Bethenny Frankel was a ‘Real Housewife of New York City’ and a ‘Shark Tank Shark’ but she’s also a travel connoisseur. She reviewed the Virgin Clubhouse Newark last summer declaring it “garbouj” and she’s an investor in award search website Point.me.
She flew to Australia for business the long way – routing via the Mideast on Emirates – and brought her daughter in first class.
I am struck with gratitude and a bit of shame when I experience luxuries as lavish and rare as these opportunities that my work creates for me. I am also so honored to share Australia with her, the reason that I scheduled these appearances across the world.
I have worked hard and it wasn’t so long ago that I couldn’t afford a taxi in NYC so this is very confusing and conflicting for me, particularly since my daughter is experiencing life in a very different way than I did.
I work very hard for her to be humble, kind and not spoiled, and she is tremendously grateful and knows what an experience this is. She also knows that this is a work trip and that we have obligations as well. We’re so excited to be sharing this experience together!✈️
Now, this is the Emirates Airbus A380 which once had a top first class seat but compared to everything that’s come since it’s decidedly mid. This is not even the ‘game changing’ Emirates 777 first class seat. The space in each seat is limited, and the doors aren’t very high.
Still, it’s an incredible experience for the amenities, including the on board shower with heated floor.
While it’s an unusual routing to get to Australia, I’ve done New York JFK – Abu Dhabi – Melbourne on points in Etihad’s First Apartment, albeit with a stopover in the U.A.E. I haven’t flown with my daughter in Emirates first, but I’ve flown with her in the First Apartment twice.
Staying humble is the trick! I judge Emirates first compared to other first class products though of course it’s amazing in its own right. I’ve tried nearly all of them. My daughter, age 5, has flown first class on Etihad and Qantas and British Airways and business class on Air Canada, Air France, KLM, Air Tahiti Nui, United and others.
She asked the other day if our (Boeing 737) back from San Diego would have a bed? She was tired and keen on a nap. She once asked an Air Canada flight attendant in the galley as we boarded that question before a flight to Vancouver (she was 3).
I want her to know what’s possible, and know the difference. She’s fine in coach. Our trip back from San Diego was on Southwest!
Upgrading from business class to first class on Emirates is actually one of the easiest mileage upgrades in the world.
Way too long to do US-DXB-Australia. Even in first.
More importantly, is it even possible for me to care?
Nope. Guess not….
Is she herself even humble
A 60 year old dude using the word “mid” non-ironically…
@SMH are you saying that @GaryLeff is 60? SMH.
I’d go via the Middle East to sit in a premium cabin for thousands less than going more direct.
I was on a JetBlue flight in Mint with her last year JFK-LAX (and I presume it was her daughter who was with her). A family of 3 was split up and the mother was being a little irritable about not having seats together insisting her son needed to sit by her (“He’s a minor” she kept repeating as her son who had more facial hair than many adults stood there with arms crossed, amongst other comments that made me remember why I hated living in New Jersey). Ms Frankel worked a seat swap that got her into a window seat (“I’m just going to sleep anyway”) from her aisle seat and her daughter ended up in the throne seat behind her, across the aisle from me watching movies, and the family of 3 sitting with her in the row in front. I had no idea who she was other than she was famous for something, but saw a photo a month or so later and recognized her.
In contrary to a number of reality stars who are famous for being famous, at least she appears to have some reasonable successes otherwise. I have no problem with kids being exposed to First Class (though in my day it was on TWA L-1011s across the ocean, with a flight attendant encouraging me to try caviar and then letting me spit it out into her hand), but the key is recognizing that it isn’t an entitlement. If you worked for it and earned the money, or it’s a reward from slogging it out in coach week after week to Des Moines, I think the humility is the understanding of that.
Those who pay for first class or end up there with points or miles are entitled to the benefits and good service as advertised by the airline. Those who don’t pay for first class or end up there with points and miles are not entitled to the benefits of first class.
There is nothing wrong with people paying money for better products and services. If parents have money, it’s better to spend it on memories for their kids and a nice lifestyle than waste the opportunity money provides to teach their kids that their parents are selfish, miserable, and greedy. A good parent gives their kids what they can give. The point of working, investing, or having good luck is to share that with your own dna or dog.
There is a saying about not being able to go back. That’s true. When we experience comfortable seating, amenities, and have a bed on a plane, we don’t want to go back. I will take EasyJet or non Mint JetBlue for a flight under 5 hours but I won’t travel on a plane with business class if I am not in business class. I rather not travel if not in business class. Anyone who complains about the price of business class can just take an international long haul flight every two years instead of every year. There is always a solution to the problem. You don’t have to compromise on what’s important to you. If you can’t afford the $600 a night at a nice 5 star resort that will make a nice experience but can afford $300 a night, just save up and go a year later.
A lot of us unfortunately take inopportune flights to save money on business class. It’s part of the general issue of airline pricing being illogical. People complaining about aviation emissions should focus on encouraging airlines to change their airfare pricing instead of dumb things like think bio fuels are anymore environmentally friendly.
I thought doors were the holy grail for our pampered class for in flight luxury–now they complain that they are not high enough.
My kids were in their teens before we started flying with them much other than short hops on family trips. And I want the whole family in whatever class I am in. But when we started flying long-haul, I taught them about points and miles, as well as how much it would have cost to pay cash. So what they have learned is something along the lines that smart people can fly business or first for close to free, and people who are too lazy to be bothered often fly in coach for cash. That has not made them spoiled. It has made them savvy travelers.
Have a relative who flew a lot of long-haul flatbeds from very close to the start of joining the world. Then upon turning 11 years old or so, it was primarily economy class for a few years while the questions grew about why it became rarely flatbeds and when they can go back to flying flatbeds on long-haul flights. Then the kid was shown the ropes about how much travel costs and also guided on matters of resources and resource allocation in line with priorities. Part of that included how to game the frequent flyer programs and do other things to get more bang for the buck. But it also included more than just that.
By the way, doors are not the holy grail for our pampered class for in-flight luxury. It’s private jet and other such flights which allow an escape from being subject to the risk of the TSA groping you or having to stand around in lines with the so-called hoi polloi scrambling for whatever.
How can anyone not see that a celebrity talking about staying humble is completely disingenuous? But thanks for the valuable travel advice.
Some celebrities are over the top arrogant while others are anything but. Thankfully, not every celebrity is as much of an arrogant, disingenuous and immoral loser as Putin’s lap-child and man-baby T rump.
That said, I don’t get how her supposed inability to afford a taxi fare in NYC not so long ago is a sign of coming from humble beginnings.
Clearly most have not watch all this woman has gone through and mountains she has climbed to get where she is! Obviously she could not talk about all that in which is just another part of her story she is sharing. Inability of having taxi fare is only one of the very long list of examples she could provide of coming from humble beginnings!! Do any of the ignorant commenters know about what she did for all thoes people who lost their homes and everything they owned and did not even have water and she personally showed up herself with water/ food / money , before ANYONE else to help all those poor people!! If Anyone has followed her since day one and know the larger picture of her story, and would understand this in a completely different context as I do and would be happy for her!! I have never commented to stick up for any celebrity, however when it comes to this woman, I am! I am completely baffled that anyone would even want to comment anything negative unless they are just flat out jealous of her, just my opinion!