I used to have a rule: If I had a bad trip, it's good karma for the next trip.1 It is just ridiculous in my opinion, to always expect to have a good trip.
It wasn't until recently, that I remembered good things that can happen when bad things happen. As I have traveled throughout the years, I have learned to embrace them, because not only is it part of the adventure, sometimes you actually end up winning with a private, spacious suite!
One time, I lost my favorite jacket (Germany, I see you). Sometimes, it means getting bumped off a flight and sitting in the airport for 12 hours. Another time, it meant an angry passenger screaming at me because I reclined (this actually happened).
(Disclaimer: I always have chosen to think bad is qualitative, because traveling is a privilege all in its own right! I may have found a silver lining for just about every trip, except for the time I was robbed of my phone!)
Here are a few situations where it's really, unexpectedly worked out in my favor, making it in some ways, the best trip ever.
Getting $200 and an empty row for a passenger screaming at you (for reclining)
On a flight from Dublin to New York in 2019, a man behind me once started screaming at me because I reclining my seat. I was tired, and was just coming back from a trip that was meant to be a sabbatical after the death of my stepfather. I was upset, and in no mood, and basically refused to unrecline 😅
Other than the fact that he was American, further irritating me, he ended up proceeding to yell at me for a full half hour on the plane. It was also one of the only flights where a flight attendant had to intervene on my behalf.
Do you dare to recline? (Pew Nguyen / Unsplash)
The flight attendant decided to relocate me up to an empty row up in front of premium economy-I was in a full row-and gave me a $200 voucher for the inconvenience.
Getting $2000 for being bumped off your flight
In my head, it's like a game of The Price is Right. How much does it take for you to say, I'm gonna stick it out? It's kinda like the worst… or best thing ever, is getting bumped off a flight.
Usually, at the end of a trip, I am always ready to go home. I want to go back to my normal routine, I want to cook and not eat things that make me feel ill, and I want to go to my ballet class, and like, do my things.
On a recent flight back to New York, I had scheduled an early Monday flight. I figured I'd be working on the plane anyways, and I had time to make it back to my weekly Monday exercise class.
But then the flight attendant delivered some news: They had oversold the flight, and needed three volunteers to be bumped off. The going price was $800.
Out of curiosity, I asked when the next flight would be, and she let me know it would be a full twelve hours until the next flight back to New York. And I would miss my class. I declined, as well as the whole plane.
The next offer was $1,500, which I took, because logic won out. Then, because they couldn't find a third passenger, I ended up receiving $2000 for my time, as well as one $10 meal voucher, which I used for a salad at Chick-fil-A.
Getting a better, private room because the bathroom flooded
You can read about it here.
Getting an incredible meal for not having a hotel room cleaned
On a recent trip to Detroit, I stayed at the Cambria Hotel for four nights. I was informed by the hotel staff that daily cleaning wasn't a thing, unless on request. So I requested for a clean every other day, because I was at a conference, and I knew I would have no time to clean up after myself. No big deal to me, normally.
Though, it's a weird thing when you leave things for the housekeeper, and it's not done when you come back, and then you have to spend actual time cleaning up.
On the second to last night of my trip, the general manager called me to see if my room had been cleaned. It had not. I was leaving the next morning, and I needed the room to get some last-minute work done, so it was pointless to send someone.
Instead, she gave me a $100 credit for the hotel restaurant, CIBO.
I'm getting a little hungry, like we needed a close up of the shrimp dish.
How good was it? I ordered the shrimp speziato, bathed in a spicy amatriciana sauce and guanciale, creamy polenta, complete in a garlic-herb marinade *(the most upscale shrimp and grits I ever had). Then came the brussel sprouts, draped in silky parmesan, a tangy balsamic reduction with the brightness of pomegranate seeds, for er, something green.
By this point, I was completely full-like really full-so it was time to move on to a mascarpone cheesecake, dressed with ribbons of dulce de leche, and fresh strawberry compote.
Of course, don't forget the fancy mocktail I had to complete it with, made with lyre's N/A gin, lemon, lavender-honey, and cucumber honey.
As I was settling the bill, the waitress informed me that I had $10 left on my credit, so I reluctantly ordered some truffle fries to go.
Not bad for not getting your hotel room not cleaned.
