Talk me into or out of booking business class

[CaliKid]

Oh well ! It will be her money then .Believe me I would love to book the business seats and maybe I will but after a lifetime of frugality it is hard to break the pattern .That is why I am asking for advice .

I used to always tell my parents to fly first class and they rarely did. So I suppose I inherited more money when they died. I still wish they had traveled in the most comfort possible and flown first class more often though. Oh well.

I am sure your kids want you to be comfortable.

Live it up!

I have heard a rumor you only live once.

 

[ivinsfan]

Oh well ! It will be her money then .Believe me I would love to book the business seats and maybe I will but after a lifetime of frugality it is hard to break the pattern .That is why I am asking for advice .

Don't feel bad. We flew to Cancun on Sun Country, due to a combination of our park'n'fly hotel being really close to the airport and some snotty snow on the roads we were literally the first ones to check in.

The gal offered us 2 upgrades to first class for a hundred bucks a piece and I hesitated because I had paid 10 bucks a piece to reserve our seats in coach. She laughed out loud and said I usually have a line of people here by 515 AM trying to snag a day of upgrade. My DH said, just take it and quit thinking about it. So I know what you mean about breaking your spending patterns.

So if you really want to just take it and quit thinking about it.

 

[Souschef]

As you get older, being shoehorned in tourist class gets tougher, On our last 4 transatlantic flights we popped for Business Class. DW loved it because of the lay flat beds and the fact she could sleep on her side.

 

[NoiseBoy]

I flew Lufthansa premium economy earlier this year, and I think it is definitely worth it. Extra legroom and your own arm rests! It's what flying should always be like. Unless you're one of those lucky ducks who can sleep on planes. Otherwise, treat yourself to better food, service, comfortable seats, and bigger TV screens. Enjoy your trip.

 

[Aerides]

Warm nuts and mimosas before you even take off. For that price I would take it.

 

[cooch96]

If you're going to spend more, why not go with premium economy, take the $1200 you saved, live it up an extra day in Europe, and pocket part of the savings vs business class.

+1

 

[traineeinvestor]

We tend to fly economy on short haul flights (up to around 5 hours) and either business or premium economy on long haul. Once both our daughters are in boarding school, DW and I plan to do more travelling and will pay for that by going premium economy only on long haul flights.

We do tend to shop around for the best deals and have learned through experience that loyalty to a single airline for points/status usually ends up costing more in higher ticket prices than the benefits are worth.

As others have said, not all business class seats are the same. Some give you flat beds and some do not. The same is true of the pitch and seat width in premium economy, so check to see what you are getting for your money before you book.

 

[jerryo]

Haven't flown American Airlines much internationally, but I'd certainly take the business class seat if its a full flatbed..... $1300 is really quite cheap for internationally business class, which is typically $3,000 - $7,000 across the Atlantic depending on destination.

Flying business class across the Atlantic and Pacific nowadays typically means sitting in little, private cubicles with full flatbeds. Business also usually means faster check in and security; access to good international lounges; much better customer service; and the ability to sleep on overnight flights. Flying business can make the first two or three days before and after your trip much more functional and enjoyable.

My wife and I, for example, just came back from a hiking trip to Switzerland (via London) on British Air. Business Class meant: Excellent dinner in the lounge before leaving and a full 6 hours sleep on flatbeds in private cubicles on the overnight flight. MUCH better service (through fast track lines) transferring in London on our return from Zurich when BA's reservations system went down (we took a couple of minutes, while coach passengers waited for hours in long lines!). Two or three movies, an excellent dinner with fine wines, and 2 or 3 hours of sleep on our return flight to DC which arriveed 9:00 pm US time (but 3 am Zurich time!). And our "priority tagged" luggage was always first off the plane.

In general, commuting two or three times from Asia to the US the past 5 years (on 24 hour flights), my wife and I would always take business if we could get a ticket for no more than $500 - $1,000 extra (+ 50k miles usually) for the upgrade.

Flew to Argentina last winter on Economy Plus (free upgrade on coach mileage tickets) and it was okay, but it isn't really much better than regular coach (but business on those flight required four times as many miles!).

In general, I'm willing to pay a small surcharge for Economy Plus (say $50-100) and often do on transcontinental flights for early boarding and slightly more space; but international business is usually a whole different ball game!

Hope that helps!!

 

[athena53]

$1300 for Business is a bargain. If you can afford it, I'd go for it.

Heck, yeah. I don't think I've ever seen it that cheap. Even with IcelandAir, DH and I paid $2100 pp for Boston-Keflavik last year.

We quit flying Coach on transatlantic years ago- DH is over 6 feet tall, and has a creaky back and other health issues. Coach was just too hard on him. While I was sad that it meant our travel budget could cover only one European trip per year (some years we'd done 3 in Coach), we don't regret our decision. It wasn't just the free booze (that's darned expensive "free" booze!). It was the early boarding, the comfortable seats, the lounge access, better and more plentiful food (DH particularly liked ice cream sundaes made to order)- just all around a more civilized experience. It helped that I had a nice pile of miles form flying on business and knew how to leverage all the loyalty programs. I once kept 100K miles in DH's account from expiring by buying a $15 iTunes gift card through the airline's shopping portal!

We're still fine with Coach on short-hauls. We buy alcohol or food if we want it and if we have a very long layover, either scheduled or due to airline problems, we buy day passes to the lounge. Sure, it's a splurge at $50 per person but it's a lot more enjoyable than being in the main area with the infernal beeping carts and recorded announcements.

 

[FUEGO]

I realize I'm in a very different class of net worth and spending than some on this thread, but I have to ask. I've seen multiple mentions of the ability to sleep in business class seats and that translates to 1-3 extra days of useful time once you land in Europe.

I've never done the Europe flight, but did a similar flight to Uruguay (on our Uruguay/Argentina/Buenos Aires vacation several years ago). We flew economy class using points (40,000 pts off season rates!). I recall it was 2 hours to Miami from Raleigh, then 9 hours overnight from MIA to Montevideo Uruguay. I slept some but not a lot (though DW reports sleeping well). I was a little groggy upon arriving in Montevideo but after some coffee and a decent meal I don't remember the first day being a bust at all. I probably went to bed early and it was fine after that.

Even if I spent a whole day half-asleep and then went to bed early, I'd still be way ahead in dollar terms (even after paying $100-200 for a hotel night plus another $50-100 for meals). I would partially "waste" a day but have an extra $1400 in my pocket using OP's prices (which would buy us an extra week or two of vacation depending on where we travel).

I would be all over a cheap 1st or business class upgrade for an 8-9 hour flight at ~$200-300 max, but not sure I would pay a lot more. Is it an age thing? Maybe I'll feel differently at 46 or 56 or 66 than I do now at 36.

edit: another confusing airline travel issue: why is early boarding so important and loved by many on this thread? I dislike being on a plane and want to board as late as possible (unless it's southwest and I want to pick a seat with my companion(s) ). I'd close the cabin door on my way in if they'd let me! Of course I'm in coach and many of you are in biz/1st so maybe that's the difference? Is it overhead space for your carry-ons? I figure if I can get on the plane 30 minutes later than the first people on, my flight is 30 minutes shorter!

edit 2: I only fly 1-2 trips per year so maybe the very infrequent inconvenience of coach doesn't bother me as much.

 

[Moemg]

I've never done the Europe flight, but did a similar flight to Uruguay (on our Uruguay/Argentina/Buenos Aires vacation several years ago). We flew economy class using points (40,000 pts off season rates!). I recall it was 2 hours to Miami from Raleigh, then 9 hours overnight from MIA to Montevideo Uruguay. I slept some but not a lot (though DW reports sleeping well). I was a little groggy upon arriving in Montevideo but after some coffee and a decent meal I don't remember the first day being a bust at all. I probably went to bed early and it was fine after that.

Even if I spent a whole day half-asleep and then went to bed early, I'd still be way ahead in dollar terms (even after paying $100-200 for a hotel night plus another $50-100 for meals). I would partially "waste" a day but have an extra $1400 in my pocket using OP's prices (which would buy us an extra week or two of vacation depending on where we travel).

I would be all over a cheap 1st or business class upgrade for an 8-9 hour flight at ~$200-300 max, but not sure I would pay a lot more. Is it an age thing? Maybe I'll feel differently at 46 or 56 or 66 than I do now at 36.

.

It is an age thing .In my 40 & 50 's I flew international flights in economy and bounced back pretty quickly . I will be 70 when I go on this trip and I find I am willing to pay extra to make travel easier on me . This will also probably be my last transatlantic flight as I am losing interest in that type of travel . Something I thought would never happen to me . Luckily I traveled extensively in my 40,50 & 60's .

 

[someguy]

Heck, yeah. I don't think I've ever seen it that cheap. Even with IcelandAir, DH and I paid $2100 pp for Boston-Keflavik last year.

Keep in mind this is $1,300PP ONE-WAY. Presumably it'd be $2,600 PP RT which is still quite good, but not insane like $1,300 PP RT would be.

$2K PP RT to Iceland is a very good price. I haven't seen less than $3K when I've looked.

 

[fh2000]

We fly to Asia 2-3 times a year from LAX, almost on Econ seats and we use karak.com to find the cheapest price. They are selling about $500 round trip with one stop nowadays. This is the cheapest I have seen for 20 years, thanks to the low oil price. The price for business class though could be up to 4-6 times as much.

Only once, on Malaysia airline, they overbooked our seats, and upgraded 4 of us on business. Kids loved these and requested flying business ever since but we have not tried on our money yet.

I suspect that once we pass 65, we will have to spend the money to buy the comfort for those 14 hour flights.

 

[Ologist]

Premium economy is usually just a larger seat than coach. Whereas usually in Business Class the seat becomes a flat bed. My feeling is not to waste money on Prmium Economy. If your are going to do it, go for Business Class!

 

[Koogie]

edit: another confusing airline travel issue: why is early boarding so important and loved by many on this thread? I dislike being on a plane and want to board as late as possible (unless it's southwest and I want to pick a seat with my companion(s) ). I'd close the cabin door on my way in if they'd let me! Of course I'm in coach and many of you are in biz/1st so maybe that's the difference? Is it overhead space for your carry-ons? I figure if I can get on the plane 30 minutes later than the first people on, my flight is 30 minutes shorter!

+1

I've never understood the compunction to frantically get into line when they announce boarding. Standing there all anxious and getting on board, just to sit there for another half hour ! The less time in the cigar tube the better, I say.

I always take my time and if I had my way I'd stay off until the last second and have to leap from the jetway across the gap while you were closing the door ! haha

To the OP, I would go for it. At your age and with your (implied) funds, you deserve it for a lifetime of hard work and foresight. The rewards have to come some time and if not now, when ?

We have only been to Asia once and we had biz class on that 15+ hour flight. A godsend. Mind you, I always take a couple of Dramamine before any flight and usually sleep okay. My DW has often been PO'ed at me because I am asleep before takeoff !!

 

[MichaelB]

I've never understood the compunction to frantically get into line when they announce boarding. Standing there all anxious and getting on board, just to sit there for another half hour ! The less time in the cigar tube the better, I say.

That's an easy one. The battle for overhead space. The demand for space far exceeds the supply, and charging separately for checked luggage only makes this worse. It is amazing the amount of stuff people bring on board and what they will do to find a place to stow it.

I like an aisle seat and can't remember a trip where I wasn't smacked in the side of the head by someone's shoulder bag at least once. One of the most dangerous moments is when the plan taxis to a stop after landing, and suddenly half the passengers stand up, open the luggage compartment, grab their suitcase and swing it out, when clearly there's no place to set them all down.

 

[Moemg]

What really drives me nuts is I routinely fly on small planes that have limited overhead space so they will check your carry on bag at the gate . People drag huge suitcases up to the gate to avoid the $25 check fee .These bags are way larger than carry on .

 

[Sojourner]

Even if I spent a whole day half-asleep and then went to bed early, I'd still be way ahead in dollar terms (even after paying $100-200 for a hotel night plus another $50-100 for meals). I would partially "waste" a day but have an extra $1400 in my pocket using OP's prices (which would buy us an extra week or two of vacation depending on where we travel).

I would be all over a cheap 1st or business class upgrade for an 8-9 hour flight at ~$200-300 max, but not sure I would pay a lot more. Is it an age thing? Maybe I'll feel differently at 46 or 56 or 66 than I do now at 36.

Interesting and pretty compelling way to look at it, Fuego. I'm in my 40s and have recently been toying with the idea of splurging on international business class, but your analysis makes a lot of sense to me. Why would I spend an extra $1500 or $2000 to make the most of that first day at my destination, when I could easily add an extra day (or two, or three!) to the trip and still be way ahead financially? Plus, with today's modern pharmaceuticals, I can feel very, very relaxed on the entire 8-12 hour flight each way and probably sleep for a large portion of it. Seems like the way to go is premium economy, some Xanax, and an extra day or two at my destination to fully recover from the jet lag and lost sleep on the plane. Brilliant!

 

[athena53]

edit: another confusing airline travel issue: why is early boarding so important and loved by many on this thread? I dislike being on a plane and want to board as late as possible (unless it's southwest and I want to pick a seat with my companion(s) ). I'd close the cabin door on my way in if they'd let me! Of course I'm in coach and many of you are in biz/1st so maybe that's the difference? Is it overhead space for your carry-ons? I figure if I can get on the plane 30 minutes later than the first people on, my flight is 30 minutes shorter!

Ah, but if they're doing their job in Business Class you get pre-flight adult beverages. It's the only time I'll drink Champagne in the morning! (That's on long-hauls on vacation, I hasten to add; not on a one-hour flight to a business meeting in Chicago.)

I also agree with the philosophy of getting on so you have space for your carry-on above your seat; there are people who will stash their bag wherever it fits on the way back to Coach- and sometimes that's Business Class. I also remember the words of my Dad who flew for business in the 1960s: you don't have a confirmed seat till you're sitting in it.

Another Business Class nicety: you rarely have to wait for the lav because there are fewer passengers per lav in Business, and you don't need to become embarrassingly intimate with the strangers in your row as you climb over them to get there. (I like window seats.) There's plenty of leg room.

 

[FUEGO]

Interesting and pretty compelling way to look at it, Fuego. I'm in my 40s and have recently been toying with the idea of splurging on international business class, but your analysis makes a lot of sense to me. Why would I spend an extra $1500 or $2000 to make the most of that first day at my destination, when I could easily add an extra day (or two, or three!) to the trip and still be way ahead financially? Plus, with today's modern pharmaceuticals, I can feel very, very relaxed on the entire 8-12 hour flight each way and probably sleep for a large portion of it. Seems like the way to go is premium economy, some Xanax, and an extra day or two at my destination to fully recover from the jet lag and lost sleep on the plane. Brilliant!

Thanks for the confirmation. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't jumping into the crazy deep end of deprivation frugality.

I'm working on the backbone of an 8-9 week summer vacation in Europe so I'm considering options. Fortunately the flight to Europe we're looking at is relatively short (10 hours total time from RDU including 8 hrs from Washington DC to Lisbon, PT). Leave Raleigh at 7:30 pm, arrive in Lisbon at 10:30 am. I figure we'll squeeze in 4-5 hours of sleep somewhere in there, and be a little tired when we hit the ground. We'll probably grab some lunch, and then hopefully we can check into our Airbnb or hotel a little early, grab a nap, and take it from there. Worst case we're off kilter for a day or two.

Ah, but if they're doing their job in Business Class you get pre-flight adult beverages. It's the only time I'll drink Champagne in the morning! (That's on long-hauls on vacation, I hasten to add; not on a one-hour flight to a business meeting in Chicago.)

That's a mighty expensive glass of bubbly. You can grab a glass of champagne at the lounge or restaurant for $10! Or enjoy a whole bottle for $10 at home! Or in Europe! I don't think a glass of champagne would be enough to coax me into an airplane 30 minutes early, not even if it was free.

 

[ivinsfan]

Thanks for the confirmation. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't jumping into the crazy deep end of deprivation frugality.

I'm working on the backbone of an 8-9 week summer vacation in Europe so I'm considering options. Fortunately the flight to Europe we're looking at is relatively short (10 hours total time from RDU including 8 hrs from Washington DC to Lisbon, PT). Leave Raleigh at 7:30 pm, arrive in Lisbon at 10:30 am. I figure we'll squeeze in 4-5 hours of sleep somewhere in there, and be a little tired when we hit the ground. We'll probably grab some lunch, and then hopefully we can check into our Airbnb or hotel a little early, grab a nap, and take it from there. Worst case we're off kilter for a day or two.




That's a mighty expensive glass of bubbly. You can grab a glass of champagne at the lounge or restaurant for $10! Or enjoy a whole bottle for $10 at home! Or in Europe! I don't think a glass of champagne would be enough to coax me into an airplane 30 minutes early, not even if it was free.

Well don't forget you are pricing for a family of five not a couple of seniors. And maybe you will sleep and maybe you won't. Deprivation frugality I don't know about that but consider between the travel and the cruise maybe the OP doesn't really care to add extra time to the trip, they place a bigger emphasis on being comfortable after a long vacation. You don't book business class just for a glass of bubbly. They didn't ask about the best way to spend the upgrade money they asked if the upgrade was worth it on it's own merits.

 

[explanade]

I've been buying more business when I can.

Earlier this year, I flew to London round-trip on a sale for just over $2000, then bought a separate ticket to Geneva.

Next spring, I bought a round-trip business ticket from SFO to Paris for $2200. Again, will buy a separate flight to go to Spain but will spend a couple of nights in Paris on the way back.

But I've also spent around $4000 for business class tickets too. I've been going for Gold status on United for years, which now requires $6000 of spending per year. Well I could do that with 4 economy international flights or maybe 2 business class flights. Doing more of the latter now, though I used to do the former.

Also have a lot of miles so I've been redeeming for business class awards every year as well.

 

[FUEGO]

Well don't forget you are pricing for a family of five not a couple of seniors. And maybe you will sleep and maybe you won't. Deprivation frugality I don't know about that but consider between the travel and the cruise maybe the OP doesn't really care to add extra time to the trip, they place a bigger emphasis on being comfortable after a long vacation. You don't book business class just for a glass of bubbly. They didn't ask about the best way to spend the upgrade money they asked if the upgrade was worth it on it's own merits.

Yeah, I get it. $800 per person to upgrade. That would be $4000 for our family of five (= a month or two in Mexico, for example).

I figure OP is like most of us 99.9-percenters where we are constantly making trade offs in our spending decisions. $1600 more for more comfy seats for 8-10 hours or stretch the vacation by a few days or possibly a week. Or book a week long cruise to the Caribbean at a different time.

In other words, are there better uses of $1600 in your life beyond renting a nicer, larger seat with nicer meals and drinks? Could you get 10-20x as many nicer meals and drinks once you get where you're going and is that worth the trade off of sitting in steerage class for half a day?

I think comparing business class upgrades for $800/ticket with other business class upgrades that cost $1000-2000/ticket for similar flights is meaningless. The $800 cost of upgrade must be worth it on its own merits, regardless of what the customary price is.

If someone offered me a flight to the international space station for $1.5 million instead of the customary $15 million, I wouldn't say "oh great value; here's all my worldly possessions and let's go!". I would evaluate whether the price asked is worth it compared to alternate ways to spend my money and always seek highest and best value for money. I think that analytical framework helps you spend money in a happiness-maximizing manner (unless you have essentially unlimited resources).

 

[ugeauxgirl]

I wouldn't pay to upgrade. I have never actually enjoyed a flight- I just dislike it less when I fly an upgraded class. I'd use the money I save to pay for something that I DO enjoy on vacation- like a few extra days, a nice dinner out- an expensive tour- whatever. But as others mentioned, I'm 44, so there is little difference in discomfort. They are all long and boring and I always take a valium regardless of where I sit- I am a white knuckle flyer. I'm small too- so i fit pretty easily into the seats. But that's how I'd get the most value for my money- its all in what you value.

 

[braumeister]

Is it an age thing? Maybe I'll feel differently at 46 or 56 or 66 than I do now at 36.

Precisely.
At your age I was the same way. From the middle of the US to the middle of Europe (and planes were slower then) I had little difficulty.

But now it's a completely different ballgame.