Be a Travel Enthusiast, Never a Travel Snob

Some of my friends affectionately refer to me as a wine snob, which kind of rankles. To them it’s a compliment, to me it implies a kind of elitism that I don’t feel. I love good wine, I love finding new wines I like, and I’m super excited for anyone having the same experience.

Doesn’t matter what kind of wine you like, as long as you’re enjoying it (and, in some cases, as long as I’m not required to drink it). I’m a wine enthusiast.

That’s our approach to travel too. Jeanne & I love the comfort of first class, the thrills of amazing hotel suites, and all the unique experiences that elite status can bring. Not to mention how much better the whole trip winds up being because of it.

I have traveled to Singapore and Australia several times in economy, and I have to say, some of the times I wished I had just stayed home.

But if you’re someone who enjoys their time at the destination just as much flying in economy and/or staying in a hostel, that’s great! You’ll probably be able to go much more often than we will! All that matters is that if you like to travel, you’re getting the most out of your experience and enjoying it thoroughly.

I love talking about my trips to others who will appreciate them and I love hearing about the aspirational trips others are taking, even if they’re on Spirit Air! I have little patience for the fellow passengers I occasionally run into, who are using their better statuses to make other happy travelers feel bad. That’s when I flex my travel chops.

I recall a friend talking about running into a group of people where an affluent woman was making a honeymooning couple who thought they were having a “dream trip” feel bad because they weren’t flying in business class. He pulled rank and compared her business class to his first class flight.

Jeanne & I were having a great day winestasting and wound up chatting about the wine we were tasting with the couple next to us. I wasn’t aware that one of them, finding out Jeanne came from the same region was attempting to one-up her through references to schools and country clubs.

The other person was talking about how excited they were to be here, they liked to travel. So I shared that enthusiasm, asking where they went and innocently responding to their question. Why yes, we’d flown cross country just for the day because we wanted to relax in some beautiful surroundings and try good wine. Didn’t they love to do that? Well apparently they didn’t get to do that very often, and the one person was delighted with our lifestyle. The other one was very much shown up. Oops. 🙂

Now I’m not saying I don’t enjoy an elite card showdown (like that on Up In the Air) but only when it’s in good fun.

Have you ever had a chance to pull travel rank when someone was trying to make you or someone else feel bad?

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Heels First is the travels and tribulations of two twenty-something frequent fliers jumping into the world of travel. Join Keri and Jeanne as they tackle mileage runs, elite status, and of course–the perfect travel accessories.

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