The Elite experience: when traveling with points gives you access to places you don’t belong
The Elite experience: when traveling with points gives you access to places you don’t belong
When Beverly Hills 90210 debuted as a high school sophomore in 1990, it was a “fish out of water” story, focusing heavily on the Minnesota family as outsiders, gaping at the privilege around them. This element of the show quickly dissipated and became more or less a standard teen drama.
A recent online discussion got me thinking about how miles and points might have the same effect as the 9-0 showrunners.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt out of place in premium airline cabins. But they quickly became de riguere so much so that I don’t think about it much. The first time I upgraded — to business class on a United Boeing 777 cross-country flight 26 years ago — I didn’t want to get off. It was a Sunday afternoon, they brought me a meal and drinks, and I had my New York Times. It was sublime and I didn’t want the flight to end.
- I’ve had Singapore A380 suites, ANA first class, Thai first class, Korean first class cabins for myself and others as well. I tried the Etihad Residence. This is a luxury!
- About the only awkward moment I’ve had was when my wife and I flew Lufthansa first class years ago on the upper deck of the 747, we had the cabin to ourselves and took a few minutes to pack our things upon arrival. We only realized when we went down the stairs to disembark that they were still holding the entire business class cabin until we disembarked.
A380 Singapore Suites
Etihad A380 Residence
Hotels, however, are another matter. Historically, the most exclusive and expensive properties weren’t the ones you could access with points. They were not approachable by status – they traveled a lot to work as middle managers and opened up the world.
This is what generated many stories of seeing things far beyond a hotel guest’s lived experience that sometimes made the guest uncomfortable or how their own appearance and behavior made them feel like they stood out:
I recently stayed at the Hyatt Kyoto 2 nights in Points. I don’t go to 2k per night hotels.
We walked up to the entrance to check in with all of our travel bags with regular sports equipment and were immediately stopped by staff before we even got to the door. They asked if we were lost. As soon as we confirmed our reservation they started acting appropriately haha. Next to us was a real Rolls Royce unloading a family with luggage from the bus.
I met a guy in the public bathroom. Talking to him, he owns several companies. He kept complaining about how small the bathrooms were and how the several bathrooms he has in his Miami mansion were much bigger and hotter.
And generally just watching rich/upper class people moving around. They behave differently. It’s strange to see and watch
Take it to another level. The story was about a Park Hyatt, and you had been able to redeem points for a long time to stay at a Park Hyatt, Waldorf-Astoria or St. Regis – but certainly not the Hôtel de Crillon or Four Seasons George V in Paris; the Chedi Andermatt or Badrutt St. Moritz Palace; Cheval Blanc St Barth; or Amanyara in Turks and Caicos?
There are a few Marriotts that fall into this category, such as Cala di Volpe in Sardinia. It is only recently that unique and exclusive independent and small chain, truly sophisticated hotels have been opened to occasional travelers.
Hyatt – SLH Hotels was a turning point for this. SLH is transitioning to Hilton, with Hyatt’s acquisition of Mr. Smith, which should lead to greater integration and more hotel opportunities than when the luxury booking platform partnered with IHG (itself a fish story out of the water!). Will we have rescue access for Amankora, Amanwella, Amantaka, Amanzoe and Amandari?
Some things I learned along the way,
- people aren’t looking at you as much as you think they are
- and even if they were, who cares, you’re traveling and will probably never see them again
- you belong here as much as they do
- If you believe you belong and act like you do, you don’t look out of place – it’s people acting uncomfortable that make them look out of place
In other words, insecurity is often in our heads. And guess what? Rich people are insecure too! When you see ostentation views of wealth, rather than just living their own lives without worrying about others, this is usually a game of insecurity and status – representing a game of mimesis that only matters to others playing the same game.
And by the way, you’d be surprised how it’s not a thing the Park Hyatt Vendome is Paris.
The way I think about the best services and experiences is that they are there to make you comfortable. Here’s what sticks in my mind. The first time I dined at Tetsuya’s in Sydney, I asked if my wife and I could see the kitchen (it was very impressive at the time). Our server’s response – in a city not known for service! – it was, “of course, it’s your night”. We were also shown the test kitchen, and Tetsuya Wakuda came over and said hello while we were there.
I never felt uncomfortable dining at El Bulli when it was the hardest reservation in the world. They gave us a reservation! And so we were received. You are the guest. Therefore you belong. You don’t have to conform to anyone’s expectations. Stop worrying so much about what other people think of you and consider your own experience. Miles and points end up being a great social equalizer.
