Flying economy

[Dr Jekyll]

Some reckon flying other than economy is a pointless extravagance, some refuse to fly economy if they can possibly avoid it.

Views?

[Dr Jekyll]

blueheron said:

We try to fly business long haul if we can. Never paid full price, always saved up the BA miles (Avios now) and used the miles for upgrade option. So you pay Economy Plus prices and get the Business service. Which is more than just the seat I may add!

The other option with BA is to book the trip from another European country but travelling via London. It means you have to travel to Schipol or wherever beforehand, then to London then your final destination. But you can end up travelling in club or first for much less than the same long haul seat from London would cost if you booked direct from London.

A friend went first class to New York from Istanbul via LHR, for significantly less than the same LHR-JFK flight would have cost in Club.

[Dr Jekyll]

Gargamel said:

I fly Swiss Air fairly regularly. As far as I can see for the hour and a bit - the extra money for buiness class gets you

4 inches more legroom
A free newspaper
A towel on the back of your seat

Not much is it ? for about twice the price. Admittedly I would find the small thingslike being first out the plane useful, and being able to move the ticket aorund at short nottice, but really for the money it is a piss take

For short haul that's true, except that the seats are usually wider as well. And even 4 inches can make the difference between being comfortable and being jammed into place.

For long haul, it's another matter entirely. On BA long haul economy still means knees rubbing the seat on front and no elbow room, and business means.....

[Dr Jekyll]

WeirdNeville said:

They evidently sell business class to those who don't pay for it themselves - No-one would sensibly pay ~£20 a minute out of their own pocket for a slightly bigger seat, a glass of domestic fizzy wine and a head massage unless they literally could not think of what to do with their next company directors paycheck.

It isn't always £20 a minute though, or anywhere near it. I once paid an extra £100 to upgrade a London to Rome return trip to business class. It wasn't a question of a slightly bigger seat, but of comfort (legroom and elbow room) instead of discomfort and the chance to jump the check in and security queues.

On long haul it's a far bigger seat, extra feet of legroom. Also £20 a minute to New York would work out £18,000 for an upgrade, even Concorde didn't cost anything like that.