business class, is it worth it?
 

im flying to philippines in 6 days on economy class and im contemplating whether i should upgrade to business class for the convenience and comfort. I travel every year and its always a grueling 14 hour flight on a cramp economy seat sitting next to either a crying baby or an old senior that can barely stand up so its hard to get up from my seat if need be. An upgrade would be around $2500 more and im trying to justify if its worth paying for.

anyone have any input or have been on a higher class before on a long flight that have positive reviews?

That's up to you to decide. If you can afford it, yes!

money wise yes i can afford it but justifying paying for that is another story. My practicality starts fighting and its telling me that amount of money can get you other things like car insurance for next year, groceries, nice dinners, more spending money for my trip, another flight ticket, etc...

If I could afford it, I wouldn't fly any other way. But I only get to fly business when I get a free upgrade. But then again, if you are able to get a bulkhead or aisle seat, economy isn't too bad, even on a long flight. I use my carry on luggage as a foot rest, and it's pretty comfortable that way.

If the plane is not full, you can always ask to switch seat in economy.

I have flown J class a few times and the service is much better that's for sure. For long haul if you can afford it, highly suggested. I can't speak for other airlines, but for CX it's nice. If you are an Asia Miles collector, best to use your points for upgrades, it's the most efficient use instead of using them to purchase tickets.

What airline are you flying and what is your route?

once i went business, i never went back.

for flights more than 10 hours, i would highly suggest it. the cathay pacific business class is so comfortable, my 16 hour trip from vancouver to HK then saigon feels like 4.

so to answer your question, yes and no.

yes, in that it's fucking awesome where you don't have to wait in the long line ups and they serve you free booze in the waiting lounge and plane. i always drink a shit load, to pass out and get my 3700 worth!

no, in that you're paying about double the airfare for a flight that will feel short. :)

depending which airlines you are flying with...

I thought LSF22 is upgrading you for free? :troll:


You don't get lounge for economy, but you still get the same booze in flight. Unlimited.

i am flying philippines airlines since its a direct flight. i tried to book for a business class but even that is fully booked already so im SOL!

No, the alcohol served in First, Business, and Economy are all different. Well, not the beer but the selection of wine, port, scotch etc is different.

Why would you guys drink on a flight? The last thing I want is to throw up and smell for the remainder of the flight. Those CX capsules look pretty amazing though.
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If you can afford it, go for it. It's the humane way to travel long haul flights.

I remember my parents hated flying between Argentina and Taiwan because of the 30+hr flight. They never thought about flying in business because they have this save-a-penny-earn-a-penny mentality. Then once when they asked me to book the flight for them, I booked business class for them as the airline was running a b1g1 promo on business class (though not discounted business). They never fly economy again for long haul.

If you are flying with United by any chance, the warm nuts on their J or the ice cream in their F class is too awesome to pass.

I never understood the allure of drinking alcohol on a flight. You get so much more dehydrated throughout your flight and it just hammers you when you get to your destination.

Anyway...if you can afford business class, go for it. I would normally use my Aeroplan points or upgrade vouchers towards upgrades or let the Aeroplan status bump me up on full flights.

I'm always tempted to drink, since it would definitely make the time go by faster. But then I think about how dehydrated I get WITHOUT drinking, and can't bring myself to do it.

14hrs of shitty travel and 70 inch tv ($2500) or comfortable trip........As enjoyable as it is in biz class, I would save the dough on personal travel

Having some decent wine with your meal and port for dessert doesn't mean you will be throwing up. Unless of course you are a 10 year old girl.

Depends which airline you fly on. I found Cathay Economy very comfortable as each chair has its own TV system so I was able to pass the time quickly.

others like United have shitty economy and I would try to use the business where possible.

If I can make $2500 with 14 hours of work, I would. Unfortunately, I don't.

CX Econ chairs are not comfortable, they are introducing a new premium econ seats, hopefully it is better.

QFT. The new CX econ seats are terrible...much like the EVA econ seats. Definitely at least get the "premium" seats.

I've only flown business (on Aeroplan points) on British Airways, Air Canada and Lufthansa. Lufthansa had the best seats (RECARO) that were nice and wide, fully adjustable and even did massage. Service was awesome as was the food/drink. Best flight I've ever been on.

My British Airways flight from Heathrow wasn't as good since the 747 was older and the capsules weren't as big (I'm 6'1) and when lying flat, my feet would be hitting the wall. Still quite comfortable.

Once you fly long-haul in business, you would never want to go back to economy. My 3.5hr flight to Chicago in economy (granted it was United) was far more painful then my flight over to Frankfurt from there. Jetlag seems much easier to over come as well.

However, if you are ever stuck on a layover, the business class lounge @ Terminal 5 in Heathrow is awesome, great stock on premium booze, food, movies and a huge lounge area.

I always have trouble sleeping on a flight because of comfort and drinking helps knock me the fuck out. Sure there are pills for that but drinking is dope so yea haha sounds dumb maybe but it works for me.

I know it's irrelevant now, but this question is kind of dumb. Nobody can tell you what is best for you. Obviously anyone would choose business over economy class if they can afford it. You said yourself you can afford it, so do it. But if you think you'll regret spending the money afterwards, then don't. That's your own personal decision to make.

I've always wanted to fly business class but never had the opportunity. There's no way I could justify the expense. An extra $2500 is like two more entire vacations for me.

Oh and on the issue of drinking on the flight, one of the best flights I ever had was coming back from HK. Had 3 or 4 of those little bottles of red wine and the flight becomes a far more enjoyable experience. Then I passed out and when I woke up, I was in Vancouver! lol. Best flight ever.

business class is awesome but not $2500 awesome. Just imagine all the stuff you can buy with the $2500. I would by an Asus ultrabook and load it up with movies and a NES emulator and pay for in flight internet so I could surf Revscene. Also who says no to free booze?