Bothered about Business Class

[creampuff]

I recommend not taking any office sponsored trips in business class. I've had several long-haul (UK-Asia; UK-South America; Asia-North America) biz flights over the last few years and now the thought of taking an econo long-haul flight for personal travel starts to make me anxious a good 2 weeks before travel. So anxious that the idea of coughing up my own £3k on a personal biz class flight starts to look appealing. Econo just sucks. Just don't accept any paid for trips in biz. Don't raise your standards.

[anonymous-user]

Flew Virgin Premium Economy (aka Business/Club/real knives and forks and proper plates for dinner) and will never, ever fly steerage again unless on a one or two hour cheapy Euro-hop. The small difference in cost was a drop in the ocean compared to the tsunami of quality, comfort and feeling of being more than just a seat number brought on by turning left upon boarding. I managed to bag the upgrade for just £200 per head per leg to Vegas and back for me and Mrs Crossflow last October. Aircraft was a week out of refit too.

[TTwiggy]

When I was a kid I had a close relative who held senior positions at various trans-Atlantic airlines. As a result, we always got upgraded, to at least business and sometimes 'proper' first class.

This was 1980s first class of course, so no sleeper beds or archive of every film known to man available to watch, but it was still very special – particularly the bar in the 'bump' of a 747 (and being allowed to sit at it aged 14).

Security was also a little more 'relaxed' back then, which is how an 11-year-old me was able to watch the approach to JFK from the jump seat of a DC-10.

[c7xlg]

xflowkid: "Flew Virgin Premium Economy (aka Business/Club/real knives and forks and proper plates for dinner)"

Virgin Premium Economy is NOT business/club class. Virgin have a 3 class service. Econonmy, Eco +, Business.

Other airlines have either 3 as:

Economy, Business, First.
or
Eco, Eco+, Business.

Or four classes:
Eco, Eco+, Business, First

If you thought premium economy was good wait until you experience proper business (ie Virgin Upper), or even First class (BA FIRST, Cathay First etc).

Fortunately/Unfortunately I experience BA First & Club from a young age via father's travel concessions. Now, especailly as I'm 6'5" tall I will not do economy (for work or play) on more than about 5-6 hour flight (ie east cost US). I either won't go, or will save up until we can afford full fat business class.

[WhereamI]

c7xlg said:

xflowkid: "Flew Virgin Premium Economy (aka Business/Club/real knives and forks and proper plates for dinner)"

Virgin Premium Economy is NOT business/club class. Virgin have a 3 class service. Econonmy, Eco +, Business.

+1

If premium economy was business they wouldn't call it premium economy. It is better than economy but nowhere near business. Think of it this way, on long haul

Economy = a seat in a row with others
Business = a lie flat seat/bed
First = a 'cabin' with doors

[creampuff]

WhereamI said:

+1

If premium economy was business they wouldn't call it premium economy. It is better than economy but nowhere near business. Think of it this way, on long haul

Economy = a seat in a row with others
Business = a lie flat seat/bed
First = a 'cabin' with doors

I haven't ever flown Virgin premium econo, but I've eyeballed it and it looks like the same standard as the regional/short haul business class of carriers like Cathay or Singapore: nowhere like full long haul lie flat biz, but still a lot better than economy.

I've flown EVA (Taiwan) premium econo a few times, some flights actually had the old style business class recliner seats nicked out of their old aircraft.

I've also flown "business" on a London-Frankfurt Lufthansa flight. You know what Lufthansa's idea of intra-Europe business class is? Take a standard economy seat, partition it off, block off centre seat occupancy, put up a sign saying "Lufthansa Business Class"......... and that's it!!!!!!!

[ClaphamGT3]

Having flown business and first a lot with my father's job as a child and when clients pay for it during my career, I would NEVER spend my own money or my business' on anything but economy.

Imagine this; someone says to you that, if you sit in a comfortable, ergonomically designed, partially reclining chair for 9 hours, they'll pay you £3000. You can get up whenever you want and wander around a bit, go to the loo etc, you'll get fed ok - if not great - food regularly and you'll be given free booze. You'll be able to read, listen to music and watch movies - you'd do it wouldn't you!

[mph1977]

custodian said:

creampuff said:

I've also flown "business" on a London-Frankfurt Lufthansa flight. You know what Lufthansa's idea of intra-Europe business class is? Take a standard economy seat, partition it off, block off centre seat occupancy, put up a sign saying "Lufthansa Business Class"......... and that's it!!!!!!!

I hate to disillusion you but that is standard for business class in most European airlines.

which is less than the differentiation between standard and first on most trains on british railway tracks , where even if 'first ' remains 2+2 vs 2+1 the seats are different and have more proper tables than standard ...


and at least on the long distance trains in the uk including TPX or XC first class get better / freebie food...

[creampuff]

custodian said:

I hate to disillusion you but that is standard for business class in most European airlines.

Mmm, I almost never take intra-Europe flights. I think the time before this was around 2006

I must try to generate another Asia office trip. I've been researching the new Cathay biz seat and it looks quite nice

Edited by creampuff on Friday 8th February 20:01

[Countdown]

To be honest even FCC can be a bit of a bore. I use these guys whenever possible.....

http://www.netjets.com/

[whoami]

Countdown said:

To be honest even FCC can be a bit of a bore. I use these guys whenever possible.....

http://www.netjets.com/

Why?

Is your own being serviced

[Countdown]

whoami said:

Countdown said:

To be honest even FCC can be a bit of a bore. I use these guys whenever possible.....

http://www.netjets.com/

Why?

Is your own being serviced

Touché

[Deva Link]

ClaphamGT3 said:

Having flown business and first a lot with my father's job as a child and when clients pay for it during my career, I would NEVER spend my own money or my business' on anything but economy.

Imagine this; someone says to you that, if you sit in a comfortable, ergonomically designed, partially reclining chair for 9 hours, they'll pay you £3000. You can get up whenever you want and wander around a bit, go to the loo etc, you'll get fed ok - if not great - food regularly and you'll be given free booze. You'll be able to read, listen to music and watch movies - you'd do it wouldn't you!

That's exactly how I think about it, and, of course, for personal travel the cost is multiplied by the number of people you have in your family.

[whoami]

ClaphamGT3 said:

Having flown business and first a lot with my father's job as a child and when clients pay for it during my career, I would NEVER spend my own money or my business' on anything but economy.

Imagine this; someone says to you that, if you sit in a comfortable, ergonomically designed, partially reclining chair for 9 hours, they'll pay you £3000. You can get up whenever you want and wander around a bit, go to the loo etc, you'll get fed ok - if not great - food regularly and you'll be given free booze. You'll be able to read, listen to music and watch movies - you'd do it wouldn't you!

That rather understates the benefits (as intended ).

Each to his own.

[boxst]

It is very difficult to justify spending your own money on business class. I travel to San Francisco regularly (every 6 weeks or so) and over the years the companies that I work for have gone from business class to (now) economy. Business class (British Airways) is a pure pleasure but is twice (if not three times on occasion) more expensive than economy.

And BA* economy is pretty good: A reasonable amount of leg-room, okay food, free drinks. But I do sit there and dream of business class


(*Having flown with a few other airlines BA is great other airline's economy sucks (apart from Virgin which is also quite good))

[anonymous-user]

c7xlg said:

xflowkid: "Flew Virgin Premium Economy (aka Business/Club/real knives and forks and proper plates for dinner)"

Virgin Premium Economy is NOT business/club class. Virgin have a 3 class service. Econonmy, Eco +, Business.

Other airlines have either 3 as:

Economy, Business, First.
or
Eco, Eco+, Business.

Or four classes:
Eco, Eco+, Business, First

If you thought premium economy was good wait until you experience proper business (ie Virgin Upper), or even First class (BA FIRST, Cathay First etc).

Fortunately/Unfortunately I experience BA First & Club from a young age via father's travel concessions. Now, especailly as I'm 6'5" tall I will not do economy (for work or play) on more than about 5-6 hour flight (ie east cost US). I either won't go, or will save up until we can afford full fat business class.

So where BA call it Club others call it business but Virgin call it Premijm Economy, whilst what Virgin call Business others call first but Virgin call their first Upper which is like Business but then some, bearing in mind Business isn't club and neither of them are Premium Economy?
Thanks for clearing that up.
It was one up from budget and one down from the top, so I make that Club/Business/Premium depending what colour the tail fin is.

[rich1231]

Crossflow Kid said:

So where BA call it Club others call it business but Virgin call it Premijm Economy, whilst what Virgin call Business others call first but Virgin call their first Upper which is like Business but then some, bearing in mind Business isn't club and neither of them are Premium Economy?
Thanks for clearing that up.
It was one up from budget and one down from the top, so I make that Club/Business/Premium depending what colour the tail fin is.

And you would still be wrong.

[onesickpuppy]

creampuff said:

custodian said:

I hate to disillusion you but that is standard for business class in most European airlines.

Mmm, I almost never take intra-Europe flights. I think the time before this was around 2006

I must try to generate another Asia office trip. I've been researching the new Cathay biz seat and it looks quite nice

Edited by creampuff on Friday 8th February 20:01

Isn't short haul Business Class all about lounge access?

[boxst]

onesickpuppy said:

Isn't short haul Business Class all about lounge access?

You get slightly better food. Anything less than 3 or 4 hours business class is a waste of money. If you fly regularly you have lounge access anyway.

Edit: At least you used to. I haven't flown business class on a short-haul for years as most companies have (sensibly) stopped paying for it ..

[Deva Link]

Crossflow Kid said:

It was one up from budget and one down from the top, so I make that Club/Business/Premium depending what colour the tail fin is.

It's two down - Virgin has Upper as it's top level.

I flew PE last year for an extra £150 and felt I'd been ripped off.

Edited by Deva Link on Friday 8th February 21:45