Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

How rich would you have to be to fly business instead of economy on hols?

105 replies

realhousewifeoffitzrovia · 11/02/2022 12:40

Just checked and a long haul flight from London to NYC in business would be £4300 vs. £550 for economy i.e. it's almost 8 times more to fly business, and that's just for one person.

I can't conceive of ever being rich enough to pay that much - or maybe it's more that I just don't think there is enough value in the (admittedly very increased!) comfort of the business class seat.

I'd rather spend the money on a nice hotel or meals, or travel more often (not very green I know) but curious whether others feel differently.

What about you?

OP posts:
takemetomars · 11/02/2022 18:16

@Georgeskitchen

Sometimes at certain times of the year , business class tickets come down in price : if you are willing to search for good deals. Highly recommended if its a special holiday you are saving for. (Once got a free upgrade when flight was overbooked. Fantastic on a 9 hour flight!!)
We got a free upgrade on an over booked flight back from Las Vegas. A lovely surprise
Tequilamockinbird · 11/02/2022 18:37

We nearly always fly business but don't pay for it! We save avios from shopping, spending on Amex, and various referrals/sign up bonuses on credit cards. We pay the cards off in full so don't get into any debt and it's only money we would be spending anyway. All of our monthly spend, including council tax etc goes on the card, then we pay it off on payday.

It doesn't have to be expensive

tentative3 · 11/02/2022 19:14

We got started by a "hack", if you like, that involved buying miles. The miles were very cheap due to the strength of the currency where we lived and made the overall cost of the ticket exceptionally good value. Once we got a taste for very long haul in business we couldn't go back and will now pay for business including to NY (but not in Europe). We look for deals, both work overtime, have one old car between us and no kids. We're happy staying in decent but not flashy hotels.

It's just different strokes for different folks, I would never spend as much money as most people I know on a car, either outright or via finance or leasing, but I get that it's just different spending priorities (see also phones, furniture).

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Flying Holidays
HermioneWeasley · 11/02/2022 20:45

I tend to pay for business class for anything over 10 hours. It’s bloody expensive for 4 of us as I don’t have air miles or anything, but i do have an amazing travel agent who hunts the best deals for us.

LadyOfMisrule · 11/02/2022 22:27

I fly business for work if it’s long haul because we need to be functioning straight away, and there is rarely recovery time before meetings start. I have never done it for holidays, though.

lljkk · 11/02/2022 22:33

I suppose if it's 8x more expensive than 8x what I earn now...

I dunno. Does that mean If I earned £300k/yr?
If 3x more expensive than at least £110k/yr ...

My elderly parents have started flying business class. They have plenty savings, generous pensions & no debts but income is more more than ~60k/yr..

I have a very frequent flyer colleague (pre-covid) who is very cunning about cheap upgrades to business, etc. by every mode of travel. He pays excess himself, not covered by our employer.

gillybean2 · 11/02/2022 22:37

We flew business last holiday, pre covid but it was much cheaper than I expected. I looked at lots of options and by the time I added baggage, selecting seats etc to premium economy it wasn’t a lot more to go business. £600 each to west coast transatlantic.
I did wonder if the price was a mistake but that’s what I ended up paying. However I was able to be extremely flexible with dates and it was term time and not a classical holiday destination. Business class was completely full on the flight but I had a peek through to first class which strangely appeared to be totally empty.
Was amazing and if I could get it for a similar price I would do it again.

HuntyGirl · 14/02/2022 08:58

Saw this thread and asked my husband his thoughts. We have a BA Amex so have now built up enough points to fly business and we plan to do that as often as possible. Otherwise, without points we think £150k combined income a year.

Boood · 14/02/2022 09:50

I’d max out on the holiday itself before I upgraded flights. Better hotels, premium options, suites instead of rooms, private boat trips… business class would come below all of those and sadly I think it’s unlikely I’ll ever afford both!

SpaceDetective · 14/02/2022 10:07

Just looked at the next trip I'm doing

Economy £564
Business class £7884 !!

Enzbear · 14/02/2022 10:29

Like Brood we'd rather spend it on the holiday itself or take more holidays. 5* hotel, amazing cruise, extra week etc
So we always go economy and our holiday still starts at the airport. It has never bothered me as I am slim.
If we were super rich and had enough to always go business I probably would, not if we only could do it occasionally or for certain length flights as I imagine once you've done it there's no going back. Until then I'll remain blissfully ignorant.

BikerWifeFromMars · 14/02/2022 10:33

DH and I fly business class when we visit family in Australia. We have no accommodation costs whilst there and as you spend over 20 hours on the plane, having a bed you can lay flat in and space to stretch out is well worth it for us!

Up to about 8/10 hours in economy I find OK, definitely wouldn't pay the extra ££ to upgrade for that kind of distance.

HopingForMyRainbowBaby · 14/02/2022 11:01

Definitely not in this lifetime! I can barely afford a seat in economy

TheHoptimist · 14/02/2022 11:52

Don’t waste a BA Amex 2for1 on club if there is 1st on the route
Flying 1st to west coast next month with BA and it was sub £2000.
Shop around -I wouldn’t pay more than £1000 business return to east coast pre lockdown and lowest was £600

notimagain · 14/02/2022 12:05

@SpaceDetective

Just looked at the next trip I'm doing

Economy £564
Business class £7884 !!

One way or return?
notimagain · 14/02/2022 12:30

Just ran a dummy booking through BA.com for a LHR/JFK return In April…7 day stay, midweek out, midweek back.

Club both ways, total fare £4922….

And yes, as somebody has mentioned over the years it has been possible to get some very good deals on BA First Class fares…

gogohm · 14/02/2022 12:41

You can often get upgrade deals - it's cost us £80 per person to upgrade to economy plus New York to London and for an extra £350 each we could have had business but I didn't, economy plus is fine

SpaceDetective · 14/02/2022 13:12

That's return.

sharktails · 14/02/2022 13:52

My MIL who always tells us she can't afford to give any presents for birthdays or Christmas or even visit us flies business class long haul on holiday every year. I assume she saves quite a bit though by never spending money on anyone but herself 😂

OhNoWhatYouGonnaDo · 14/02/2022 14:58

We are by most people's standards very well off - until recently had a household income of about £280k a year - and I just wouldn't dream of paying for business class. I'd rather spend the money on more holidays, or more time there, or experiences at our destination. But we don't have an Avios credit card - I can see why people fly business if they're mostly using points.

Disfordragon · 14/02/2022 15:18

Not going to disclose how much our household income is, but I think you’d need an annual
House hold income of significantly more than low 7 figures to consider doing it for all flights.

PurBal · 14/02/2022 15:24

It depends when and where you fly. But I consider it part of the holiday cost. I actually worked out that depending on the route BA business class is cheaper than EasyJet with all the add ons (eg luggage, leg room, food, lounge access etc).

PurBal · 14/02/2022 15:26

Obviously I mean Club Europe not long haul

CrimbleCrumble1 · 14/02/2022 16:03

Household income was 200k until last month and now it’s 75k pension. I travel abroad three to four times a year and I’m going on my first business class flight this May which was bought with a mixture of Avios points, Amex reward flight voucher and 2k for two return tickets. I’m curious to see what all the fuss is about.

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 14/02/2022 20:47

A lot of people collect air miles through being frequent flyers due to their jobs and and spend them on business class flights. You can also get air mile credit cards.

Some companies pay for their employees to fly business.

Some business class passengers are probably off duty air hostesses and pilots with decent staff discounts. Others are nannies to wealthy families.

It's not what it used to be so I personally wouldn't splash out on it as a priority. Plus it's only ever going to be as luxurious as flying in a tin can can be - the average night in your own bed would beat it in terms of comfort. And if you are unlucky you could still end up sitting next to a noisy child.

I don't think it's a luxury reserved for the super rich. Some moderately well off people prioritise this kind of thing simply so that they can drop it into conversation, and others would rather 'cope' with cattle class and spend the money they saved by doing so on other, more exciting things!

Frankly, right now I'd happily sit in a cabin crew jump seat if it meant I could get out of this country and head to the sun!