On Nov 27, 7:34 am, "John" wrote:
> "Tchiowa" wrote in message
[snip]
> Most regular flyers don't *earn* the privileges.
I don't?
> They are on business, being
> paid a monthly salary or whatever by their company.
Even when it is outside of "normal business hours" which is
when the vast majority of my travel occurs? When I am asked to
work "excessive" or "exceptional" overtime, I am often given
additional compensation. I'm never compensated in any additional
way for travel time which occurs outside of normal business hours.
> Even when they're sat in
> their seat on the aircraft (a seat paid for by their company, btw) they are
> "on salary"
Well, yeah, in some sense I'm "on salary" when I sleep. But I
would expect additional compensation if they started "taking" my
sleep time as well. Frequently for me travel time occurs during
otherwise "normal" sleeping hours. I receive no additional
compensation.
> or "on works time" so if, as you say, the airlines give better
> treatment to help get their business, any "privileges" should be given to
> the company, not the individual person flying.
Well, actually, our company does have volume agreements with
some airlines. We also have "privileges" for the travelers which
the company negotiates on our behalf (mostly having to do with
change fees and upgrade privileges).
> It still strikes me as being grossly unfair that someone should get free
> flights to use personally for pleasure, merely because of the fact that they
> have to fly a lot because of the job they do.
I guess you'd have to say "as compared to what"? I know guys
that work for construction companies. On weekends, when the
companies aren't working, the guys "borrow" all manner of expensive
equipment to do private projects. Mostly on their own homes or
whatever, but more than one has used it to help out his own "side
business". I can't borrow this equipment. Is this unfair?
Our company has a set of "box seat" tickets to the local
sports franchise. Through various means, when the company
isn't using them, employees can use them, including taking
friends and family. Is this unfair?
Airline employees and their families can fly at greatly reduced
prices. Airline pilots fly virtually free in the cockpit jump seat.
Is this fair?
Jobs come with "perks". Some more formal than others.
Maybe it's the cop that takes his patrol car home, the salesman
that uses his cell phone for personal calls, the business pager
that the wife calls, and on and on. I'm not sure what makes
FF miles particularly "unfair" especially considering the impact
all that travel makes on the truly "frequent" fliers lives. |