Travel & Holidays Anyone flown Business/First Class Flights?

I hate flying so to me the cost of premium seats is a waste.

A couple of Valium, a few bourbon and cokes and i will sleep in my economy seat and wake up at the other end a few $$k richer.

 

When I worked for the big end of town, any flight over 4 hours was booked as business for us with Qantas. Doesn't take long to rack up a few frequent flyer points when you're flying fully flex business. I had a pretty good upgrade hit rate into first. I think they often did it to fit gold members into business. When they started flying 380s into LA, it was great. First in those things is pretty bloody good, but I have no other comparison.

I couldn't be assed doing the whole pyjama thing. I kind of sit back and snicker at those who do, they look ridiculous.

Nowadays if I fly, it's usually domestic in cattle truck. Since flying became so affordable, it's just a bus with wings.

 

Bumped up to business once when we were in economy sat behind the toilets, and the toilets started leaking into our foot area. Qantas or MAS iirc, nothing special, just slightly larger seats and fewer people.

Cathay business was great though, being addressed by name and having so much room between me and the seat in front that the attendant could fit there with her trolley to let people down the aisle. Food was also really really good

 

You're all soft! Just book economy and knock yourself out with sleeping pills when you get on board!

 

Been upgraded at random about 10 times into business class. Trick is to be alone, be in their FF scheme, dress well and be polite at check in.

Would never pay for a business class seat, economy is fine. A reclined business class seat is no better than sleeping in a youth hostel really, and each hour costs more than a night in a good hotel - not worth it.

 

The taxes vary depending on a few things including which airport you land in, London being the most expensive. My flight Perth->Paris last year cost $447 in taxes. Melb-> Paris this year was $661.

There's offers all the time just need to keep an eye out as some of them are only available for a limited time.
ANZ have a good one going at the moment; 75k sign up points and $0 annual fee for the first year.

 

Always business for long haul. Six foot four in economy = square peg round hole.

East coast Oz, Fiji NZ is OK

Once spoke to a client re First class. He said:
" compared to a private jet it is very economical"

 

I'm 6'3" and fly back to UK once a year to see family. Always fly Singapore and nearly always manage to book an exit row seat at just $50 a leg extra - a bargain. Failing this, I always go for an aisle seat - knowing you can stand up and stretch at any time without disturbing anyone seems to materially reduce the need to do so.

 

Good one! Everything is relative.

 

Only once - business class to the UK for a work trip. Still couldn't sleep effectively though.

 

I only ever fly business class except for short domestic. I am older & arthritic so boy do I pay for that lie out bed- as I don't drink alcohol when flying & always eat lightly. Not a great deal of diff between first & bus class that I discerned when I flew Etihad ( I had to buy a first class ticket at airport in London as Etihad had messed up my return booking on the flight in business class - The desk jockey was SO unhelpful- plane full etc etc.-
If I were head of a Company I would not be wasting shareholders' money flying First class rather than Bus class. The service often depends on the individuals on cabin Duty. Most don't bother much with me-as I am an "oldie" mmah- I find the more efficient staff are also the more attentive. Singapore have, from memory,- not as private as Etihad beds- & Qantas Business not v private either. I don't open conversations with other passengers for fear they will think me a mad chatty old duck- Not much difference in beds in first & business class beds on Etihad- where were those crisp white sheets offered to Nicole Kidman in the ad for Etihad??
On both first & Bus, once more depends on staff as to standard of cleanliness in wash rooms. I found higher standard on business than first just because staff cleaned between users. The trick is to use wash room after a staff member has been in there. They have usually cleaned it & just left it ready for next.
Lounges vary but Qantas tends to be more noisy. I loathe lounges where u can't escape all the mixed food smells of the buffet.
No, None of them are greatly impressive- it's just the cost of being able to lie out in a not particularly comfortable narrow bed which does make a difference on a long flight.

 

I like Business Class and I'll use it if I can get a good route and price. I have business class tickets Perth to Tokyo in Jan for skiing which is $2700 return and is a 14hr route - compared to Qantas for a 19hr route and is $5400.

 

Flew business last night from Per - SYD. Good use of 9k points for the upgrade

 

Is that 661 tax one way for melb to paris?
One of my friends did melb to paris using qantas points and his taxbill was over 1100 return

 

Im going to keep on trying.

I dress well. Am very polite and do travel alone. Althoguh ive never asked for it. Never been offered it.


Edit: man some of you guys are loaded if you can afford bis class!! One day ill get there! I could probably afford bus class flights but id rsther bring two of my kids and fly ecobomy for the same price

Off to buy a lotto ticket

 

Business class international flights for work!

Singapore, Ethiad, Emirates, Swiss and Virgin have one the best business class cabins and services!

i have been flying for 14 years for business almost every month and yet to be upgraded to first class

 

Sorry yep, one way

 

The newspapers run an article about how to get upgrades on a fairly regular basis. You do need to be polite and dress reasonably well, but that's the basic prerequisite, it's not going to make it happen in itself.

The airlines will tell you they tend to give free upgrades to people fairly high up on their FF programs. Loyalty counts. Premium economy is where they look to first when upgrading people to business class. Reward those who have already spent a bit more.

I did get an upgrade to business class from premium economy once, but that was because the aircraft wasn't configured with any premium economy seats.

As I mentioned earlier, I've flown business class with Jetstar a few times. It's actually not that expensive. Let's face it, Jetstar is a fairly crumby airline compared to others such as Singapore and JS business class reflects this. It is significantly more comfortable than any economy class anywhere. For my New Years holiday, the cost of a JS business class seat only costs about 10% more than other airlines economy seats. Well worth it for a 9 hour over-nighter!

You don't need to be loaded, you just need to be willing to spend a little more and shop around.