Winners don't always stay in control

George, who has a gold card and runs his mileage account tightly, recounts details of his flight last night to Vladimir who meets him at Sheremetyevo.

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Vladimir: Good flight?

George: The usual jostle for seats.

Vladimir: Did you win?

George: Well I go on board, I’m looking for 33J – aisle – and there’s a big fat lady sitting there already. Anyway, she’s got it wrong and they move her to two seats on her own. For once I almost thought I wish I were so fat they’d give me two seats.

Vladimir: So then you have two seats to yourself?

George: No such luck. The flight was overbooked. The man in 33K is a German, huge, tattoos all over. This is one flight I did not get lucky.

Vladimir: I thought winners like you always stayed in control.

George: Not when it comes to seat allocation on flights. That’s out of your hands altogether.

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