First Class Retirement?

[Walt34]

We're not big on travel either, but like shorter one to three day driving excursions occasionally.

When I finally do hang it up, which will be this year either in May or August depending on some contract issues, we will be better off financially than we've ever been in our lives.

But we're confident of the future, as evidenced that just yesterday DW cleared ordering $1,500 worth of photography stuff. It'll be useful for as long as I can pick up a camera. That's getting close to what I consider "first class" since there was a time I would have fainted at the thought of spending that much on something so frivolous as a lens and a macro strobe flash unit.

Well, unless I win the lottery. Perhaps my odds would improve if I bought a ticket.

 

[pb4uski]

We live exactly the same LBYM lifestyle we always did, with one exception.
When we take a European vacation (typically every 1-2 years), we spring for business class on the trans-Atlantic leg. Sometimes that can be done with frequent flyer miles, but if we have to pay for it, we will.

+1 After flying international business class to Europe and first to Asia whike I was working, I admit I am spoiled - there is no way I would fly to Europe in coach - I'll probably buy coach tickets and use mile to upgrade or buy business class or not go. Life is too short to take long flights in coach, especially since coach seat pitch seem to be getting smaller every year.

 

[Snidely Whiplash]

she has found that for substantially less money than business class we can take cruises to get over there, and in future save even more with re-positioning cruises in the Spring and Fall.

Where can I find additional information on these cruises?

 

[jclarksnakes]

When walking through first class on our way back to our usual seats in steerage I occasionally notice beautiful normal size people in first class but mostly I notice how BIG the people in first class usually are.

 

[Animorph]

If my retired self was in first class then I didn't spend enough on my present/past self.

I've tried to keep spending relatively level. And I can't imagine spending the money for first class.

 

[Mulligan]

+1 After flying international business class to Europe and first to Asia whike I was working, I admit I am spoiled - there is no way I would fly to Europe in coach - I'll probably buy coach tickets and use mile to upgrade or buy business class or not go. Life is too short to take long flights in coach, especially since coach seat pitch seem to be getting smaller every year.

I never fly more than 4 hours and the differential in price on coach and 1st class pays for the hotel by itself, so I could never justify the cost. I get antsy after 3 hours in my coach seat, I couldn't begin to imagine flying to Asia in coach. So I guess I will never go.

 

[ohyes]

I hope to fly first class just once in my life. It is not a major goal, but it does look like fun. Probably will never happen.

DH and i do justify some extra fun by remembering that this is the last third of our life. Why not? Makes sense to us.

That said, i have not purchased one item of new clothing since retiring in June 2012. Then again, i hate clothes shopping.

We are frugal in some areas but splurge for extra cheap fun.

 

[pb4uski]

I hope to fly first class just once in my life. It is not a major goal, but it does look like fun. Probably will never happen.....

If you do, shoot for international first class on a wide body jet- much better than domestic first class in most cases.

And while they don't have first class anymore to my knowledge, Virgin Atlantic's business class was top shelf (about 10 years ago anyway). Included Mercedes ground transportation from office to Heathrow, putting green in the lounge and a 5 minute neck or head massage IIRC.

 

[gcgang]

Sorry. I didn't mean to discuss air travel. The airplane thing was not meant literally, but meant to be a metaphor of how scrimping now means better things later.

For myself, I feel like now it is later.

I am not going to scrimp in retirement or I'd have kept working.

While FI doesn't mean spending like a drunken sailor, to me it means spending intelligently to indulge those I care about.

OTOH, if we are talking air travel, I did just spend $144 to upgrade to a bulkhead "Economy Plus" exit row seat for my upcoming flight to Hawaii. My "30+ years in the future self" probably won't know the difference.

Btw, it was a commercial for insurance/annuities. Since I'm not on their payroll nor do I care for their products, I won't mention their name.

 

[ChainsBeGone]

Where can I find additional information on these cruises?

I just read about this in Jeff Yeager's book, "How to Retire the Cheapskate Way". He says to check with individual cruise lines for repositioning cruises (normally in the Spring and the Fall) and also offers www.cruisedeals.com as a place to search for repositioning cruises. He does caution that those trips are one way, so you'll have to find and alternate way home.

I have no personal experience in doing this.

 

[Tekward]

I cannot imagine flying first class after I FIRE, even if I can afford to. A couple of thousand dollars' difference in airfare can go a long way when buying medicines or medical supplies for the free clinics abroad. A couple of times in the past, I saw children eating grass as they were so hungry. Totally heartbreaking. I just would not be able to look in all these hungry children's eyes and say "sorry, kids, I flew first class this year, so no amoxicillin for you. " I just could not do it.

I really appreciate your altruistic values OB. Do you ever think that your life would be better served continuing to w*rk (at your assumed high salary) in order to provide more for others? That has crossed my mind as I near a big career decision.

 

[donheff]

We lived well prior to ER and live the same way now with the exception of more travel (but the travel is in the same style). We continue to speculate that we might splurge on some ridiculous excess 10 or 15 years down the road if the market takes us on one of the positive scenarios but I doubt that we ever will. I look at the cost to upgrade from coach to business class and just get irritated - can't bring myself to waste the money for a little comfort on a flight. On the other hand, we had bikes custom built for us -- a luxury many would refuse to indulge in on the same principle I apply to flight upgrades.

 

[MichaelB]

Do you ever think that your life would be better served continuing to w*rk (at your assumed high salary) in order to provide more for others? That has crossed my mind as I near a big career decision.

if you didn't see this thread it might be of interest. http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f29/regrets-after-er-re-charity-65718.html

 

[Onward]

I'm probably more frugal now than before ER, but I'm enjoying life much more. The thought of going back to Dilbert-land repulses me.

 

[Marc]

I think we might be an outlier; we like to travel and we like to travel nicely. Today, while still working, we try to fit in two three week vacations a year. We take advantage of frequent flyer miles and hotel points to fly business class and stay in very nice hotels. When we retire, and time isn't the limiting factor, we plan to continue traveling; although not always "first class: as money instead of time will be the concern. We have put $90K per year into our retirement budget; if that wasn't there, we could retire today. I would rather travel so I keep working. In fact, if I can continue to travel well while working, I will probably become a OMY addict.

Marc

 

[dm]

Since I ER a few years ago I finally had the time to get my pilots license. So now I fly myself.

Not quite the same as first class, I can't drink. But I can leave when I want, no TSA, no lines. And I can take about 650lbs of people or luggage along with me.

 

[HFWR]

Flying FC is out of my budget, for the most part, though I was upgraded once on a leg from DFW to Denver. Nice wide seats, a wine list, and a warm washcloth v. being shoehorned into a seat next to a fat guy and a screaming toddler whilst being slapped up side the head with a bag of stale pretzels...

For my only overseas trip thus far, to Tokyo, I substituted sleeping pills and Valium for first-class...

 

[travelover]

I guess I'm just sensitive, but when I board a plane with all the first class passengers already sitting there, I feel like I'm on a perp walk. They sort of avert their eyes like I do to a homeless person.

Love that Southwest.

 

[Alan]

Where can I find additional information on these cruises?

I just read about this in Jeff Yeager's book, "How to Retire the Cheapskate Way". He says to check with individual cruise lines for repositioning cruises (normally in the Spring and the Fall) and also offers www.cruisedeals.com as a place to search for repositioning cruises. He does caution that those trips are one way, so you'll have to find and alternate way home.

I have no personal experience in doing this.

If you just Google repositioning cruises a list of sites will come up..

Let me google that for you

 

[Midpack]

I am not going to scrimp in retirement or I'd have kept working.

Oxymoron of the day?

No comment on air or other travel...

 

[HighRoller]

I didn't retire until I felt the DW and I could continue to live in the lifestyle that we had while working. I wouldn't call our lifestyle 1st class since I don't have a private yacht or jet but we are comfortable. However, with regards to flying, I would much rather drive (where possible) than to fly. The last time I actually paid for a plane ticket "myself" was a flight from Houston to Dallas on the old Braniff International airlines for $18 back in the 70's. Since then all my air travel was paid for by the companies I worked for. At first, I loved to travel by air but as the years went by I found I was traveling more (and much further) and enjoying it a lot less. It got to the point in the last few years of working that I'd only fly by 1st class and even then only when it was absolutely necessary. The hassles of airports crowds and air travel, baggage checks, car rentals and hotels just got to be too much for me. I often think of the airport crowds and lines when I'm watching folks herding cattle out here in the country.

 

[SumDay]

I just cleaned my office out this morning. Last day is Thursday!

Just wanted to say congrats on that! What to go, I hope retirement is everything you want it to be.

We've never flown first class, but agree that IF we ever go to Hawaii, we will. DH has some long legs, and flying can be pretty miserable for him.

 

[TOOLMAN]

And while they don't have first class anymore to my knowledge,

I make several 12+ hr flights a year in business class, same as first class. Seats lay flat so you can sleep. Mega corp pays about 4k extra per ticket. One of the perks that goes with 80 hr+ weeks & six time zone change

I am not likely to fly business class in RE, but instead I would break up the flight into more legs.

 

[caninelover]

I would want the same lifestyle I have today. I wouldn't really try to label it as I know people who live and spend more extravagantly than I, and I also know people who think my spending is extravagant. Its all a matter of perspective.

To me, I want to be able to go to the grocery store and buy what I want without needing to clip coupons or stay on a budget. I want to be able to spend on my hobbies and activities (most of which are low cost), including travel. I guess the only expense creep I may have in retirement is that I would want to be able to spend for a few extra chores/tasks that I do myself now, but may not find as easy as I age. For example, I might want a maid to do the heavy housework of cleaning floors, etc if that no longer becomes easy or comfortable for me to do.

Specifically on travel, I usually fly coach. For international travel, if I can use miles to get a business class upgrade, I will, otherwise I'll stick with coach as I don't see the value in the premium even for longer flights. But I would (and do) spend on nice hotels and tours when I arrive at my destination. I don't like stressing out over details when I arrive somewhere and would rather pay extra to a top tour operator who I know will cover everything and cover it well.

 

[Meadbh]

I have flown first class a couple of times but have never paid for it myself and, given the huge difference in price, would probably never do so, unless using frequent flyer points. The people at the front and back ends of the plane all arrive at the same place in the end. Like caninelover, I prefer to save my hardearned dollars for unique experiences when I get there. However, I will concede that first class and business class makes a big difference to how you feel at the end of a long journey. I used to volunteer with an organization that did some overseas work and when traveling long distance, volunteers could fly business class. When they canned that "perq" I stopped volunteering my time. What I will splurge on, when I have a long connection in an airport, is to pay a fee for access to a decent airport lounge. I was recently in one where you could have a complete hot meal, which would have cost as much or more in an airport restaurant. It was really worth it to have the peace and quiet.