[Amaru]

Originally Posted by urban.boi

So why not join a FF and won't have to worry about it, knowing you will be getting good seats?

Originally Posted by v_tec

Because OP flies a bunch of random carriers and LCC's where FFPs don't exist.

Yes, being part of a FFP is great as long as the airline you choose is part of a global network (ie. Star Alliance, SkyTeam) that gives you access to pretty much any city on the planet.

The downside (aside from missing out on upgrades and other perks) is that you feel obligated to fly that carrier, and legacy carriers (the only airlines that can offer you the global airline alliances) are often far more expensive, especially on the touristy "vacation" routes that I fly (US, Mexico, Europe in summer).

After considering various FFP's, I decided it would be less expensive to just go for the cheapest flights, regardless of airline. That way I can always pick the most affordable airlines, regardless of destination, and not worry about feeling like I have to fly Air Canada even though they're 50% more expensive than other carriers.

(I realize that you don't have fly your FFP carrier all the time if other airlines are way cheaper, but I've found that other carriers are almost always cheaper than legacy airlines on the routes I fly, meaning I'd never rack up many miles on the FFP and would regularly be paying a bit more money just to make use of the FFP).

I'm 27 and I'm hardly swimming in cash, so the only way I can travel relatively frequently is by shopping smart and being cost-conscious when it comes to flights and hotels.

If you fly for business, have money, or typically only fly to a few destinations (ie. annual trips to Hawaii and family visits to Toronto, etc) that are well-served by your carrier, then I completely agree that joining a FFP makes perfect sense.

Originally Posted by Eff-1

I think OPs strategy is unique, but personally not one that I'd follow. My carry-on baggage is carry-on for a reason: because the last thing I want to do is check it. Whenever I board a plane, I have one goal only: make sure I get space in the overhead bins. Whether that means boarding early as possible or whatever, that's the goal.

Fair enough. If you prefer to carry it on and don't want to check the bag, then my strategy of boarding last makes little sense aside from having the ability to grab a better seat.

(I realize that by doing this you run the risk of there being no overhead bin space, which is acceptable to me since I don't mind checking the bag if its free. But I'd usually take the risk anyway if the flight is 6+ hours long, as then seat choice becomes more important IMO.)

I typically prefer to check my bag, unless I'm only traveling for a few days or have no connecting flights (rare when your home airport is small like YYJ is). If I have several connecting flights at busy airports, a fairly large bag, or lots of liquids and gels that the CSBA/TSA would confiscate (fuckers!), I'll cough up the fee anyway and just let the airline deal with the bag until I arrive at the final destination.

Originally Posted by Eff-1

I appreciate the OPs opinion, however, but I can't buy it. Honestly the only place I would trust for FF advice is Flyertalk. OP, do me a favour and post your advice on FT and see what they say. If you end up with a bunch of FT users in agreement, then I stand corrected.

You're welcome to copy and paste it there if you like.

I don't really need validation, because it works for me much of the time and that's all I really care about (just posted it here to help out some fellow RS'ers).

I definitely realize from your replies that the 'check your big carry-on luggage at the gate' strategy only applies if the airline has a fee for checked bags, and if you don't mind (or want) to deal with the bag during your flight(s). In other circumstances, or for those who never want to check a bag, it doesn't make sense.

The "board last and get a great seat" strategy does work almost every time a flight is less than 100% full, so if you're not eligible for upgrades and aren't worried about overhead bin space, I still think it's a great way to find better seats.

Example: A few summers back I flew on a Thomas Cook A340 from Frankfurt to YVR (with a stop in YYC)... as you can probably imagine, it was hell. 12+ hours with screaming babies, smelly people, and bare-bones amenities. The plane was completely full except for 3-5 seats, one of which was a single seat beside the staircase (cabin was all economy, and all bathrooms were downstairs in a cargo deck converted to bathrooms). I was able to lean up against the wall (staircase was on the other side of a divider) and sleep for most of the flight. It was the best seat on the plane IMO, as it combined the best of both an aisle and a window seat. Would never have gotten that seat if I had boarded on time, as my assigned seat was a window many rows back of the one I ended up with and it was only obvious since I was the last on board and all but a half dozen seats were taken.

Doesn't always turn out as well as it did on that flight, but if the plane is less than 90% full there's usually a better seat available than the one you were assigned. The later you book and the worse your assigned seat, the bigger the payoff is for boarding last.

Another thing I didn't mention: this strategy also allows you to investigate the people sitting around your assigned seat. If you see something that looks like a potential nightmare (child, fat person, huge foreign family, Justin Bieber, etc) you can escape that headache even if it means taking a 'worse' seat with more desirable looking seatmates. (Or, you could just sit next to the hottest-looking girl on the plane and hope she'll accept your bag of stale peanutes in exchange for hourly blowjobs?)

Originally Posted by Eff-1

Actually this thread makes me appreciate my last flight even more. Cathay F class from HKG to YVR. While Y class is fighting for bin space, the FA was taking my coat and hanging it for me in my personal locker, followed up by a Johnnie Walker blue. Actually from what I remember, F class didn't even have overhead bins to create more space for the in the cabin for the passengers. Once in a lifetime experience.

Sounds ideal. I would very much like to be able to afford this and not have to use 'tricks' to enjoy tolerable flights, but until that's possible, I'll continue to do whatever it takes to improve the commercial flying experience while on a tight budget.

If it's coming out of your pocket, a single long-haul business class ticket could often buy you 5+ economy tickets on a low-cost or charter airline. As with most travelers, I'd prefer to save on flights and spend where it matters most (having a decent hotel, doing all the cool shit there is to do at your destination, having a rental car that I can destroy, buying a brick of cocaine, etc).

So in hindsight, I should've added a caveat to my OP saying "this strategy only works if, like I do, you frequently travel to many different places on many different carries with a tight budget".