A mother shared to TikTok the story of borrowing money so that she and her husband could go on vacation with their baby – flying business class. She says they’ve taken out two loans in a year in order to travel “and don’t regret it at all.”
They’re doing this because they feel like they’ll regret not traveling when they’re young, and because flying business class will motivate them.
What do you think of borrowing money not just to travel, but in an upgraded class of service?
Posting without comment pic.twitter.com/mFqK9fHWhe
— Jonathan Khoo (@jonk) March 16, 2024
We borrowed $2,000 from our parents to fund our business class vacation. This year we have already taken out two vacation loans and don’t regret it at all. Many people judge us for this and count our money, but I think this is only our decision, since my husband has already signed an agreement with a good salary, according to which we can close two loans and give part of the money to our parents.
We took business class to feel how we can live comfortably and strive for this. I am simply delighted with the service. As soon as we boarded the plane, we were immediately offered expensive drinks and good snacks. We were also given two travel kits with expensive cosmetics and baby food and toys for our baby. The seat reclined completely to a lying position and I didn’t want to stop the six hour flight. Even if we never repeat this flight it will remain in our memory.
Our parents condemn us for some decisions, but when we ask them what they regret, they don’t answer that they didn’t travel in their youth and didn’t do spontaneous things, so we have a good proverb. The dogs are barking, the caravan is moving.
I’m pretty against getting trapped into overspending. I write about the wisdom in not buying anything on Black Friday unless it’s something you were going to buy anyway that’s simply being sold for less And I write about being careful in accumulating miles that it doesn’t cause you to spend more.
I have a bit of a puritan instinct that people ought to deny themselves a vacation unless they can afford to pay for it, but I actually think it can make sense to borrow money for vacation in some cases:
- Income smoothing. Maybe you’re waiting on a year-end bonus, but it makes sense to book travel during peak periods in advance. You’re going to get the bonus over the holidays and travel over the holidays, but finance the trip until then. In this story the husband is about to be able to afford to travel and pay back the loan based on his new job.
- Asset rich, cash poor. You’ve got the money to cover a vacation, but it’s not convenient to liquidate assets right now to pay for it – maybe funds are locked up in private stock, or you’ve got capital gains you don’t want to recognize immediately.
Yet I have two problems with the choices being made here:
- They borrowed money from their parents who condemn them for their decisions. It seems like they should be on the same page with their lender about use of funds.
- This was… a six hour flight? I don’t want to fly coach on a transcon. But this isn’t a fourteen hour flight. If you’re going to borrow money for business class, maybe make the flight one where it’s truly worthwhile?
Borrowing money for vacations is more common than you might think. In fact Up to 15% of people are financing the vacation packages they buy from airlines month after month. It’s almost enough to make you sympathetic to bad advice from Dave Ramsey.
It’s deeply concerning to see individuals willingly plunge themselves into debt, not for essential needs or investments in their future, but for extravagant luxuries. The decision to borrow money from your parents not once, but twice, for the sole purpose of funding lavish vacations speaks volumes about your financial irresponsibility and lack of foresight.
Taking out loans to indulge in business class flights and luxury accommodations is not a sign of ambition or striving for comfort; it’s a display of reckless spending habits and a disregard for financial stability. While you may find temporary pleasure in the lap of luxury, the long-term consequences of such indulgence can be dire.
Your justification that your husband’s salary allows for these loans is a flimsy excuse at best. Just because you can afford to make monthly payments doesn’t negate the fact that you’re accumulating unnecessary debt with exorbitant interest rates. Instead of squandering money on fleeting experiences, you should be focusing on building a secure financial future for yourselves and your family.
It’s alarming that you view borrowing money for vacations as a personal decision insulated from judgment. In reality, your actions reflect a disturbing trend of prioritizing instant gratification over responsible financial planning. While it’s your prerogative to make poor choices, don’t be surprised when others rightfully criticize your blatant disregard for fiscal prudence.
Furthermore, your attempt to justify your extravagance by claiming it’s a means to “live comfortably” is nothing short of delusional. True comfort and security come from prudent financial management, not from fleeting moments of luxury that leave you drowning in debt.
Rather than celebrating your indulgence in business class flights and expensive amenities, you should be reflecting on the consequences of your actions. The memories of a lavish flight will pale in comparison to the stress and burden of repaying unnecessary loans.
It’s high time you reassess your priorities and start making responsible choices that lead to long-term financial stability rather than fleeting moments of extravagance. Your future selves and your children deserve better than to be shackled by the weight of your frivolous spending habits.
Now we know where the airline excess profits are coming from.
Social media did as much as FCM to sell the biz / first class cabin.
The bad choice here is they didn’t need to borrow to get the flight experience with some basic research into bonus offers. I judge them for being ignorant.
Similar ignorance thinking they’re being served something expensive to drink.
My only complaint here is with the parents. They condemn them on one hand but still “loan” them the money with the other hand. If I was one of the parents I would have conditioned the “loan” on coach travel only.
Now My late Bride and I did essentially the same thing w/o the kids. Instead of saving our money till we retired and then travel we spent every dime we had (and didn’t have) on seeing the world before retirement. My goal was to get her to all 7 continents and we made it to 6 before she passed away. Had we waited till retirement none of that would have happened. By the way in Dec of 2022 I took some of her ashes with me when I traveled to Antarctica. So When I stepped on my 7th Continent she also stepped on hers and I scattered her ashes there. Mission Accomplished!
Do I have any regrets on all the money we spent traveling?
Nope – not a one and I am eternally grateful that we did what we did when we did it!! So travel as far as you can, as much as you can and as long as you can.
Picard
Business class is fun but not worth it if you need a loan. Last year, I flew roughly 13 hours in economy one way and business class the other way. Economy was not so bad. I slept sitting up. When I was in business class, I felt smug, though.
Across the Pacific, no choice, but across the Atlantic, if you have enough time, fly a daytime flight from the US to LHR. It’s better than a red eye business class flight.
@ Gary — Not sure why the parents wouldn’t have just given them the money outrght or said no, or better yet, joined them in econeomy class as their nanny.
Doesn’t sound very responsible. I wonder if they ever had any training in managing their finances and debts. The difference between “good” and “bad” kinds of loans (building an asset like home ownership versus credit card usury), or how compound interest requires careful attention to get lower rates of borrowing and higher rates of lending. In a country where people can go bankrupt working for a decent education or getting sick it is more than critical not to be frivolous, especially when starting out.
How many airline tickets, in any class, are purchased with “loans” on a credit card at 20%+ interest rates?
I hope it was one of the foreign airlines. Flying business class on US airlines really isn’t special.
I remain baffled as to the concept of constantly posting “AITA” (Am I The A**) being aspirational for this generation.
spoiler: the answer is typically YES
The profoundness of her ignorance is summed up in one sentence:
“ As soon as we boarded the plane, we were immediately offered expensive drinks and good snacks”
EXPENSIVE drinks? I J? Ha!
What troubled me more than the borrowed money was seeing mom with a drink in one hand and baby in the other. I hate to think of what would happened if they hit turbulence. Maybe they should have flown premium economy and purchased a seat for the infant, so he/she could be strapped in. Can you imagine if they were on that LATAM flight that took a sudden dive. Baby would have been in the hospital for sure. The other alternative would have been to leave baby with the grandparents, it they were willing, since he/she seems to be too young to remember the trip anyway.
I’m confounded – shocked, I tell you! – that the comments section lacks a “how dare they bring a bay into business class!” note.
So many things are wrong with this young couple. I think they are French, maybe not aware how things work in the USA and how we don’t have that safety net that Europe does.
That $2K would’ve been better spent setting up a 529 for the baby. Hello! Education is really expensive here; if you intend to stay you better start saving now.
If you look at hubby’s X / twitter feed the majority of his posts are about spending money. Buy this. Do that. Take a walk to Starbucks and get the coffee.
It appears he has a new job doing computer coding, something like that. Obviously not so well-paying that he has to borrow money to fly – a second time.
She has an alcoholic drink in one hand and a baby in the other. Is she planning to breast feed? I hope not.
I’m just not understanding the thought process here.
Morons. If they were motivated they would have earned some extra income to pay for it BEFORE they traveled.
They know that when they are old and poor that the Democrats will be there more than willing to steal the wealth of people who contributed to society and give it to the lazy and deadbeats.
@ Andys — Maybe do a little fact checking (hint: Fox News doesn’t count) before posting idiotic comments.
The couple in question are guilty of a number of truly staggering stupidities but as long as they won’t complain about being poor later in life due to their insane decisions then at least they’ll own their situation rather than blaming other people or factors.
These people are idiots….and will likely raise an idiot too.
a) two business class tickets for $2000 for a 6 hour flight? The BS detector is red lining here. If by some weird chance this is true, of course they were happy spending money that a) wasn’t theirs and b) they’ll probably never pay back
Why don’t these two shitheels who claim to be successful have a credit card? Why are they mooching off parents and justifying it by saying parents never travelled young. Plus what douchebag where a hat on the plane. These people sound despicable if it is true but are more likely just Instragram liars
$100 says they’re already complaining about all the negative comments even though they put it out there on social media for everyone to see.
Well it’s better them in those seats than some freeloading upgraded OPM flyer
They could have just as well put the costs on credit cards like everyone else, but that wouldn’t have made for a TikTok story. I hope that they are also saving for retirement, are paying their education loans and have already bought a house but those things may be a bit too responsible for this couple. Three seats together in coach would have probably been a better choice.
These are the financial illiterates that will be demanding government handouts during the next financial downturn.
Also, terrible parenting, it’s obvious where your kid’s bad habits came from.
@Andy it sounds like you are jealous. Don’t you realize the Democrats spend their terms fixing what the Republicans mess up. I am sure if you had someone to lend you money you would do it too.
If they had money and the income to fund education, buy a house etc. then flying business class would make sense. Having to borrow to fly it is foolish. I spent years flying economy for work. Now I am retired and fly it all the time since I can’t take the money with me.
Mind-bogglingly stupid.
“Expensive” drinks. Clearly she is delusional as anything up front is a little bit more than a 10 dollar bottle. It’s a narrowbody J class seat. So really not much value in service at all. Her perception of money is just off in every respect.
If you are worried about not traveling “while we are young”. How about not having a child and travel first…..
Can we ban them from public assistance programs?
I also blame the parents.
Yes. Infants and kids under 8 should be banned in J class and F class cabins. Period.
@rd
Every problem is because of th Democrats and the hate America left.
They are a fifth column.
I didn’t wait until I was old to start traveling. I started in high school and traveled solo on my first trip. I did not have a princess syndrome so I traveled as cheap as reasonably possible, unlike this family. In fact I first flew at 27 and that was for business. I suppose I could have made choices to conserve money more but I made it to retirement with enough funds for retirement. In between I have traveled enough to retain my sanity. I hope that this family figures things out so that they don’t struggle due to bad choices.
@ kimmiea
The median household income is €30,000 in France versus $64,000 in the U.S. It’s the U.S. that has a big safety net.
@Andy S
Completely agree. The bigger problem, though, are the rinos who enable the left by telling us we should abide instead of doing what works to gain freedom.
@Issac
Ban them but not the illegals and their families?
Yawn
It’s 230am – read the article and the comments and can now fall back asleeeeeeeeeep
It’s a “loan” from their parents. It either isn’t expected to be repaid, and/or is a “pulling forward”/reduction of their inheritance.
Irresponsible parents. I agreed with all comments, and strongly agreed with reader @CHRIS.
Borrowing money from family members leads to bad blood.
If the parents gifted money for a down payment on a house, or a car for work, shrewd investment.
But money to sit near the front of the plane, priceless idiots.
Not surprised here.
While I don’t think it’s a wise move, they are not the only ones here.
At least a few comments shows they share the same level of thinking of the couple, i.e. Can’t think.
1. They borrowed $2000 fund the trip, no where did business class cost them only $2000.
2. Which leads to they might have borrowed $2000 but they have put in $35000 themselves.
3. Because they can actaully afford it? Do you think Eric Trump ever flown coach or paid for all his flights?
4. A lot of people are funding their lifestyle with credit card debts.
That being said, most likely that’s not the fact.
1. Contraceptive device failed? Want to travel so much, maybe should have done that before having kids.
2. Expensive drinks? Business class? That’s the tell where they probably can’t afford it. Because flying Air Astana serving Moet is not what most wealthy people would call expensive.
3. Already signed a contract? If they’re over 40, they would realize a job offer doesn’t mean anything.
It is tiktok. Post something that is knowingly divisive and watch the engagement shoot up. Who knows if they even ‘borrowed’ the money?
I think a key premise of the miles and points community has been paying off balances on time every month. If you can’t do that, you can’t afford to play the game yet. The source of the borrowing can make some difference in terms of the financial cost of it, but I think the principle remains the same, especially since the parents feel the way they do.
The other thing I will never understand is why they post about it on social media for the world to see. Lots of stuff should better be left private and maybe you won’t get so many people judging you.
@Eskimo – Ivanka Trump has certainly flown coach https://viewfromthewing.com/ivanka-trump-family-accosted-flying-jetblue-palm-beach/
Why would business class cost them $35,000? It was a 6 hour flight, two seats plus a lap infant.
One: they borrowed from their parents? Hope the parents have plenty to fund retirement. If not, they’ll be repaying this travel loan when their elderly parents are forced to move in with them.
Two: am I being asked, by Washington, to forgive their student loans because of the crushing financial burden?
Several extensive and interesting answers here. I’ll just say this:
Borrowing for *any* luxury expenditure is basically always a mistake. If you want to fly business, save for it.
I can’t be the only one who could care less how people spend thier own money.
This is why I never get upgrades anymore.
@AndyS, you’re an imbecile who keeps wasting everyone’s time by never discussing the subject and instead relaying your jealousy of Dems. Why not go somewhere else or at least make some kind of competent argument with some intelligence behind it for a change.
@Kevin, I agree. I don’t care how they spend their money . . . unless after wasting it and finding they can’t get out of debt, they use taxpayer money at that point to keep them to some degree afloat after they frittered away their cash on non-necessities.
@Frank, I agree about the infant. The FAA rule permitting lap babies is insane. Everyone flying should be belted in their own seat for safety, babies, infants and small children in approved child car seats belted into their own airplane seat. You never really know when clear air turbulence might hit your plane or a flight attendant might turn on a pilot’s seat motor.
@Isaac, yes, I think you’re right that the woman is delusional. Expensive drinks? Expensive cosmetics in the travel kits? Who is she kidding.
I agree Kevin, why is this news except for a cautionary tale? Why are they taking it “public”? I bet the parents aren’t expecting the money back anyway. People have too much time on their hands apparently, to post and troll for “stories” (or comment on articles…)
In hindsight I wish I had not paid off my student loans but instead spent it on business class flights.
This isn’t out of the ordinary. Most people whip out the plastic to pay for travel vacations. That plastic is a 25%+ LOAN.