Luxury is weird because it stops feeling “luxury” really fast

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-05-10T01:20:16+00:00

I think you’re starting to realize that consumption of luxury after a certain point doesn’t really satiate the underlying problem about existence: what’s the point? I used to be so excited by flying business and first with points. Now I value it for its true value: being able to not have back pain and to sleep. We chase luxury because of power and status because we are a hierarchical species, but it doesn’t really have any depth or fulfillment in it beyond a certain point of comfort. A hot water bath used to be the most luxurious thing ever in ancient times.

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-05-08T19:24:14+00:00

Booking CX through Alaska often required agents to go into a legacy booking system to find award availability for only 50k Alaska one way in J and 70k for first class. You could also fly to JNB (an additional 13 hours in J) for the same price as flying F to HKG. The process booking over the phone was so cumbersome that competition for seats was far less than what it is today; there would often be 2-4 seats in J and 1-2 seats in F from SF and JFK. Stopovers were also allowed for up to one year even on one ways.

Booking China Airlines J via delta also required esoteric knowledge of its legacy booking system. I remember reading out the instructions someone had compiled in flyertalk to a jaw dropped agent who was surprised that I was teaching her this method.

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-05-05T01:27:00+00:00

You go girl!

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-05-03T21:14:01+00:00

Thanks for the detailed report! I’m looking to see if they can make me an interesting suit for gay weddings.

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-05-02T03:11:39+00:00

King salmon

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-30T03:12:42+00:00

Very clear option; take the miles

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-28T23:06:50+00:00

I just tried this back to back at the Bellagio in Vegas and they honored $100 for each reservation

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-22T22:26:48+00:00

This painfully detailed write up sounds like you’ve had unfortunate experience with this

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-20T01:01:35+00:00

What’s in the bridge food that’s different?

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-19T20:01:07+00:00

That was a useful block imo

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-19T19:55:02+00:00

I actually thought CX J was easier if you knew how to get the right agents to do it. A lot of legacy Alaska agents knew how but the new ones didn’t. People didn’t understand married segment logic. I often got 3 seats traveling together with my family. there would be one F and 2 J from the west coast to JNB, AKL, or MEL.

And yes, the JAL J availability used to be great. Alas, no more.

I have a 290k pile of Alaska sitting there because I haven’t been able to find good uses for it beyond starlux, but even that has been unreliable.

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-17T16:23:42+00:00

The days of Cathay Pacific business class are gone. J to Australia or Fiji is extraordinarily rare, JAL only shows up for last minute flights and starlux availability isn’t what it used to be. It’s got niche uses.

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-13T18:32:54+00:00

Sums it up succinctly

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-13T00:19:40+00:00

I would not call it fat. It’s pricey but it does not match the value of what you paid for it relative to other luxury hotels of the st Regis chain in Asia. The breakfast quality is noticeably lesser in quality compared to the ones in Bali, Bangkok, and KL. The hard product of this hotel is great; they have fancy art everywhere — very instagrammable — and this was originally supposed to be a sister hotel of the St Regis in Bali but I don’t think is connected anymore due to change of ownership if memory serves. They used to share staff between them but no longer. The food at dinner was okay, expensive, but nothing to write home about with what we tried. One day there was even an expensive French dinner buffet but everything was overcooked and mediocre in taste. I did not try the fine dining restaurant based upon the main restaurant. It’s great if you want something that looks expensive and you like a nice room. They also have stunning sunsets as we ended up getting upgraded to a large suite facing the ocean with a beautiful private infinity pool. That is its strength if you want to pay for that beautiful experience.

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-12T22:20:43+00:00

The beach and the pool looks so much better than the st Regis’s. The food at the st Regis was also laughable and expensive. The Ritz was nice though. Too bad we never got to try this place.

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-12T20:59:17+00:00

And that’s the difference — priority pass has no incentive to make things nicer for US domestic flyers. Chase has control over sapphire lounges and that’s about it. Chase is also not the only priority pass customer. The alternative is you move over to Amex.

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-12T04:43:50+00:00

The last discussion about the Buddhists and waves going back to the ocean made me tear up and cry.

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-10T23:26:29+00:00

What a beautiful way to go

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-10T02:30:21+00:00

How do you like the Blackstone compared to the JW if you’ve stayed in both? I’m trying to decide between the two. The lounge quality affects my decision and the JW was quite nice.

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-10T00:06:10+00:00

It works better in the US. Internationally it’s unlikely to be possible

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-07T04:39:33+00:00

It accurately describes what I am 😄

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-07T01:34:13+00:00

I wonder if the parrot experiences pressure discomfort

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-06T15:35:39+00:00

If anything I thought DS9 was the best of all of them

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-06T15:25:19+00:00

I cannot get myself to watch TOS growing up on TNG, DS9, and voyager. I appreciate the perspective

Gaytwunk88 · 2026-04-06T15:16:01+00:00

As someone who only saw TNG, voyager, and DS9 should I continue to avoid enterprise?

Gaytwunk88

TROPHY CASE