Business Class Guru--Too Good to be True?

[nwsteve]

Anyone used or heard of Business Class Guru? Supposely uses consolidators/wholesalers to provide Business Class fares at "70% off"
Website was showing fares comparable to airlines premium economy.
You have to send your routing to them to get a quote and they respond next day or sooner with fare quote. You pay them and get tickets emailed to you.
Lots of room for "unpleasant things to happen" but I am a cynic
Nwsteve

 

[athena53]

Is this one of the outfits that (illegally) pays people with lots of airline miles to redeem them for your trip? I'd love to get bargain Business Class Airfares but what I REALLY want is a site that says, "Today's bargains are Airport XXX to Airport YYY, $2,375 between now and November 1"- i.e. something i can select. Not "tell us what you want and we'll find it".

 

[nwsteve]

hard to tell--they say their relationships with consolidator are what gives them access to prices.
Looked for reviews and all on their site are 4-5 stars but also look at bit too good to my cynical eye--which is reason for posting. OTOH, did find any negatives

 

[Sunset]

Is this one of the outfits that (illegally) pays people with lots of airline miles to redeem them for your trip? I'd love to get bargain Business Class Airfares but what I REALLY want is a site that says, "Today's bargains are Airport XXX to Airport YYY, $2,375 between now and November 1"- i.e. something i can select. Not "tell us what you want and we'll find it".

I think you are right.
If they had a relationship with a consolidator, they should be able to post the prices for all the routes they have available.

Problem with the points from someone, is that person can yank it away, and the airline can also cancel the tickets.

 

[Ronnieboy]

I guess this might be a hi-jack, but can anyone tell me the difference between Business Class and First Class? Is it same seats different price? Do you have to be a "business person' to get business class?
Just curious...

 

[athena53]

I guess this might be a hi-jack, but can anyone tell me the difference between Business Class and First Class? Is it same seats different price? Do you have to be a "business person' to get business class?
Just curious...

No, you don't have to be a Business Person- you just have to pay lotsa money and they'll treat you like one!

"Business Class" evolved as a middle ground when employers balked at paying "First Class" fares. Most airlines now have Coach, maybe Coach with additional leg room and other perks for a little more, Coach with no additional "free" services for a little less, and Business Class.

The one exception I've seen is transatlantics. Some still have First, Business and Coach. I was once upgraded to First from Business Class on American. Seats are bigger, there were little closets down at your feet so you could stash things there and not have to reach up into the overhead, and the meal service stretched out over a longer period with more courses. You COULD ask for an abbreviated meal right away so you could sleep but who wants to miss the experience? While I have forked over my money and miles many times for Business Class, I wouldn't pay whatever the extra is for First.

 

[braumeister]

In my experience these days, it's the same. Front section of the plane, bigger seats, etc.
On domestic flights they call it First Class and on transatlantic flights they call it Business Class.

I haven't seen a separate First Class section on flights to Europe, but maybe it's just because I don't use the airlines that have it.

I remember long ago flying on Pan Am. I used FF miles to upgrade to Business and then for some reason they upgraded me to First on a long haul (9 hour) flight. First on Pan Am was really something to behold!

 

[Sojourner]

Delta has a new super-premium "business class" that they've branded Delta One. Looks pretty amazing. Available on many of their long-haul international flights.

I checked this out for a trip to Europe next year that I'm planning, and it's not quite as outrageously expensive as I thought it might be. Around $3,000 round trip, nonstop. Or I could spend 80% of my total stash of frequent fliers miles I've been accumulating for 25 years. Considering how rarely I fly overseas, definitely giving it some consideration.

 

[rodi]

Continuing the hijack about airline seat classes - there are now 3 types of economy on most flights:
premium economy (a tad more leg room - back to what regular economy used to have)
economy (regular coach seats... tight pitch... but you get to pick your seat and bring a carryon
*basic economy* - this is the new class that is slightly cheaper - same seats as economy but no seat selection (hello middle seat) and limits on what luggage you will be allowed to bring.

If you book through a credit card you might accidentally end up in basic economy with no warning - that happened to me. I'm still trying to unwind it but the hurricane resulted in them not answering the phone for anyone but those effected by Irma.

 

[Ronnieboy]

In my experience these days, it's the same. Front section of the plane, bigger seats, etc.
On domestic flights they call it First Class and on transatlantic flights they call it Business Class.

This is what I was wondering. I just had a flight, domestically, there was only a front section (first class) and then coach, so I was confused there was no business class (middle section that was a step lower than 1st and a step higher than coach) or if the term was used interchangeably with 1ST class.

 

[Texas Proud]

+1 on what Braumeister said...

I only had a few flights so I do not know which have which... but Continental called theirs Bus/First.... IOW, there was no difference...

Virgin had a First that was different than Bus.... so did American...

DW and I are going to go visit China and I just looked at the seats on a China Air and they have a separate First from Bus... 1st is 1/2/1 with bigger seats/beds (pitch 80 width 23)... Bus is 2/2/2 (pitch 60 width 22) with what they say are flat beds...

Go to seatguru and look up some flights...

 

[audreyh1]

United has business class but no first on transatlantic flights. It has first class on domestic flights, no business. Sometimes they refer to their international offering as "business first". I don't know if they fly any three class cabin airplanes any more.

 

[braumeister]

Delta has a new super-premium "business class" that they've branded Delta One. Looks pretty amazing. Available on many of their long-haul international flights.

I love Delta One.
I've flown it several times across the pond and it's worth the price (to me).
Plenty of room, and the seats convert to a nice flat bed (or any stage in between to get you comfortable). I get a very nice meal then normally a solid five hours or more of sleep before time to wake up and have breakfast.

No need for it coming back, since the Europe-to-USA flights usually leave in the morning, but for the night flight over it's wonderful.

 

[FIREd]

Delta has a new super-premium "business class" that they've branded Delta One. Looks pretty amazing. Available on many of their long-haul international flights.

I checked this out for a trip to Europe next year that I'm planning, and it's not quite as outrageously expensive as I thought it might be. Around $3,000 round trip, nonstop. Or I could spend 80% of my total stash of frequent fliers miles I've been accumulating for 25 years. Considering how rarely I fly overseas, definitely giving it some consideration.

It is a pretty good product. I tested Delta One on a flight to and from Amsterdam in August and I was positively impressed. The food was good and the bedding was excellent.

It seems like First Class is disappearing even on many transatlantic flights. Swiss still has one - separate cabin from business, larger seats, better food, separate lounge, etc... I think that there is a big step between economy and business class, but not so much between business class and first class.

 

[RunningBum]

It varies by airline, route, and plane. I was just today looking at a potential flight, happened to be United, trans atlantic, and there IS a first class and a separate business class.

https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/U...rlines_Boeing_767-300_B.php?flightno=52&date=

The terms are not interchangeable, but business class on one flight might actually be as good or better than first class on another. It's worth looking at seatguru or some other site to see what you are actually paying for. If you think you're getting some private pod or lie flat seats and find you're only getting a bit more leg room and a nicer meal you don't want to be disappointed.

 

[athena53]

Delta has a new super-premium "business class" that they've branded Delta One. Looks pretty amazing. Available on many of their long-haul international flights.

Thanks for this- I'm hoping to go to Edinburgh next year and had anticipated going to Reyjavik ($200 RT in Business Class) and then doing a side trip on Wow Airways since they have a KEF-EDI nonstop, but this would be a LOT simpler although airfare for next August would be about $4K.

I'd read that airlines have dropped prices on Business Class to attract more cash-paying customers rather than have half the Business Class section occupied by people redeeming miles.

 

[jonat]

I recently flew Icelandair twice. I bought "Economy Comfort" class, which normally gets you extra legroom and a blocked off middle seat, plus free food and booze, separate check in line and access to their lounges. It is quite affordable. On several of the flights, though, I was put in a "Saga Class" seat (though without the "Saga" (First) class amenities. I also upgraded to Saga Class" on two of the flights and enjoyed the experience. The seats aren't lie-flat, but they are wide and comfortable.

 

[Sojourner]

I'm hoping to go to Edinburgh next year and had anticipated going to Reyjavik ($200 RT in Business Class) ...

I assume you meant to write $2,000 instead of $200 here?

 

[athena53]

I assume you meant to write $2,000 instead of $200 here?

Oops. Thanks for catching that. Yes, it's $2,000.

 

[braumeister]

I bought "Economy Comfort" class... On several of the flights, though, I was put in a "Saga Class" seat (though without the "Saga" (First) class amenities.

Same here. A few years ago we booked Economy Comfort but were upgraded to Saga class, including all the meals etc.

I think it was because we had booked very early. They did fill all the Economy Comfort seats, so I guess they just moved us up to empty Saga seats on a first come first served basis. Very nice.

 

[medved]

Over the past couple of years, I have found that US domestic carriers have lowered many of their first class fares, to try to sell more of these seats (rather than give them away for free to frequent flyers, as upgrades). Of course, this annoys the frequent flyers because it reduces the number of upgrade seats available. But it is understandable that the airline would want revenue for at least some of these F seats. As just one example, a few weeks ago I flew a transcon in domestic F for $480 each way. Granted, domestic F is not so great -- clearly a worse product than J across the pond. But its better than being in the back. Many of these discounted F seats are what used to be referred to as "Y-up" fares, which means they price as coach fares, but with a "free upgrade." In some companies, with travel policies that require "coach fares," this can be helpful, because it is a "coach fare" with a seat in F.

 

[SecondCor521]

Emirates has three distinct classes of service internationally.

On the jet we flew, Economy was 3/4/3, Business was 2/3/2, and First was 1/2/1. Business had "almost flat" reclining seats, First had "fully flat" seats.Economy was about $1K, Business was about $5K, and First was something like $15-$20K. The ratios of flight attendants to passengers was proportionately different in each of the fare classes.

 

[Red Badger]

Emirates has three distinct classes of service internationally.

On the jet we flew, Economy was 3/4/3, Business was 2/3/2, and First was 1/2/1. Business had "almost flat" reclining seats, First had "fully flat" seats.Economy was about $1K, Business was about $5K, and First was something like $15-$20K. The ratios of flight attendants to passengers was proportionately different in each of the fare classes.

Ditto.
Flew to Singapore earlier this year business class. AA leg to Narita was a pod similar to Delta One. Narita to Singapore via JAL was similar to US "first class," with a wide wide seat, food, and drinks. Singapore to Inchon via SIN was same as JAL. Inchon to US was AA pod. So, yes, on Asian flights, there is a distinct economy, business, and first class level. My business class fare was about $7K.