A bargain flight has completed its transformation into an expensive weekend while retaining the right to be described as forty-two pounds. The final total includes a bag, a seat, getting to the airport and sleeping somewhere at the other end.
Traveller Emma Marsh said the conversion happened gradually enough to feel like a series of unrelated decisions. Each upgrade appeared modest compared with the cost of abandoning the idea. By the time accommodation entered the calculation, the trip had acquired the status of something she deserved.
The original fare remains displayed at the top of her spreadsheet, where it acts as a small monument to the person she was before clicking continue. Additional rows have been given separate categories so that none can be accused of making the flight expensive. Airport coffee is classified as survival rather than travel.
Marsh insists the holiday represents excellent value because a different holiday could have cost more. This method has also justified restaurant choices, a taxi and a purchase described as a useful souvenir. The original £42 remains the price quoted to friends. Everything else, she explains, was optional, in the way that being somewhere and having somewhere to sleep are optional.
