Hmmm -- upgrades

So, I'm boarding the flight back to London, when a stewardess stops me and snatches my ticket stub away, and starts moving me in the opposite direction of my seat. After having spent 3 hours travelling to the airport and waiting to board, and looking forward to another 7 hours of flying -- I was about to cop a serious attitude.

Luckily I didn't, because I soon realised that she was trying to slip me into business class without attracting a lot of attention.

That made my day. I spent most of the flight feeling like a king, until it occurred to me what a head-game the airlines have going.

Compared to being wedged into unnaturally small seats and eating cardboard meals -- my mind was fooled into thinking that I was in a position of luxury. But as I thought about it objectively -- the seats were just normal sized, and if I had been served the same meal at a restaurant I would have rejected it.

But it's all about context. When used to deprivation, all of a sudden things like fresh bread and hot towels seem great.

Maybe there is a lesson in this. Maybe instead of going to nice and luxurious places on holiday -- I should go to some cold, damp, miserable place and then I'd be grateful to return to the amenities of home.