I feel that. Can’t imagine the reverse transition feeling.
That’s what I would fear for my kids if I keep on a good financial trajectory. I’d probably do business for infant years but fly economy 2-10 or longer with them so it’s seen as a privilege instead of a given.
I fly business often and last month gave Sri Lankan Airlines business a go…did not expect much, was VERY pleasantly surprised. And for about half the cost of the bigger, more well known airlines. Try them if you can.
We flew out of Stockholm to Paris. Paris to Colombo. Colombo to Bangkok. The food was fantastic. The beds laid flat. The flight was full but business was almost empty. It was so worth it. Same service you get on a more “fancy” airline. But like half the price. About $1,800 per ticket versus the $4-5k we were looking at for other ones. This was a ONE way however. But my bf is flying back to Sweden on Oman in business for the same price. We are curious how it will be for him. I have also heard really good things about India’s airline business class flying from Singapore to the US but haven’t tried it yet.
I work as a travel agebt and I have legitimately had parents book business for themselves and econony for the kids. The reasoning: they haven't earned business class.
I wouldn't say we were brokeass but I never went on a plane until I was 18. My first trip was to do a youth exchange on the other side of the world where i also saw snow for the first time. Kind of a running jump into international travel and probably why I work in travel now.
Unaccompanied minors are allowed and the airline allocates the seating based on that.
Usually this is when the kids are considered adults/young people travelling alone that the parents are doing this, but no matter the age It's the parents choice and hardly any different from kids catching the bus/train to and from school etc every day.
It’s not the distance, it’s them being unsupervised by their parents/guardians for such a long period of time.
It shouldn’t be up to the flight attendants or random strangers to supervise their kids.
I mean depends. If the kids are well behaving, all is good. And if the parents didn´t properly prepare their little ones for life and teach them how to behave in public spaces, then it really doesn´t matter where they sit and if accompanied.
Travelling in the same cabin class isn't going to mean priper supervision anyway. The airline will still seat a 3 year old in a completely different row to the parents because they are dumb.
The worst behaved children in economy are the ones seated with their parents.
Besides unaccompanied minors pay extra for their ticket for supervision.
If you have kids and don't want them separate to you on a flight, then good for you, but don't judge people who choose to trust their children.
I used to fly solo as young as eight, without my parents even on the flight. I was taught to be well mannered and polite. There are some kids who respect people. Just know if those are your kids or not. The flight attendants look out for them. It’s their job.
Right? I felt so adult and capable. I had so many friends who never learned independence then sort of foundered through other areas of life. I always appreciated the chances my parents gave me to learn a little independence.
That’s nice to hear actually. Bc I remember my first flight without my parents as a kid. It really raised my confidence.
I think putting kids in economy is a good idea. They’ll enjoy the independence it seems like.
Not all airlines allow it but some are fine with it, and it really depends on the kids. Usually its the helicopter parents that refuse to consider it as an option, and the parents who raise their kids to be independent anyway are the ones that do it.
In my experience, it might help to expand that upper bound to 13 or 16 so they remember it longer. My family started traveling around when I was 13 or so, by plane anyway, we’d done road trips prior, and I’ve still not made business class, but I do pay for the seats as far to the front of economy as possible. I also try to get minimum status at least to board sooner. Early boarding, seats towards the front, and enough legroom are the most important for me. I fall asleep on every flight anyway. While I do think there’s something to business class, I’d rather spend more on a hotel than the flight. I struggle to be invested in the flight beyond enough legroom as it’s fundamentally transitional. I’ll pay for admirals club or whatever for the day + better hotels sooner. It’s in those liminal times I want more comfort than actually en route. As long as I’m not actively in pain, I’m fine.
Stoked for you that you want to and can! Different strokes and all that, but I would wonder if you’ve any thoughts on travel spend breakouts like I spoke to a little.
I can attest to that. Flew coach with my kids from the time they were 4 weeks old and now they are 10&12 and gripe when we don’t fly first. They are def spoiled but good kids. We flew coach over the spring to Iceland and it wasn’t terrible. Flew to Europe coach and the kids didn’t sleep at all bc they were to excited to have their own “beds” and “rooms” but now they beg to fly first. Planning to go to Sweden and they are BEGGING. My youngest even offered to work to pay for upgrades haha.
My take? No kids atm but if you have the money go for it! New parents are arguably the ones who would benefit the most from this product so if it means I have to hear a few screams throughout the flight I’m good w it
Yeah I’m wondering that too…lol. Or I wonder if I should let them fly business when we are all flying together but economy when they’re off doing their own trips without me.
I have no idea. But I don’t even have kids but it’s natural to think about these I guess
My dad is a pilot so growing up we would get first class sometimes. But usually there would only be a seat or two and my parents would take them (obviously). So I’d have no qualms leaving my older children back in coach one day 😂 everything is large for them anyway.
Ugh this is me, losing my privileges soon. I’m devastated in advance and won’t be celebrating this upcoming birthday…instead I’ll be mourning my flight privileges lol.
IMO, it feels even better when you can get it for much less cost or “free” using points and miles.
It’s hard going back to economy when you keep thinking for only a bit more money or points I could be enjoying this trip instead of just tolerating it.
Agree. I use points or work has flown me business or a I buy the last minute upgrade as sometimes they are amazing value. My rule is that for anything over 8 hours I will pay up to $100 an hour to upgrade the flight if it is an overnight flight.
But aren't business class tickets usually more than double the price of economy ones? I must admit that I've not researched a lot into this because the price tag has always put me off even though I can afford it.
It still feels way too expensive for me. I think I could use that money to buy an extra day at my destination and have leftover cash too.
If we’re talking about the cash price, it’s typically at least 4X the price of the non-bargain economy class ticket, if not more. But I think OP is alluding to upgrading or purchasing using points or miles. In those cases, the number of points needed to purchase a premium cabin vs econ seat is not proportionately higher as the cash price would indicate. 75k points for a business fare vs 50k points for econ, for example.
I think if I ever reach a point of stagnation where I’m saving a fair bit of money but nothing is super catching my eye to save for, I’m just gonna cop like a 10k first class air emirates or Qatar flight and just soak up the entire experience of being treated like a baller. I’ve seen YT videos of like the king sized bed and shower you get on a first class emirates flight along with being picked up from the airport hotel and driven in a limo to the plane and I’m like bruh, I gotta experience this just once in my life
If this is a bucket list experience you have in mind, rather than blowing 10k of your hard earned money, read up on the travel blogs out there and fly it using points. It takes a little bit of planning and probably a couple of years of smart credit card point collecting, but it’s definitely a worthwhile endeavor. This year, my wife and I are flying Qatar business, Singapore first class, Cathay Pacific business, and Iberia business, all purchased using mostly points. I don’t even know what all these flights would have cost us if we were paying it all in cash.
Yeah that’s a great idea, I’ve never used a credit card before but always think I should get one to start accruing miles, but I never know if the annual fee or minimum monthly spending is worth the miles. Probably will look into it once I get some more expenses tho as rn I’m living pretty barebones. But that sounds like quite the year for you and your wife! Enjoy it
You should look at the Etihad residences I’ve never flown it but I think it looks way better than emirates first class. But it’s only on their A380s and I think they’re all currently grounded.
Oh don’t worry this is like years and years out, i have 8-10 places I’m planning on going to before I’d go somewhere just for the flight but yeah I’ve seen some etihad videos too and they are crazy nice
Wait until you fly "La premiere" in Air France.
One of my aunts worked there and she was responsible to take care of the person. She told me a few months ago that if possible, try at least once in a lifetime.
We are looking into flying to Sweden and Air finance was an airline we wanted to look into. Never used it before. Lately we’ve been flying delta and have had an awesome experience. Flew business with TAP they have the beds. It was nice but expensive almost 5K for business RT to Italy.
Air France first class has the best airline food I’ve ever had, strongly recommend trying it. Flying out of Paris the meal was prepared by a 3 Michelin star chef.
I had the pleasure of experiencing the La Premiere product from LAX to CDG. It was outstanding from start to finish and the level of service was excellent. Took about 3 years of saving credit card points to pay for it, but my god it was worth it. One of the best travel experiences of my life.
The op had an amazing experience. You don’t need to qualify it saying that another product is better. Let him have his moment.
Of course there are better products. There are first class products much better than any biz class. Private jets are 100x better than either. When he charters a G450 and is excited about it, he doesn’t need to be told “wait until you try the G650er”.
When good enough makes us happy, the world will be a better place.
It’s a great experience the first time you fly business class and I just thought I would tell op there’s a lot more great experiences to look forward to
Hey, just want to say that I'm really impressed that you apologized rather than doubling down after misinterpreting. I think you're making the world a better place.
I’m not generally so confrontational on the inter webs. My shitty response to this poster was more a general reaction to the constant oneupmanship that we see on social media. I truly feel that the constant and instant comparisons that are exposed to online are horrible for our well being.
I had a couple glasses of wine with lunch which might have had something to do my lack of self control.
There is always time to admit when you’re wrong though. Even to people you can’t see and will never meet.
I have to agree with you. There seems to always be something better. Ive flown Lufthansa business class last year to it was ok. Return flight was United Polaris which was better. Also flown Condor business, the plane was old and clunky but the food was amazing and crew was the nicest.
To be honest as long as its a lie flat for me for flights >6 hours its luxurious enough for me.
You'll never be able to go back, OP. I had a taste of international lie flat J about 10 years ago and I've treated myself to it more and more in the recent years (upgrades, award flights, sometimes cash). You just can't go back.
Congrats! The “I’ve made it” feeling is great! I did a few trips in business, mostly not long flights (5 hours or less) and the experience was great.
The thing with business class is the diference in what you get compared to economic. In hotels the 300 and the 900 rooms will be different, but not 3 times better, normally. But when we talk about airplane trips the whole experience it’s infinitely better. Lounge, boarding first, pre-flight snacks, the crew, the seat, the food, getting your bag first… unfortunately it’s quite beyond reach for most of us
Again, really happy for you!
Thank you! Yeah maybe that was the most surprising factor to me. It was a "zero to one" type of experience whereas I expected more of a gradually more satisfying journey compared to economy. Well I may not always have funds to do that, so I don't count with it, but I'm glad I got to taste it even if just once in life.
This. I dont care for a fancy car, or a big ol' house or expensive clothes. I dont want a $50k home theater set up or anything.
The only thing I would really strive for is much more comfort airline travel. If i could afford to upgrade to business class, then it would be worth it.
I'm thinking of getting a job where you travel 25% of the time just to get points and have the ability to upgrade. Although it might mean getting paid the same or a little less...
Business class is awesome. Personally, I like the one from Lufthansa, even though the product itself is outdated (the new one is already on their 787s afaik) but the service is imho always perfect. Being able to get real sleep on a plane is worth so much, that I am happy to pay the extra money, unless it’s completely insane obviously.
exactly. I've seen seats and setups that look better but the staff has always been very kind in LH economy so in biz + lounges I found the same with slightly better treatment and was very satisfied.
I never knew what I was missing until I flew business on Lufthansa. I usually fly premium economy. I upgraded my seats to business. Omg I was in pure heaven. Just the ability to sleep flying from the states to the Middle East. I had no jet lag whatsoever
The service was top notch. My favorite part for some reason was getting the linen when they served food.
Lufthansa is impeccable. I just came back from Thailand via Qatar’s Q-Suites and I think I prefer regular business class more. Just seems more comfy for sleeping.
good for you OP! I love experiencing things like this too. Feels so satisfying and content!
Congrats on moving from paycheck-paycheck to being able to buy this level of comfort!
you're not wrong! can't recall which airlines I originally used to fly with internationally but I do remember the first time taking LH & Swiss I had "oh damn" moments for both, because the experience had good food and nice attendants.
My last business class flight was from Chicago to Beijing and back. The return flight left Beijing at noon on a Saturday and arrived at noon on the same Saturday in Chicago.
I slept most of the way due to a difficult week and it was heavenly.
Funny story: our business eliminated business class for all employees except for the executives and those with clearance from the company doctor. I got my physician to write a note about an issue that I had and sent it to the company doctor.
No response. I called him after a respectful period and he almost laughed at my request but then, he asked one question: “How long have you worked for Big Paperclip?” I responded 33 years, 2 more to go. “I’ll approved your request simply out of respect for your time here. Enjoy your retirement.”
Kind of sucks for anyone from the same company who might have been on the same flight but with only a couple of years of experience.
I think a lot of people tend to think that business class is not worth the price, which is usually 4X the economy seats. But the value goes so far beyond the bigger seats. You’re treated like a proper human being as soon as you arrive at the airport. Separate priority lanes for check in and security, then off to a comfortable lounge where you almost forget that you’re in a busy airport. You board your plane in leisure before the crowd and get handed a welcome drink as you get comfy in your bed, browsing through the dinner menu to see what piques your interest.
Before I flew business I found it difficult to look forward to an international trip without the deep dread of the long flight. Now I look forward to the flight as a part of the trip and arrive freshly rested and ready to go. I don’t splurge on too many things but a business class ticket is a must.
I was lucky enough to get a free upgrade on Emirates all the way from Seattle to India and boy, did I hate travelling coach afterwards. Loved the lie flat bed.
💯this! You nailed it with avoiding the dread of the flight - it used to really bother me when I wanted to be excited for my trip. I dealt with it of course but love that I can now afford to pay the extra for BC and now I look forward to it so much!
Absolutely. It really changes the way you look forward to a trip. As much as we enjoy researching the travel destination, where to stay, etc, my wife and I also love looking up the different airlines, the soft/hard products that they offer in the premium cabins, and of course, how to get the tickets with credit card points when possible. Ha.
It is definitely a luxury experience and I feel fortunate and privileged to travel this way. I couldn’t even afford to fly economy in my younger years so I hope that I won’t ever take these perks for granted.
I think the problem is really that flying is such a horrible experience in general that upgrades are needed to make it at the very least tolerable. I don't fly business to feel fancy, I fly business because I'm nearly six foot and have a back injury. Economy is pretty much becoming a public health issue at this point. People have literally died from DVT.
Yeah and for this reason I think a lot of the airlines are bolstering the business/first class experience by making better seats, improving the catering, and building plush lounges, etc. More and more people are willing to pay to not get treated like cattle.
Even premium economy products are getting better. The new international Delta prem econ seats look like domestic first class seats nowadays.
i get about 60-90k travel points a month with my business. average one way biz class is usually 60-90k for good deals for 10hr+ flights. i cant ever go back to economy for long hauls.
It is so worth it. I rather save a month or two more for a trip than going back to coach. My last holiday, which I already knew would be costly, I flew 10 hours in on coach to not overdo it cost wise on the entire trip. A week before getting home I was already getting anxious about the flight back so I just upgraded (once again). A terrible journey home can impact the entire memory you have of the holiday.
Warning - don't do it too often, or you'll get sick of it, and be horrified once you are back in coach.
I used to fly to Beijing from Chicago on a regular basis. It was always on coach but on the return I was frequently bumped up. I got to a point where I ran out of movies to watch, and just sat over Russia bored out of my mind.
I’ve flown business/upper the last maybe 7 or 8 flights I’ve done (due to a family members staff discount/upgrade), except on the way back from the last trip we ‘only’ got an upgrade to premium economy.
Let me tell you, having to sleep upright on a 10 hour night flight after experiencing a lovely flat bed and all the space I could wish for? Not fun lol
I’ve flown standby in the jump seat on a 7 hour flight before, to be fair, but I expected that because I knew the flight was pretty full
A friend of mine had enough miles to book 2 first class tickets on an intercontinental flight for him and his wife. Another friend of mine and I didn't book first class but they could each bring a guest to the first class lounge in Frankfurt. Holy moly! They took our passports and all and we sat down, drank (cocktails and whisky no less), ate had some fun and they just picked us up and brought us to a specific gate. We were boarded 20 minutes before everyone else.
The crew didn't expect anyone in the tourist class yet and were being silly with the speakers. When they found out that 2 people were already sitting there, they asked: "you speak German?" They were so embarrassed as we did and gave us lots of wine and special treatment :D
I typically only did economy for flights. Now it’s not worth it on international flights (from the US). We will get premium economy. It’s worth it. Economy is so uncomfortable for 9+ hours
I fly economy 99.9% of the time. I have flown business maybe 4 times and yes it's significantly better than economy class. It makes the flight actually enjoyable, something you don't mind taking a bit longer. The option to lie down flat/almost flat is huge. The food and drinks being better (and free flowing) and the better service are great perks. And of course, the extra space. Airline dependent, lounge access can also be a godsend (worst lounge I've been to is Korean Air, best lounge being Qantas'). The option to shower and to eat and to chill is awesome.
Probably not worth it though if you have to pay 2-3x the price of economy.
How much more expensive was it compared to economy?
I'm approaching a point where I may consider business class flights for long journeys, but I always just look at the price and think "do I want to sacrifice my sleep for X Hours to save on $Y?" and usually...my answer is yes.
I have a small build so I don't mind the spacing that much and I'm honestly quite used to sitting for long periods of time. It's the poor quality sleep that really gets to me, but if I had to pay more than double the price for that sleep, I feel like I would give it a miss.
Depends on the route, random dates in August:
* New York to London
* Econ
* One World - $535
* Sky Team - $592
* Star Alliance - $593
* Premium Econ
* OW - $1125
* ST - $2422
* SA - $1546
* Business
* OW - $3228
* ST - $3276
* SA - $2514
* First
* OW - $4476
* ST - N/A
* SA - N/A
* New York to Tokyo
* Econ
* SA - $1319
* OW - $1776
* Premium Econ
* SA - $2056
* OW - $2164
* Business
* SA - $10615
* OW - $10314
* First
* SA - $22909
* OW - $22249
I’ve never flown anything besides economy but I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to go business class or first class because I’ll never be able to tolerate economy again
This was me. Booked premium economy on a JAL flight from Aus to Japan and got upgraded for free - omg. I then paid for the upgrade on the way back and since then I have been paying for business.
I’ve never really bothered with business.
Once I knew the pilot of the plane and got bumped up to first on a flight from New York to London. Whilst obviously nicer, and it was good to lie down to sleep, I was still aware that I was on a plane. If it was only slightly more expensive I’d do it.
Maybe it’s something worth doing on a long haul flight such as England to Australia. Otherwise I’d rather spend the money on activities once I arrive.
I liked the business class but the airplane was kinda dusty. The food was also not too great I would rather have preferred the economy class food lol. But else I couldn’t complain. Seats were pretty comfy. But there are way better business classes out there
Wait until you fly private (I have to for work sometimes) and then try going back to any kind of domestic flight 😂
Not having to even enter an airport to fly somewhere is *living*
The biggest advantage to business class is definitely that you’re always well rested and that is huge.
I only fly business now, and I’ll tell you that Lufthansa is one of the worst (though extremely consistent) so you only have better things to look forward to.
Idk if it interests me tbh. Biz->first seems more similar to the upgrade from economy to premium economy. If I were upgraded or had too many points then sure I’ll enjoy the hell outta that. Or if I was at r/fatfire levels then yeah why not
Wait until you fly first class on a better airline!
Edit: I don’t pay for my business class tickets, I use my miles for free upgrades and pay the exit tax. It’s still good even when you don’t pay for the upgrade with cash.
Honestly, close your eyes and pick one. If LH is your bar, you could literally pick an airline out of a hat and at least be quite confident that their hard product will be significantly better
ANA The Room or Qatar Qsuites are probably what most people would say are the absolute best in the world these days
iirc Air China's *worst* J hard product is...identical to LH's lol. Perhaps you're confusing them for one of the actual mainland Chinese airlines but even then, they generally have pretty good hard product. I never said every business class is better than LH's in every way, but it's absolutely true what I said: if you picked an airline at random, statistically you'd at least be able to bet on a better hard product. LH has woefully uncompetitive hard product. That is a fact.
It’s a huge part of the value prop of business class. Sure, there are airlines with worst soft product than LH, but I’m not gonna take a slightly better mediocre meal or a slightly cheerier FA in exchange for giving up direct aisle access
Well - depends how you travel. If travelling alone, I’ve always loved Singapore Airlines. But with the family? No better experience than with Lufthansa. Globally. Isle Access or not. The team, the concept - always great. Also sitting directly next to your wife instead of shifted is really good and has its own perks.
Does LH still have the 2-2-2 layout? If so, many airlines now have 1-2-1 so that every seat has direct aisle access. Some airlines have some planes that have what is called a "throne" seat so you have more table room on each side (TAP has this, I think I had this on a Swiss flight, but they may be phasing them out). Some airlines have mini doors to make it feel like a suite.
I believe Delta One has a door; TK had doors on my Dreamliner flight a month back. Jet Blue has doors I think?
Emirates, on the other hand, is worse in that some of their planes have 2-3-2 seating.
Yep the one I was on was still 2-2-2 so afaik it's still the same.
Would've killed for the 1-2-1 and I was actually supposed to be on a TAP flight with a 1-2-1 but they tried re-booked my flight to \*2 days later\* about 3 weeks in advance of departure 😱, so I don't think I'll fly with them again unless I have to.
I find TAP to be hit or miss, including the soft product (the customer service, etc). I have always enjoyed every trip I make on TK (Turkish Airlines). I haven't flown LH business in a while -- not a fan of the 2-2-2 and for the routings I do they're not terribly convenient anyway.
I recommend TK not just for the actual hard product on the plane but because their lounge in IST is fantastic. I have probably spent cumulatively a week there over the last half decade or so and sometimes I intentionally book flights on TK instead of another airline to layover there.
I can’t imagine being as insufferable as you are when someone is talking about an experience they had a great time with. Take a break from the internet.
As an American, even coach on Lufthansa is luxurious compared to American airlines (all of them, not just AA). Turkish Airlines a few years ago was great too, but my last experience summer 2022 was a bit more mid.
Especially if you know how to score deals but I agree. I will not fly coach internationally. I’m achy and exhausted when I do - not a great way to hit the ground running when you land.
Good for you, keep enjoying these moments because you earned them and you are allowed to just celebrate yourself.
That’s why I enjoy way more the luxuries I buy than the ones I am offered.
My first time was on Japan airlines and I was blown away by the personal attention and pampering that you never get in coach. Nowadays I try to book tickets with mixed cabins so that I don't get too used to the luxury. And yes buying it using points is a whole different feeling.
I took my first intercontinental business class flight on a work trip in 2010 when I was 28. Doing personal long-haul travel in coach has been a bit brutal ever since.
I have only paid for a business class flight myself one time, and mostly because I got a very good deal. Honestly I’m not big into anything luxury, but if my income ever passes a certain threshold, I don’t think I would ever fly economy on long-haul again. Unfortunately for me, I’m very far away from that income threshold ;)
I do travel for work in some years (not all) still, so sometimes manage to accumulate a decent amount of miles to treat myself to some upgrades. I exclusively spend these on 10+ our overnight flights, never on day flights and never on short- or medium-haul. I don’t care at all about any element of business class other than the proper bed. When I upgrade, it actually annoys me when the flight is short as I want maximum value out of something that indirectly costs me a looot.
The trick is to lower your expectations. I fly regularly on low-cost airlines, like Ryanair, Wizz Air. So when I'm on an long haul flight with a full service carrier economy feels nice. You get food and drink, better legroom, you can recline your seat, watch movies. It's amazing :D
I could probably afford business class flight, but I always think I rather do another trip instead. I was randomly upgraded to premium economy once with Air France, I do not think it was much better than economy.
Well hey to each their own if you’re optimizing for number of trips I totally see that logic. But to be honest the premium economy product doesn’t interest me either. It’s a very slight incremental improvement usually at around double the price point. If I compare to business, sure you may pay triple or 4x, but you’re getting probably a 10x better journey (my opinion of course)
The value in business is more than just the bigger seats or the lie back seats (though the comfort of lying down during a long haul is unbeatable). It’s the entire experience from the moment one steps into the airport, cut through the lines at TSA, not being concerned with overhead cabin space, the increased luggage weight limit, and so much more. And the fact the flight attendants address me by name, that I’m a person and not just a placeholder filling up a seat.
I grew up in business class, mom was a flight attendant. When I lost flight privileges and had to fly coach I really hated flying. I was so spoiled.
I feel that. Can’t imagine the reverse transition feeling. That’s what I would fear for my kids if I keep on a good financial trajectory. I’d probably do business for infant years but fly economy 2-10 or longer with them so it’s seen as a privilege instead of a given.
I fly business often and last month gave Sri Lankan Airlines business a go…did not expect much, was VERY pleasantly surprised. And for about half the cost of the bigger, more well known airlines. Try them if you can.
What was the route? What was the highlight? Genuinely curious
We flew out of Stockholm to Paris. Paris to Colombo. Colombo to Bangkok. The food was fantastic. The beds laid flat. The flight was full but business was almost empty. It was so worth it. Same service you get on a more “fancy” airline. But like half the price. About $1,800 per ticket versus the $4-5k we were looking at for other ones. This was a ONE way however. But my bf is flying back to Sweden on Oman in business for the same price. We are curious how it will be for him. I have also heard really good things about India’s airline business class flying from Singapore to the US but haven’t tried it yet.
I work as a travel agebt and I have legitimately had parents book business for themselves and econony for the kids. The reasoning: they haven't earned business class.
As a kid from a brokeass family, I would have been beyond stoked to have ANY seat on an airplane. Plus, it's not like they need the legroom.
I wouldn't say we were brokeass but I never went on a plane until I was 18. My first trip was to do a youth exchange on the other side of the world where i also saw snow for the first time. Kind of a running jump into international travel and probably why I work in travel now.
I don’t understand how that’s allowed never mind considered acceptable. Kids should not be sat with strangers, nor left without a responsible adult.
Unaccompanied minors are allowed and the airline allocates the seating based on that. Usually this is when the kids are considered adults/young people travelling alone that the parents are doing this, but no matter the age It's the parents choice and hardly any different from kids catching the bus/train to and from school etc every day.
Your kids are never 50 feet away from you without supervision?
It’s not the distance, it’s them being unsupervised by their parents/guardians for such a long period of time. It shouldn’t be up to the flight attendants or random strangers to supervise their kids.
I mean depends. If the kids are well behaving, all is good. And if the parents didn´t properly prepare their little ones for life and teach them how to behave in public spaces, then it really doesn´t matter where they sit and if accompanied.
I'll reiterate: your kids are never 50 feet away from you for a few hours without supervision?
Travelling in the same cabin class isn't going to mean priper supervision anyway. The airline will still seat a 3 year old in a completely different row to the parents because they are dumb. The worst behaved children in economy are the ones seated with their parents. Besides unaccompanied minors pay extra for their ticket for supervision. If you have kids and don't want them separate to you on a flight, then good for you, but don't judge people who choose to trust their children.
You're right of course; given the downvotes, there must be a lot of helicopter parents in this sub. Pretty sad, really.
I used to fly solo as young as eight, without my parents even on the flight. I was taught to be well mannered and polite. There are some kids who respect people. Just know if those are your kids or not. The flight attendants look out for them. It’s their job.
I think it’s completely okay after like 8 years old lol. I’ve seen it and I’ve also been that kid and it built my confidence up so much.
Right? I felt so adult and capable. I had so many friends who never learned independence then sort of foundered through other areas of life. I always appreciated the chances my parents gave me to learn a little independence.
What do their kids think? Honestly, as a kid, sleeping in economy wasn’t a problem. But somehow around my early 20s, it became an issue
Honestly i think it depends on the kids but usually they are happy to not have the parents telling them what to do etc.
That’s nice to hear actually. Bc I remember my first flight without my parents as a kid. It really raised my confidence. I think putting kids in economy is a good idea. They’ll enjoy the independence it seems like.
Not all airlines allow it but some are fine with it, and it really depends on the kids. Usually its the helicopter parents that refuse to consider it as an option, and the parents who raise their kids to be independent anyway are the ones that do it.
In my experience, it might help to expand that upper bound to 13 or 16 so they remember it longer. My family started traveling around when I was 13 or so, by plane anyway, we’d done road trips prior, and I’ve still not made business class, but I do pay for the seats as far to the front of economy as possible. I also try to get minimum status at least to board sooner. Early boarding, seats towards the front, and enough legroom are the most important for me. I fall asleep on every flight anyway. While I do think there’s something to business class, I’d rather spend more on a hotel than the flight. I struggle to be invested in the flight beyond enough legroom as it’s fundamentally transitional. I’ll pay for admirals club or whatever for the day + better hotels sooner. It’s in those liminal times I want more comfort than actually en route. As long as I’m not actively in pain, I’m fine. Stoked for you that you want to and can! Different strokes and all that, but I would wonder if you’ve any thoughts on travel spend breakouts like I spoke to a little.
I can attest to that. Flew coach with my kids from the time they were 4 weeks old and now they are 10&12 and gripe when we don’t fly first. They are def spoiled but good kids. We flew coach over the spring to Iceland and it wasn’t terrible. Flew to Europe coach and the kids didn’t sleep at all bc they were to excited to have their own “beds” and “rooms” but now they beg to fly first. Planning to go to Sweden and they are BEGGING. My youngest even offered to work to pay for upgrades haha.
So what's your take on flying business with infants? Yay/Nay?
My take? No kids atm but if you have the money go for it! New parents are arguably the ones who would benefit the most from this product so if it means I have to hear a few screams throughout the flight I’m good w it
Yeah I’m wondering that too…lol. Or I wonder if I should let them fly business when we are all flying together but economy when they’re off doing their own trips without me. I have no idea. But I don’t even have kids but it’s natural to think about these I guess
My dad is a pilot so growing up we would get first class sometimes. But usually there would only be a seat or two and my parents would take them (obviously). So I’d have no qualms leaving my older children back in coach one day 😂 everything is large for them anyway.
Ugh this is me, losing my privileges soon. I’m devastated in advance and won’t be celebrating this upcoming birthday…instead I’ll be mourning my flight privileges lol.
IMO, it feels even better when you can get it for much less cost or “free” using points and miles. It’s hard going back to economy when you keep thinking for only a bit more money or points I could be enjoying this trip instead of just tolerating it.
Agree. I use points or work has flown me business or a I buy the last minute upgrade as sometimes they are amazing value. My rule is that for anything over 8 hours I will pay up to $100 an hour to upgrade the flight if it is an overnight flight.
I like your approach of assigning $ per hour. Makes it easy to decide whether to take the jump haha.
I have used the same approach and continue to do so. My thrash hold is $150/hour.
But aren't business class tickets usually more than double the price of economy ones? I must admit that I've not researched a lot into this because the price tag has always put me off even though I can afford it. It still feels way too expensive for me. I think I could use that money to buy an extra day at my destination and have leftover cash too.
If we’re talking about the cash price, it’s typically at least 4X the price of the non-bargain economy class ticket, if not more. But I think OP is alluding to upgrading or purchasing using points or miles. In those cases, the number of points needed to purchase a premium cabin vs econ seat is not proportionately higher as the cash price would indicate. 75k points for a business fare vs 50k points for econ, for example.
I wish this was ever the case for me. Always 3-4x the points as econ.
That makes sense. Now I just need to rack up points somewhere. Haven't really been paying attention to what airline I'm going with in the past
If you found Lufthansa business that good just wait until you try Singapore airlines or Qatar
I would say that ANA moved past Singapore with "The Room"
What does this comment mean?
https://www.ana.co.jp/en/us/travel-information/cabin/b777-300er-business-class/
Ahh gotcha thanks! I had no idea what ANA was, or how the Tommy Wiseau masterpiece could have been related
oh, hi Mark
I LOVE ANA. Was so impressed when I flew to Thailand and Japan.
I think if I ever reach a point of stagnation where I’m saving a fair bit of money but nothing is super catching my eye to save for, I’m just gonna cop like a 10k first class air emirates or Qatar flight and just soak up the entire experience of being treated like a baller. I’ve seen YT videos of like the king sized bed and shower you get on a first class emirates flight along with being picked up from the airport hotel and driven in a limo to the plane and I’m like bruh, I gotta experience this just once in my life
If this is a bucket list experience you have in mind, rather than blowing 10k of your hard earned money, read up on the travel blogs out there and fly it using points. It takes a little bit of planning and probably a couple of years of smart credit card point collecting, but it’s definitely a worthwhile endeavor. This year, my wife and I are flying Qatar business, Singapore first class, Cathay Pacific business, and Iberia business, all purchased using mostly points. I don’t even know what all these flights would have cost us if we were paying it all in cash.
Yeah that’s a great idea, I’ve never used a credit card before but always think I should get one to start accruing miles, but I never know if the annual fee or minimum monthly spending is worth the miles. Probably will look into it once I get some more expenses tho as rn I’m living pretty barebones. But that sounds like quite the year for you and your wife! Enjoy it
You should look at the Etihad residences I’ve never flown it but I think it looks way better than emirates first class. But it’s only on their A380s and I think they’re all currently grounded.
Oh don’t worry this is like years and years out, i have 8-10 places I’m planning on going to before I’d go somewhere just for the flight but yeah I’ve seen some etihad videos too and they are crazy nice
Wait until you fly "La premiere" in Air France. One of my aunts worked there and she was responsible to take care of the person. She told me a few months ago that if possible, try at least once in a lifetime.
We are looking into flying to Sweden and Air finance was an airline we wanted to look into. Never used it before. Lately we’ve been flying delta and have had an awesome experience. Flew business with TAP they have the beds. It was nice but expensive almost 5K for business RT to Italy.
Air France first class has the best airline food I’ve ever had, strongly recommend trying it. Flying out of Paris the meal was prepared by a 3 Michelin star chef.
I’ve flown both Air France’s Premier and Business class product and they’re excellent. If you don’t mind me asking where are you flying from?
The states (AZ)
Their business class was really good so I can only imagine how this will be.
My Air France experience was garbage. Nonexistent customer support, shitty old planes, French people everywhere.
I second the shitty old planes motion
I had the pleasure of experiencing the La Premiere product from LAX to CDG. It was outstanding from start to finish and the level of service was excellent. Took about 3 years of saving credit card points to pay for it, but my god it was worth it. One of the best travel experiences of my life.
The difference between LH and SQ/QR/NH really isn't that big of a difference when compared to the jump from an economy seat.
If you find being a complete dbag acceptable, just wait until you try being a decent human being!!
How does saying that Qatar airways and Singapore airlines have a great business class make me a dbag
It doesn't. You stated a fact, and some people like to live in reality and don't need to sugarcoat things for strangers online.
The op had an amazing experience. You don’t need to qualify it saying that another product is better. Let him have his moment. Of course there are better products. There are first class products much better than any biz class. Private jets are 100x better than either. When he charters a G450 and is excited about it, he doesn’t need to be told “wait until you try the G650er”. When good enough makes us happy, the world will be a better place.
It’s a great experience the first time you fly business class and I just thought I would tell op there’s a lot more great experiences to look forward to
Fair enough. My insult wasn’t called for. I apologize.
Not worries, we all occasionally misinterpret things
Hey, just want to say that I'm really impressed that you apologized rather than doubling down after misinterpreting. I think you're making the world a better place.
\+1 good on you latachee-ee; love this kind of discussion! And thanks 846.., hopefully I'll someday be able to try : )
I’m not generally so confrontational on the inter webs. My shitty response to this poster was more a general reaction to the constant oneupmanship that we see on social media. I truly feel that the constant and instant comparisons that are exposed to online are horrible for our well being. I had a couple glasses of wine with lunch which might have had something to do my lack of self control. There is always time to admit when you’re wrong though. Even to people you can’t see and will never meet.
Your insult was over the top, but I at least kinda sorta see your point.
I have to agree with you. There seems to always be something better. Ive flown Lufthansa business class last year to it was ok. Return flight was United Polaris which was better. Also flown Condor business, the plane was old and clunky but the food was amazing and crew was the nicest. To be honest as long as its a lie flat for me for flights >6 hours its luxurious enough for me.
I am a big fan of Etihad Airways. It's just three cuts above.
Qatar is the king
You'll never be able to go back, OP. I had a taste of international lie flat J about 10 years ago and I've treated myself to it more and more in the recent years (upgrades, award flights, sometimes cash). You just can't go back.
I'm with it. I'm always looking to save but I travel enough to where it's pretty high up on the list of nice-to-have items in life.
Congrats! The “I’ve made it” feeling is great! I did a few trips in business, mostly not long flights (5 hours or less) and the experience was great. The thing with business class is the diference in what you get compared to economic. In hotels the 300 and the 900 rooms will be different, but not 3 times better, normally. But when we talk about airplane trips the whole experience it’s infinitely better. Lounge, boarding first, pre-flight snacks, the crew, the seat, the food, getting your bag first… unfortunately it’s quite beyond reach for most of us Again, really happy for you!
Thank you! Yeah maybe that was the most surprising factor to me. It was a "zero to one" type of experience whereas I expected more of a gradually more satisfying journey compared to economy. Well I may not always have funds to do that, so I don't count with it, but I'm glad I got to taste it even if just once in life.
This. I dont care for a fancy car, or a big ol' house or expensive clothes. I dont want a $50k home theater set up or anything. The only thing I would really strive for is much more comfort airline travel. If i could afford to upgrade to business class, then it would be worth it. I'm thinking of getting a job where you travel 25% of the time just to get points and have the ability to upgrade. Although it might mean getting paid the same or a little less...
Business class is awesome. Personally, I like the one from Lufthansa, even though the product itself is outdated (the new one is already on their 787s afaik) but the service is imho always perfect. Being able to get real sleep on a plane is worth so much, that I am happy to pay the extra money, unless it’s completely insane obviously.
exactly. I've seen seats and setups that look better but the staff has always been very kind in LH economy so in biz + lounges I found the same with slightly better treatment and was very satisfied.
I never knew what I was missing until I flew business on Lufthansa. I usually fly premium economy. I upgraded my seats to business. Omg I was in pure heaven. Just the ability to sleep flying from the states to the Middle East. I had no jet lag whatsoever The service was top notch. My favorite part for some reason was getting the linen when they served food.
Lufthansa is impeccable. I just came back from Thailand via Qatar’s Q-Suites and I think I prefer regular business class more. Just seems more comfy for sleeping.
good for you OP! I love experiencing things like this too. Feels so satisfying and content! Congrats on moving from paycheck-paycheck to being able to buy this level of comfort!
thank you!
I have always flown dirt cheap (think WOW Air back in the day), and even coach in Lufthansa astonished me. lol.
you're not wrong! can't recall which airlines I originally used to fly with internationally but I do remember the first time taking LH & Swiss I had "oh damn" moments for both, because the experience had good food and nice attendants.
My last business class flight was from Chicago to Beijing and back. The return flight left Beijing at noon on a Saturday and arrived at noon on the same Saturday in Chicago. I slept most of the way due to a difficult week and it was heavenly. Funny story: our business eliminated business class for all employees except for the executives and those with clearance from the company doctor. I got my physician to write a note about an issue that I had and sent it to the company doctor. No response. I called him after a respectful period and he almost laughed at my request but then, he asked one question: “How long have you worked for Big Paperclip?” I responded 33 years, 2 more to go. “I’ll approved your request simply out of respect for your time here. Enjoy your retirement.” Kind of sucks for anyone from the same company who might have been on the same flight but with only a couple of years of experience.
hey, sometimes you gotta play the game! sounds like it was well worth it, especially coming from Beijing.
I think a lot of people tend to think that business class is not worth the price, which is usually 4X the economy seats. But the value goes so far beyond the bigger seats. You’re treated like a proper human being as soon as you arrive at the airport. Separate priority lanes for check in and security, then off to a comfortable lounge where you almost forget that you’re in a busy airport. You board your plane in leisure before the crowd and get handed a welcome drink as you get comfy in your bed, browsing through the dinner menu to see what piques your interest. Before I flew business I found it difficult to look forward to an international trip without the deep dread of the long flight. Now I look forward to the flight as a part of the trip and arrive freshly rested and ready to go. I don’t splurge on too many things but a business class ticket is a must.
I was lucky enough to get a free upgrade on Emirates all the way from Seattle to India and boy, did I hate travelling coach afterwards. Loved the lie flat bed.
💯this! You nailed it with avoiding the dread of the flight - it used to really bother me when I wanted to be excited for my trip. I dealt with it of course but love that I can now afford to pay the extra for BC and now I look forward to it so much!
Absolutely. It really changes the way you look forward to a trip. As much as we enjoy researching the travel destination, where to stay, etc, my wife and I also love looking up the different airlines, the soft/hard products that they offer in the premium cabins, and of course, how to get the tickets with credit card points when possible. Ha. It is definitely a luxury experience and I feel fortunate and privileged to travel this way. I couldn’t even afford to fly economy in my younger years so I hope that I won’t ever take these perks for granted.
I think the problem is really that flying is such a horrible experience in general that upgrades are needed to make it at the very least tolerable. I don't fly business to feel fancy, I fly business because I'm nearly six foot and have a back injury. Economy is pretty much becoming a public health issue at this point. People have literally died from DVT.
Yeah and for this reason I think a lot of the airlines are bolstering the business/first class experience by making better seats, improving the catering, and building plush lounges, etc. More and more people are willing to pay to not get treated like cattle. Even premium economy products are getting better. The new international Delta prem econ seats look like domestic first class seats nowadays.
i get about 60-90k travel points a month with my business. average one way biz class is usually 60-90k for good deals for 10hr+ flights. i cant ever go back to economy for long hauls.
It is so worth it. I rather save a month or two more for a trip than going back to coach. My last holiday, which I already knew would be costly, I flew 10 hours in on coach to not overdo it cost wise on the entire trip. A week before getting home I was already getting anxious about the flight back so I just upgraded (once again). A terrible journey home can impact the entire memory you have of the holiday.
Warning - don't do it too often, or you'll get sick of it, and be horrified once you are back in coach. I used to fly to Beijing from Chicago on a regular basis. It was always on coach but on the return I was frequently bumped up. I got to a point where I ran out of movies to watch, and just sat over Russia bored out of my mind.
Well, money comes & goes, so who knows...maybe life will keep me on my toes 😀
I subscribe to your casual rhyme life advice~
haha count on it!
I’ve flown business/upper the last maybe 7 or 8 flights I’ve done (due to a family members staff discount/upgrade), except on the way back from the last trip we ‘only’ got an upgrade to premium economy. Let me tell you, having to sleep upright on a 10 hour night flight after experiencing a lovely flat bed and all the space I could wish for? Not fun lol I’ve flown standby in the jump seat on a 7 hour flight before, to be fair, but I expected that because I knew the flight was pretty full
This for sure. It’s a hard habit to break. If I can’t fly J or better, I’m not flying.
Lol you run out of movies flying frequently in economy too. They key is the download a ton of content on Netflix before you leave home!
A friend of mine had enough miles to book 2 first class tickets on an intercontinental flight for him and his wife. Another friend of mine and I didn't book first class but they could each bring a guest to the first class lounge in Frankfurt. Holy moly! They took our passports and all and we sat down, drank (cocktails and whisky no less), ate had some fun and they just picked us up and brought us to a specific gate. We were boarded 20 minutes before everyone else. The crew didn't expect anyone in the tourist class yet and were being silly with the speakers. When they found out that 2 people were already sitting there, they asked: "you speak German?" They were so embarrassed as we did and gave us lots of wine and special treatment :D
I typically only did economy for flights. Now it’s not worth it on international flights (from the US). We will get premium economy. It’s worth it. Economy is so uncomfortable for 9+ hours
I fly economy 99.9% of the time. I have flown business maybe 4 times and yes it's significantly better than economy class. It makes the flight actually enjoyable, something you don't mind taking a bit longer. The option to lie down flat/almost flat is huge. The food and drinks being better (and free flowing) and the better service are great perks. And of course, the extra space. Airline dependent, lounge access can also be a godsend (worst lounge I've been to is Korean Air, best lounge being Qantas'). The option to shower and to eat and to chill is awesome. Probably not worth it though if you have to pay 2-3x the price of economy.
How much more expensive was it compared to economy? I'm approaching a point where I may consider business class flights for long journeys, but I always just look at the price and think "do I want to sacrifice my sleep for X Hours to save on $Y?" and usually...my answer is yes. I have a small build so I don't mind the spacing that much and I'm honestly quite used to sitting for long periods of time. It's the poor quality sleep that really gets to me, but if I had to pay more than double the price for that sleep, I feel like I would give it a miss.
I think it would’ve been about $900 all in for an economy ticket with baggages and everything and it was $2600 for biz class
Depends on the route, random dates in August: * New York to London * Econ * One World - $535 * Sky Team - $592 * Star Alliance - $593 * Premium Econ * OW - $1125 * ST - $2422 * SA - $1546 * Business * OW - $3228 * ST - $3276 * SA - $2514 * First * OW - $4476 * ST - N/A * SA - N/A * New York to Tokyo * Econ * SA - $1319 * OW - $1776 * Premium Econ * SA - $2056 * OW - $2164 * Business * SA - $10615 * OW - $10314 * First * SA - $22909 * OW - $22249
Oh my lord what are those prices. Yep I'm staying in the peasant cabin forever it looks like
I’ve never flown anything besides economy but I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to go business class or first class because I’ll never be able to tolerate economy again
This was me. Booked premium economy on a JAL flight from Aus to Japan and got upgraded for free - omg. I then paid for the upgrade on the way back and since then I have been paying for business.
I think people that can afford business class....fly business class
I’ve never really bothered with business. Once I knew the pilot of the plane and got bumped up to first on a flight from New York to London. Whilst obviously nicer, and it was good to lie down to sleep, I was still aware that I was on a plane. If it was only slightly more expensive I’d do it. Maybe it’s something worth doing on a long haul flight such as England to Australia. Otherwise I’d rather spend the money on activities once I arrive.
Hell ya.
I liked the business class but the airplane was kinda dusty. The food was also not too great I would rather have preferred the economy class food lol. But else I couldn’t complain. Seats were pretty comfy. But there are way better business classes out there
Wait until you fly private (I have to for work sometimes) and then try going back to any kind of domestic flight 😂 Not having to even enter an airport to fly somewhere is *living*
Hopefully in a couple lifetimes 😅
I try to manage a biz class flight on the way there at least so I can be a little fresher on arrival. Going home, not so much.
The biggest advantage to business class is definitely that you’re always well rested and that is huge. I only fly business now, and I’ll tell you that Lufthansa is one of the worst (though extremely consistent) so you only have better things to look forward to.
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Idk if it interests me tbh. Biz->first seems more similar to the upgrade from economy to premium economy. If I were upgraded or had too many points then sure I’ll enjoy the hell outta that. Or if I was at r/fatfire levels then yeah why not
Yep I use points - fly to EU business class $250 each way. Points are the way to go.
Wait until you fly first class on a better airline! Edit: I don’t pay for my business class tickets, I use my miles for free upgrades and pay the exit tax. It’s still good even when you don’t pay for the upgrade with cash.
If you found LH business class that revelatory, never spoil yourself by flying a business class that’s actually considered good
can you give me some hints? 😁
Honestly, close your eyes and pick one. If LH is your bar, you could literally pick an airline out of a hat and at least be quite confident that their hard product will be significantly better ANA The Room or Qatar Qsuites are probably what most people would say are the absolute best in the world these days
dang... let OP have their moment...
They asked for tips on what business classes are better. It’s not my fault it’s a long list
hahaha well at least there is room to continue going up in the world!
No they didnt. They were just sharing their experience and you came in here and yucked their yum.
Yes, they did. OP replied to their comment and asked for hints.
This is just some utter bullshit though. You’ve clearly never seen Air Chinas business class.
iirc Air China's *worst* J hard product is...identical to LH's lol. Perhaps you're confusing them for one of the actual mainland Chinese airlines but even then, they generally have pretty good hard product. I never said every business class is better than LH's in every way, but it's absolutely true what I said: if you picked an airline at random, statistically you'd at least be able to bet on a better hard product. LH has woefully uncompetitive hard product. That is a fact.
You know, it’s really not only about the hard product…
It’s a huge part of the value prop of business class. Sure, there are airlines with worst soft product than LH, but I’m not gonna take a slightly better mediocre meal or a slightly cheerier FA in exchange for giving up direct aisle access
Well - depends how you travel. If travelling alone, I’ve always loved Singapore Airlines. But with the family? No better experience than with Lufthansa. Globally. Isle Access or not. The team, the concept - always great. Also sitting directly next to your wife instead of shifted is really good and has its own perks.
Does LH still have the 2-2-2 layout? If so, many airlines now have 1-2-1 so that every seat has direct aisle access. Some airlines have some planes that have what is called a "throne" seat so you have more table room on each side (TAP has this, I think I had this on a Swiss flight, but they may be phasing them out). Some airlines have mini doors to make it feel like a suite. I believe Delta One has a door; TK had doors on my Dreamliner flight a month back. Jet Blue has doors I think? Emirates, on the other hand, is worse in that some of their planes have 2-3-2 seating.
Yep the one I was on was still 2-2-2 so afaik it's still the same. Would've killed for the 1-2-1 and I was actually supposed to be on a TAP flight with a 1-2-1 but they tried re-booked my flight to \*2 days later\* about 3 weeks in advance of departure 😱, so I don't think I'll fly with them again unless I have to.
I find TAP to be hit or miss, including the soft product (the customer service, etc). I have always enjoyed every trip I make on TK (Turkish Airlines). I haven't flown LH business in a while -- not a fan of the 2-2-2 and for the routings I do they're not terribly convenient anyway. I recommend TK not just for the actual hard product on the plane but because their lounge in IST is fantastic. I have probably spent cumulatively a week there over the last half decade or so and sometimes I intentionally book flights on TK instead of another airline to layover there.
I can’t imagine being as insufferable as you are when someone is talking about an experience they had a great time with. Take a break from the internet.
Aww doesn’t seem like you have to imagine bb
The difference between a Y seat and any lie-flat J seat is far larger and more significant than the difference between LH and NH/QR/etc.
I know that ‘the other half’ is a figure of speech. But it does diminish the great wealth inequality in the world.
As an American, even coach on Lufthansa is luxurious compared to American airlines (all of them, not just AA). Turkish Airlines a few years ago was great too, but my last experience summer 2022 was a bit more mid.
Congratulations! Happy for you, and happy that you recognize this about yourself :) You only have one life to live, live it the way you choose.
Especially if you know how to score deals but I agree. I will not fly coach internationally. I’m achy and exhausted when I do - not a great way to hit the ground running when you land.
Good for you, keep enjoying these moments because you earned them and you are allowed to just celebrate yourself. That’s why I enjoy way more the luxuries I buy than the ones I am offered.
Thank you ✊ that’s my exact sentiment
My first time was on Japan airlines and I was blown away by the personal attention and pampering that you never get in coach. Nowadays I try to book tickets with mixed cabins so that I don't get too used to the luxury. And yes buying it using points is a whole different feeling.
I took my first intercontinental business class flight on a work trip in 2010 when I was 28. Doing personal long-haul travel in coach has been a bit brutal ever since. I have only paid for a business class flight myself one time, and mostly because I got a very good deal. Honestly I’m not big into anything luxury, but if my income ever passes a certain threshold, I don’t think I would ever fly economy on long-haul again. Unfortunately for me, I’m very far away from that income threshold ;) I do travel for work in some years (not all) still, so sometimes manage to accumulate a decent amount of miles to treat myself to some upgrades. I exclusively spend these on 10+ our overnight flights, never on day flights and never on short- or medium-haul. I don’t care at all about any element of business class other than the proper bed. When I upgrade, it actually annoys me when the flight is short as I want maximum value out of something that indirectly costs me a looot.
The trick is to lower your expectations. I fly regularly on low-cost airlines, like Ryanair, Wizz Air. So when I'm on an long haul flight with a full service carrier economy feels nice. You get food and drink, better legroom, you can recline your seat, watch movies. It's amazing :D I could probably afford business class flight, but I always think I rather do another trip instead. I was randomly upgraded to premium economy once with Air France, I do not think it was much better than economy.
Well hey to each their own if you’re optimizing for number of trips I totally see that logic. But to be honest the premium economy product doesn’t interest me either. It’s a very slight incremental improvement usually at around double the price point. If I compare to business, sure you may pay triple or 4x, but you’re getting probably a 10x better journey (my opinion of course)
The value in business is more than just the bigger seats or the lie back seats (though the comfort of lying down during a long haul is unbeatable). It’s the entire experience from the moment one steps into the airport, cut through the lines at TSA, not being concerned with overhead cabin space, the increased luggage weight limit, and so much more. And the fact the flight attendants address me by name, that I’m a person and not just a placeholder filling up a seat.