It’s good to have goals. This year I had a simple one. Convert all those miles of flying for work in to a shiny gold frequent flyer card. Thus enabling me to join the ranks of the great and the good in the airport business lounge. Just think I could be rubbing shoulders with various tired business men who fly too much. Maybe a celebrity would pop in. This might not seem like much of a goal but I always find life easier if you set your sights low.

Although with the legendary tight fistedness of the expense team in my company this wasn’t going to be the easiest of feats. We have a company policy that I had to fly in economy. If there was anything below economy, going cargo or strapping myself to a wing perhaps, I’m sure policy would change quickly. The only way to get gold status in economy is to fly lots. Lots and lot and lots. Thirty flights in a year.

Now I fly frequently but thirty flights on one airline is a bit much. Imagine my glee when I discovered a loophole. A simple one hour flight, from Bristol to Paris say, would usually earn one flight worth of status. However if flew indirect, hopping from Bristol to Amsterdam and then on to Paris I could double my “flights taken” and equally double my speed towards gold status. I could even hop to other airports and triple or even quadruple my points. That’s right all I had to do was transform a simple one hour journey in to a stressful four hour marathon of plane hopping and I’d get to that shiny gold card much quicker! What was the value of my time and relaxation compared to the holy grail of lounge access?

After about six months of artificially inflating my travel and becoming a stranger to the idea of a direct flight it finally happened. I logged on one day and realized that my frequent flyer flight count was bang on twenty nine. In other words, one trip short of the required thirty flights. That meant my next flight would be the biggie - I’d finally be up there with the brightest and the best. I could pretend that my company valued me enough to pay business class fares. There was a subtle inner glow about me as I packed for that evening’s flight.

When I got to the airport that day I thought I’d try my luck. I was almost one of the big boys so no harm if they could let me in to the lounge there and then. Technically I hadn’t taken the thirtieth flight yet but surely they could let me in to the lounge as I had checked in for it. No was the stern response from the prim woman at the lounge desk we only let people in with gold cards. Fair enough, my glory was simply postponed.

Moving on one week I was back at the airport and now I was an official gold member. My chest swelled as I read “Gold elite” printed on my boarding card. To think that I was not just a little economy passenger but a member of an elite. I wondered how I wonder recognize other elite members? I imagined them standing tall and proud in the security queue watching over, aloof but protective of, the squabbling holiday maker families and budget airline passengers. No point speculating. I was soon to enter the exclusive bastion of the elite. I was about to see them in their natural habitat.

Me: “Hi there, I’m a gold elite member and I’d like access to the lounge please.” Lounge guardian: “No problem, may I see your gold card.” Me: “Oh, I just qualified. It hasn’t been sent in the post yet.”

At this point I was positively beaming with pride on the verge of my greatest ever air triumph.

Lounge guardian: “Sorry sir, you must have a gold card to enter.”

I froze. This wasn’t part of the plan.

Me: “But, but it hasn’t been sent yet. My gold membership started last week. It only lasts a year but I think they are quite slow to send out the cards.” Lounge guardian: “Sorry sir, nothing I can do. Please move along” Me: “But, but, I’m allowed. This is my right. Look my boarding pass says gold elite.”

At this she mouthed sorry and picked up a ringing phone cutting me dead. The conversation was over.

Later on as I drunk paid for coffee to the sound of screaming children in the normal waiting airport area I reflected on whether it was really for me. Was I really airport lounge quality? Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Hopefully one day the card will pop through the post. Until then I’ll just keep in my place.

The guide to Bristol - Bristol Airport, Bristol Property, Bristol Jobs, Bristol Nightlife http://www.livingbristol.co.uk

My experiences of flying direct from Bristol Airport, UK to Paris on KLM, Air France and Easyjet -klmair-france-or-easyjet.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Luckyfield

What a great article! If you would like to be able to buy your own Gold Elite membership, without relying on your company policies, consider joining Club Freedom.

Posted on September 7th, 2007 by John
Filed under: Holiday stories, Vacation Tips