Ever flown business class? Is it worth it?

Wow. A low bar!!!

The NY-Lon flight is very short, actual flying time tends to be around 6 hours. You won't be able to lie down until you're up in the air and seatbelt sign is off, and you'll have to get ready for landing 40 mins before landing. So you'll get about 4.5hrs to sleep.

The night flight home seems very quick. Usually it comes in at around 6 hours. They dim the lights for most of the journey and everyone sleeps or at least sits quietly. I never upgrade that way, not even with points/ miles. You’re not on the plane long enough to get the benefit.

What terminal are you in? You can hire a quiet room (Minute Suite) in Terminals 4 and 5 I think. Probably much cheaper than upgrading your flights.

JFK Terminal 4 for transfers is about as smooth as it gets. The bag re-check is literally outside the customs area you walk through after you have picked up your baggage and there is often no line whatsoever. Then it’s upstairs to go through security again and that’s it. Never seen it looking remotely chaotic. Other terminals may vary but as you’re flying Virgin and presumably on with Delta, it will be 4.

Did you say you were flying overnight from LHR, OP? I didn’t know there were any overnight flights- what time do you arrive at JFK? This will make a difference.

https://x.com/jfkairport/status/2024212380347949373?s=46&t=yBZ212GvEwwVUixQOvkR8Q

More details can be found here…

https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority/en/blogs/air/airports-offer-spaces-for-family-travel.html

Apparently there’s new sensory suites in terminal 4 at JFK for people travelling with children with additional needs.

I very much understand - my daughter is autistic and travelling can be challenging. The issue is though, that a lot of the chaos can't be avoided, particularly in JFK. I think you dodged a bullet having the flight times changed actually as you would never have made the hour layover and you'd have to rebook there.

Have you transferred in an American airport before? It's a long process and you'll need a lot of time to calmly work through it. Can you ask for accessibility support? I know it's a wheelchair but then at least you can skip some of the queuing.

Definitely worth it for long night flights, if the seat can turn into a flat bed. And a lot nicer anyway, I wouldn’t bother for short haul - not if I was paying, anyway.

With children at least you’d get more room.

And I do agree, the lounges make it a more pleasant experience, especially if you’re like me and hate airports generally.

The trouble with flying business or first class, though, is that it completely ruins you for ever needing to go cattle class later.

I agree, haven't been there for a couple of year but 1 hour to connect in JFK is crazy optimistic.

JFK is a nightmare of an airport so I think a 1 hour layover was crazy optimistic of them to even sell. I've never upgraded as I'd rather have the money to spend on holiday, but if your huge consideration is the lounge - I'm really not sure how long you'd have to spend in there anyway. You'll have to go through border control and customs and get your bag and recheck your bag and that will take a while. Queues for all that at JFK can take a while - it was 3 hours all in for me last time we went through there. Then by the time you get a snack, get to a toilet, have a wander around... it will be time to find your next gate. You'll maybe have 1-2 hour spare but not sure that's worth £1200.

New York is such a short flight I wouldn’t bother. I would be trying to re arrange my flights instead for a shorter layover

We’re flying business in August for all the on the ground benefits. The seats are actually a bit of a pain for the daytime flight with a 3 and 5 yo (BA Club Suite, can’t see each other). The return is a night flight so hoping we all get some sleep.

Extra luggage allowance
Priority check in/bag drop
Priority security
Lounge access (I will stock up with snacks for the flight)
Priority boarding
Priority disembarking
Priority luggage (gets to the carousel faster)
Arrivals lounge on return to LHR (night flight arriving at around 6am so DH and I will grab a shower and coffee before heading on the road). - Virgin have one at LHR too.

When I last flew with Virgin I found the herringbone seats are a little weird, but I liked it well enough and the lounge is good (much better than BA). The price is good too. In your layover situation I would grab a shower.

@LowFlyingBaconanyone who is in business / upper deserves to be travelling there. Their ticket is just as valid as anyone else’s.

because you said you’re a broke lone parent with two young children ? There will be much more worthy things to spend your money on in the near future than renting an expensive seat for a relatively short journey. Having the money doesn’t mean you can afford it? I’d save the money tbh. Lots of rainy days ahead of hen you’re on your own with two children.

A 6 hour layover is not enough to go into Manhattan from JFK and there is absolutely nothing near the airport, just stay in the terminal. By the time you get off the plane, through immigration and have rechecked your bags, it will be time to go through security for your next flight.

If £1200 is a great deal of money to you and would make a difference to your trip overall to have this spending money then do not bother upgrading. I fly JFK to the UK and back often and I simply don’t think an upgrade using your own money is worth it.

Dont overthink it, OP. Your kids will be excited to be going on a plane and won’t care if they’re in business or not. Same with the lounges, which are not very interesting for children compared to an airport terminal

We fly business regularly for work and personal travel for long haul. Few
points to consider - check there are no online options with Virgin that allow a better layover and if so ask for that instead, they always fill the longer layovers first as they are hard to sell. Avoid a 1 hour layover - very short to get your luggage transferred so sometimes it comes ahead the next day which can be a massive pain! 2 - 2.5 hours is the sweet spot in my view. You can pay to enter other lounges at these airports, so even if you can’t use the virgin one you can pay for the broader entry ones. I’d phone their accessibility team and explain the issue and they may enable you to pre pay the virgin lounge. £400 is a very good deal but not essential if the lounge is your main interest and given you already have PE seats. The business class seats are individual pods facing away from each other - with a SEN child you may prefer sitting together in PE?

In your position (also someone who travelled a lot with ND kids) I'd sit them down and tell them this is going to cost 1200 pounds. Here's what we could do on our holiday with that money but it will mean them committing to making that six-hour stopover easy for everyone by taking things they like to do and exercising some patience. What's their decision?

I did look at the seat configuration and the seats I booked for the journey over and back were solo window seats. When I boarded the plane the configuration was completely different and the solo window seats didn’t exist.

The OPs kids are old enough to appreciate it.

I’ve never done BC through JFK (been there a couple of times with DD when young) - we found places with pizza to buy airside, got her changed to PJs for final flight in bathrooms in airport (she stayed in runners as her shoes but got comfy). And I am way too used to being the “stuck in middle seat between DH/DD overnight to care…I sleep when we land). Load up on US content on iPads, find a quiet corner and think up a game that makes rhem move, then get them comfy and fed before boarding, then warm and cosy to encourage sleep on board. We used to travel with “blankie” for a reason (not just a favourite item…but a farourite small but fluffy and cosy fleece blanket she’d happily sleep under) (Then buy a nice drink from cabin staff to help your own sleep!)

@OhDear111 sestguru no longer exists sadly.

yes OP fly business if you can. We only go business when long haul as no sleep in economy or premium is awful. We’ve done it since the kids were 3 and it’s bliss. As long as the kids can behave. Go for it, but make sure you have lounge access. Priority pass only gives access to the average lounges which are ok. The airline lounges give access to the decent lounges.

Never mind the kids, it's worth £1200 for my own sanity.
Then again I can't sleep sat up. When flying from the US being able to sleep on an overnight flight makes a huge difference.

It's depressing enough coming back from holiday. I find business a nice last little luxury before getting home and at least I get home a lot less grumpy and tired.

The lounges are excellent as well, truly.

Business class is great, but to spend £1,200 that you can’t afford when your kids won’t appreciate it and you’ll have to sacrifice other things is crazy. You will survive the journey. Save your money and use it to have a fabulous time when you get there.