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Pass the tissues: I'm a plane crier, and I'm proud of it
Benét J. Wilson
Contributor
Benét, known as the Aviation Queen, is a former senior editor at TPG who is best known for being an aviation journalist for 25-plus years. Her love affair with travel and aviation began at age 6, when her Air Force family moved from California to a military base outside of London. The family flew from JFK to London on a pretty new Pan Am 747. She was amazed when, in 1992, she got her first aviation journalism job.
Nov. 23, 2019
•
3 min read
Pass the tissues: I'm a plane crier, and I'm proud of it
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I'm going to reveal one of my travel secrets: I cry during anything that's aired on an airline's inflight entertainment system. No matter the movie, TV show or commercial, I always manage to shed a few tears.
I am a HUGE fan of "This American Life," hosted by Baltimore native Ira Glass, produced at WBEZ in Chicago and airing on your local NPR station. I have the show downloaded to my iPod (yes, I still use an iPod), so I can listen at my leisure.
Back in 2011, I'm riding the train to work, and the theme of Episode #429 was Tough Room. It's all about people speaking their minds in very tough rooms. While all the stories were interesting, it was Act 4 — The Contrails of my Tears — that really hit home with me. Commentator Brett Martin, a correspondent for GQ, talks about how inflight entertainment on planes makes him cry, no matter how ridiculous — or bad — the programing is.
I can't tell you how much better I felt knowing that crying on airplanes is an actual thing and I'm not the only one doing it.
One time, I was watching the movie "The Best Man Holiday" on a United Airlines flight from San Francisco back home to Baltimore. I was already a little sad, because my visit home to the family was really nice.
Related reading: Why We Cry on Airplanes, According to a Psychologist
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Without going into the movie's plot (spoiler alert), a major beloved character in the movie tragically dies. I started to cry, first just a few tears, then a full-on ugly crying jag. It was so bad my seat mate rang for the flight attendant because he thought something was seriously wrong with me. I told them both what happened, and the flight attendant teared up, because she had seen the movie too.
And it's not just movies. Magazine articles that I'd read normally on the ground bring me to tears in flight. A song — like Kenny Loggins' "Celebrate Me Home" — can turn on the waterworks. There's just something about being trapped in a metal tube with 150+ people 35,000 feet above the Earth traveling at hundreds of miles per hour that makes you feel more vulnerable. And this isn't just a feeling from me.
A new report by travel brand strategy and content agency Studio Black Tomato, titled "Heightened Emotions: An Analysis of How We Feel When We Fly," notes that flying not only involves a physical transition from one place to another, but also an emotional shift in state of mind. It's an emotionally loaded experience and a unique setting where you have little control over inflight outcomes. It cites other studies that suggest that factors such as fatigue, stress, high altitude and dehydration add to the overwhelming sense of heightened emotion.
With many travelers trying to balance family, work, professional and leisure activities, sometimes life gets messy, Maybe a good cry on a flight can serve as a release valve and give us a chance to just feel — and catch our breath. I do feel better knowing that I am far from alone in experiencing inflight crying.
Can someone pass me some tissue?
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- Annual Fee is $325.
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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.