Would you fly 10 hours in business class for the sake of it?

Would you fly 10 hours in business class for the sake of it?

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creampuff

Original Poster:

6,511 posts

142 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
First world problem here wink

Booking a round-the-world ticket in business class. The ticket price does not change (or doesn't change much) with the routing.

Need to get from Johannesburg to Melbourne.

I can go:
JBurg->Sydney->Melbourne.

Takes about 15 hours in total. This routing bothers me a bit, as I'm wasting a business class flight on a short 1 hour Sydney->Melbourne hop which if I wanted to I could buy for $100 at any time and just do it in economy, which doesn't bother me as only 1 hour. Another advantage of this routing is the JBurg->Sydney leg is on a Qantas 747 and there aren't that many opportunities to take a longhaul flight in a 747 anymore.

OR I could go:

JBurg->Hong Kong->Melbourne

This takes 25 hours in total and involves flying a few thousand extra miles. But I feel like I'm getting good value for money from the ticket as I get 25 hours in biz class for the same price as 15 hours!! It's also on a Cathay 777, which has a better biz class than a Qantas 747.... but a 777 ain't a 747.

Or is all this ridiculous?

Puggit

48,355 posts

247 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
If there's the opportunity to enjoy some time in HK then it's a no brainer. Otherwise if time is not an issue I would probably do HK anyway - because a long haul flight in J is an experience worth doing, and twice is twice as good!

Super Slo Mo

5,368 posts

197 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
I'd save the 10 hours flight any day of the week, but it's a personal thing. Having said that, I only ever get shoved in cattle anyway, but even so, being cooped up inside an aircraft for 10 hours longer than I need to be isn't my idea of fun.

However, as said, it's a personal thing, if you've the spare time, and think you'll enjoy it, go for it.

prand

5,910 posts

195 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Personally, I'd rather have the 10hrs of extra holiday, or stay in my own bed for a night.

25 hours of sitting there watching flims and gettign drunk gets a bit boring after the first 10 I would have thought.

jshell

11,006 posts

204 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
No fecking way. Each minute not on an aeroplane is a life-bonus minute.

nyt

1,803 posts

149 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
If you have the time to spend a couple of days in HK then it's a no-brainer.

If it's just to change planes however ...

Mr Will

13,719 posts

205 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Overnight to HK, Spend the day (or longer) in HK, Overnight to Melbourne - Do it in a flash.

Just sitting on a plane for 25 hours instead of 15? You'd have to be nuts!

creampuff

Original Poster:

6,511 posts

142 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Fnarr fnarr, I'm going to Hong Kong for 2 or 3 weeks in a later part of the trip.

The full destination list is:
South Africa
Sydney & Melbourne
Japan
Sri Lanka
Malaysia (Peninsula)
Burma
Hong Kong
Los Angeles, NYC, Miami
Mexico (Yucatan Peninsula)
Santiago, Easter Island
Rio de Janeiro

Take about 7 months.

This South Africa to Australia leg I asked about is really just sitting in a plane for an extra 10 hours for no reason other than I feel like I'm wasting the ticket price on a short Sydney->Melbourne flight when I could be doing a long HK->Melbourne flight!

As you can see there is a lot of flying anyway so an extra 10 hours doesn't seem as crazy to me as it otherwise might. Although maybe it is still a bit craz

Mr Will

13,719 posts

205 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
You are going to get really really bored of flying. You are not wasting money either way but you are wasting time taking the long option. The only possible reason I can think this would be worthwhile is if you get a break at the stop over point or if the arrival time was significantly better (i.e. a choice between landing at 4am and landing in the day time).


oyster

12,577 posts

247 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Will you get more miles and status points routing via Hong Kong?
If so, this may tip the balance.

smack

9,727 posts

190 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
creampuff said:
Another advantage of this routing is the JBurg->Sydney leg is on a Qantas 747 and there aren't that many opportunities to take a longhaul flight in a 747 anymore.
BA still have 45 of them so still loads of routes they run on. Flew on one of theirs 2 weeks ago to the US, and BA are finally updating the worn out interiors on them next year.

toohuge

3,430 posts

215 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
smack said:
BA still have 45 of them so still loads of routes they run on. Flew on one of theirs 2 weeks ago to the US, and BA are finally updating the worn out interiors on them next year.
Yep, fly BA to Miami / New York and it will most likely be a 747.... despite their age I have always enjoyed the 747 compared to the 777

Mr Will

13,719 posts

205 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
toohuge said:
smack said:
BA still have 45 of them so still loads of routes they run on. Flew on one of theirs 2 weeks ago to the US, and BA are finally updating the worn out interiors on them next year.
Yep, fly BA to Miami / New York and it will most likely be a 747.... despite their age I have always enjoyed the 747 compared to the 777
Upstairs on a 747 is a wonderful little spot to inhabit. Loads of space and storage and a much more intimate feel than the main cabin.

smack

9,727 posts

190 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Mr Will said:
toohuge said:
smack said:
BA still have 45 of them so still loads of routes they run on. Flew on one of theirs 2 weeks ago to the US, and BA are finally updating the worn out interiors on them next year.
Yep, fly BA to Miami / New York and it will most likely be a 747.... despite their age I have always enjoyed the 747 compared to the 777
Upstairs on a 747 is a wonderful little spot to inhabit. Loads of space and storage and a much more intimate feel than the main cabin.
Yes, feels like a business jet.

But as I am just about to do 24 hours flying, all J class, the recipe will be booze, food, more booze sleeping pills, sleep. Same if I am in the back of the plane, just I won't need pain killers do deal with sleeping like a sardine.

Kneetrembler

2,069 posts

201 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Mr Will said:
Upstairs on a 747 is a wonderful little spot to inhabit. Loads of space and storage and a much more intimate feel than the main cabin.
+1 & you seem to get better service.

maffski

1,866 posts

158 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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deckster

9,630 posts

254 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
maffski said:
This is surely the answer. Take a week out and do a leisurely drive down, take in some sights. Much better than rushing around everywhere!

K50 DEL

9,227 posts

227 months

Thursday 30th October 2014
quotequote all
Yep.. I love to fly, especially in J or F so I'd happily do the extra 10hrs.

I must be one of the only people who actually don't want the flight to end...I flew to DC and back in F a couple of months ago and was so disappointed that we were straight in at both ends as the flight was just too short. Even LA in F was too short when I did it a few years ago.