time I flew from Australia to home) to flights costing in excess of $35,000.

And just to make things more exciting:

There are charter airlines that are fairly low cost ($200 - $400 one way) that use small, 7-seat private jets and can get you to your destination in a half hour quickly and safely. Sometimes these are the only non stop option, like from Pittsburgh to Richmond, Milwaukee, or Louisville, and priced the same as other airlines.

If someone doesn't know this, and sees you at the airport, it'll look like you've got a $1,500/hr private jet and being escorted into a luxury car to be whisked away.

And then there are airline lounges, which cost around $500 a year for a membership, and mean you always have a private place to charge up your phone or meet with colleagues. They usually include free alcohol.
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ohio jones
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Re: Luxury travel

Post by ohio jones »

Now I have nothing against obese Southern black women in general, or even the one next to me on that flight in particular, but after she spilled over the armrest into my seat in a 10-across 777 (for non-avgeeks, that's a foot narrower than a 747 with the same number of seats, so each seat is smaller) for 16 hours from New York to Shanghai, one starts to look for alternatives. I thought the 25% off referred to just the price of the ticket, not the usable width of the seat.

After waiting in line for over two hours at immigration, then making a mad dash through the concourse to the connecting flight, where they slam the door behind you, one starts to look for shortcuts and ways to access the faster lines.

Are those shortcuts and alternatives luxury travel, or are they an attempt to return to basic civilization and sanity in a world gone amok?

What would Jesus do? I think he would take the train.
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JimFoxvog
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Re: Luxury travel

Post by JimFoxvog »

ohio jones wrote: What would Jesus do? I think he would take the train.
I believe he usually walked.

That gets me thinking.

His message was about God loving the world (John 3.16). But he didn't think he personally had to travel widely. Could we be over sure of our own importance?
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MaxPC
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Re: Luxury travel

Post by MaxPC »

I've always prayed for safe travels and trust that God knows my needs and His Will. God has always provided.
Sometimes it was very basic; sometimes delayed (Paul was even shipwrecked Acts 27).

In my view, it's always been about God's plans. Sometimes those delays in my travels saved me from being in an accident like a pile up. Sometimes it's an opportunity to be a witness to God's love to fellow travelers. :D
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Josh
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Re: Luxury travel

Post by Josh »

MaxPC wrote:I've always prayed for safe travels and trust that God knows my needs and His Will. God has always provided.
Sometimes it was very basic; sometimes delayed (Paul was even shipwrecked Acts 27).

In my view, it's always been about God's plans. Sometimes those delays in my travels saved me from being in an accident like a pile up. Sometimes it's an opportunity to be a witness to God's love to fellow travelers. :D
Regardless of that, I still have to choose between Basic Economy and Standard Economy, and then beyond that I have many more choices to make.
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Sudsy
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Re: Luxury travel

Post by Sudsy »

If someone doesn't know this, and sees you at the airport, it'll look like you've got a $1,500/hr private jet and being escorted into a luxury car to be whisked away.
If this is about others falsely judging us as a Christian, I think this verse applies - "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." Mathew 5:11

It is only true accusations by others of not being Christ like that we need to be concerned about and even these may be a view of Christ likeness we don't see in scripture to merit change.

If in doubt on what choices we make in life, we can ask and trust God to guide us by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit will never lead us to sin.
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RZehr
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Re: Luxury travel

Post by RZehr »

Here is where I'm at, but I may not be correct or consistent.

1. 2. & 3. - I wouldn't have a problem at all with.

4. & 5. - I think if there is a reason to do so, for example someone who travels a lot for business, then I wouldn't be opposed. Although I'm young, and if it were my money I'd still not fly business class because of the cost. I fly for business at times and I know that these trips, especially the international, ones are absolutely grueling with the travel and the time change and then once you arrive, the meetings are often exhausting. If you can be at the conference well rested, then that is good. For international trips our salesmen almost arrive a few days ahead of time to be rested for the conferences. So we end up paying a lot of extra money in lodging and meals. Perhaps if they flew first class they wouldn’t need to arrive as early. In fact one one of our salesmen, who is also my deacon, is enroute to Europe as I type this.
A short flight, I wouldn’t pay much above the minimum at all. I can put up with discomfort for a short flight.

6. I can’t imagine myself ever paying for 1st class, but only on the stewardship reason. In other words, I would not hesitate to accept a free upgrade.

I’d be fine with charter planes if it wasn’t too expensive.

I guess my bottom line is price paid is the issue, and not the higher class travel itself. I just feel that because of the temporarily nature of riding in first class with complete strangers, it doesn’t make the same statement as living in an extravagant manner among my neighbors.

If I worked for a large multinational corporation that paid for first class airfare on a regular basis, I would feel a bit out of place but I would do it. In such a case the money wouldn’t be spent furthering the Christs work anyway.

I personally wouldn't see the lounges worth the cost, but if someone travels enough to make it worth it, then go ahead.

So with this post, I marked #4 on the poll.
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appleman2006
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Re: Luxury travel

Post by appleman2006 »

Compared to many businessmen I fly very little. Perhaps 3 to 4 times a year on average. I have flown business class one time in my life and that was to Europe in kind of an emergency trip where there was nothing else available in the time period I needed it. It was very nice for an overseas flight and I can see why frequent flyers especially on long flights would prefer it.

However I am usually for getting the best deal I can even though my flights are almost always paid for by someone else. In fact I am even more conscious of the fact that I get a good deal when I am dealing with another organizations money. I think at times I may have been guilty of making other board members look bad because of my low expense accounts even though that is not my intention. I recognize that each person has different schedules to keep etc.

My Dad used to fly very frequently to the point where he received upgrades more often than not. I believe when they have upgrades available they often give them to the most frequent customers that they have flying with them that day. I know my brother just the other year got upgrades for his whole family of 6 on a flight back from Rome. He estimated that he figured it might of been an upgrade that had he paid for it would of cost $20000.00. He graciously accepted it . Actually the funny think was is that he simply thought his flight route was being changed slightly actually getting him on a direct flight and home sooner and only discovered that they had been upgraded when they boarded the plane.
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ohio jones
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Re: Luxury travel

Post by ohio jones »

RZehr wrote:4. & 5. - I think if there is a reason to do so, for example someone who travels a lot for business, then I wouldn't be opposed. Although I'm young, and if it were my money I'd still not fly business class because of the cost.
I occasionally fly business class when I can get it for the same net cost as "extra legroom" economy, or sometimes when I'm spending miles. Otherwise I'm fine with economy seats, and sometimes Luke 14:10 happens. I can't imaging being interested in the Etihad Residence suite or something extravagant like that, even if I were Lucky enough to afford it.

I think the important thing is to distinguish between needs and wants, and be especially careful to get good value if you are paying for something beyond the basic needs.
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I grew up around Indiana, You grew up around Galilee; And if I ever really do grow up, I wanna grow up to be just like You -- Rich Mullins

I am a Christian and my name is Pilgram; I'm on a journey, but I'm not alone -- NewSong, slightly edited
Judas Maccabeus
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Re: Luxury travel

Post by Judas Maccabeus »

ohio jones wrote:Now I have nothing against obese Southern black women in general, or even the one next to me on that flight in particular, but after she spilled over the armrest into my seat in a 10-across 777 (for non-avgeeks, that's a foot narrower than a 747 with the same number of seats, so each seat is smaller) for 16 hours from New York to Shanghai, one starts to look for alternatives. I thought the 25% off referred to just the price of the ticket, not the usable width of the seat.

After waiting in line for over two hours at immigration, then making a mad dash through the concourse to the connecting flight, where they slam the door behind you, one starts to look for shortcuts and ways to access the faster lines.

Are those shortcuts and alternatives luxury travel, or are they an attempt to return to basic civilization and sanity in a world gone amok?

What would Jesus do? I think he would take the train.
10 across in an international 777! You are kidding, which airline?

Actually, I do my best to avoid that situation, as 767s and A330 + A340s have a lot of 2 row seats, since I normally travel with my wife, it works nicely. There are 3 or so rows of 2s in the rear of a 747, and some united 777s have a row or so of them, which are milage plus.

Still, none of them can beat the train.........and in Europe first is not that much more.

J.M.
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