Who on earth pays for 1st class flight tickets

[Gregoravitch]

Just got home from a lovely holiday from the US.

We splurged out for Premium Economy tickets and it was bliss, as you enter the aircraft we had to walk through first class and my word it was so bloody extravagant and packed, their didn't seem to be an empty seat.

Out of curiousity I had a look at the prices for the very same flight journey that we took for a first class ticket and the cheapest I could find was around 3 grand and the most expensive was 7 grand

3 bloody grand, if I could afford it I probably would but it seems horribly expensive. A return ticket would be 6 grand and that's more then our entire holiday for 4 for a fortnight cost.

Who are all these people paying these prices?

I'm also very envious, those first class seats looked very comfy

My company. Any flights over 4 hours are first or business class. On some airlines it's the same thing.

Flew with Air France from NYC a few months ago. It was absolute heaven. I felt like a queen. And the best sleep I ever had.
Which I needed because I was back in the office pronto!

The only thing I was sad about (classy me) was that I had to sleep and couldn't sample the entire wine list and scoff canapés all through the flight. on top of all the free food I scoffed in the lounge

It spoils you too, the thought of flying long haul in coach again makes me weep.

I've become embarrassingly precious about it.

We have a friend who spends his bloody life on planes (frequently long haul and wildly differing time zones) for work and he's not a pilot. It's a miserable life and it's putting his marriage and his health under a lot of strain. If he couldn't fly BC he'd have cracked long ago. I think he's cracking anyway to be honest.

It always makes me chuckle how many I frequent travellers think their partner has taken them "first class" when it's actually business class.

As for the business traveller offered an upgrade for themselves but not the spouse and kids , this is discussed frequently on the frequent flyer forums and the young guns arguing that "I earned it so I should benefit" are always told by the more experienced married frequent flyers that they should give it to the spouse as 1 she takes care of things at home all year so you can travel 2 it's a special treat for her whereas you are used to business/first it's nothing new 3 you are going to be spending the next 2 weeks together 24/7 don't piss her off before you've even got there by treating her like the nanny. (The same advice is given to women frequent flyers whose husbands are the ones looking after the kids whilst they travel)

The last time I was upgraded (flight was overbooked ) I just found the over service annoying. It was a night flight New York to London and they spent forever serving dinner when all I wanted to do was sleep. Had I known about the upgrade in advance I'd have eaten before boarding but it was a gate upgrade. It certainly didn't make me think it was so great I'd pay to fly business next time.

Sometimes the difference is not that much so for example economy to Antigua is 500 and business is 1000. That extra 500
Was worth it to me when I was pregnant and flying with a toddler who actually slept on a night flight rather than screamed all night as she had done previously. We have a lot of miles too so sometimes use those.

traf yes i was wondering whether half the people on this thread saying they've been first class actually mean first class and not business class!

Few people can actually stretch to actual first class, even with loads of air miles to lessen the blow. And unless you are famous and need privacy the difference is negligible when you look at the considerable difference in price.

Looks as if you have your answer OP.
I have flown 1st class - BA - and it makes the biggest difference ever. I slept properly, I arrived fine and happy not sleep deprived, in pain from back ache and cranky. I enjoyed the flight - it was like a quiet evening at home watching tv. No-one crawling over me to get to the loo, no invasion of privacy, decent food....

As for thinking that you are better than anyone else - that has rightly been shown to be a ridiculous statement. Most people generally buy the best they can afford. We all tend to choose the nicest homes in the nicest areas and the nicest schools for our kids. We go to the nicest restaurants, buy the best clothes and food that we can afford. Flying is no different.

And yes I agree, you're get used to it and God it's so civilised, makes flying long haul feel like a 2 hour flight esp with kids

I heard that princess Margaret used to book economy on BA to the Caribbean - and was always upgraded.

Oh - and it was First class. I also travel Business Class and it is more pleasant than Economy but First is another world

We do. We have the money so why not?

just average people who can afford it and think they are better than the rest.

Nice bit of projecting there

I always fly first class, I can afford it so why the hell not?

We went to Barbados in first when DS was 6 months old using air miles. Frankly it wasn't really worth it - yes the food was lovely and the service was excellent. The loos are as tiny as in economy and they aren't really set up for babies (fair enough) so the bassinet was clipped onto a board across my bed meaning I couldn't watch a film wahhhh! Business was much better as DS was on a flip down board meaning DH and I got more room.
I could only justify the price if I was VERY rich!

I have flown first class once, when I worked for an airline and as part of my induction was sent on a familiarisation flight. I had to pretend that I wasn't staff, to avoid pissing off the fee paying customers. So a few people in first class are probably airline staff pretending they aren't!

I work in leisure travel. We get a lot of people flying Business Class/club long haul but not as many First Class. If i had the dosh I don't think I would bother with First, but would definitly fly Business Class. First offer bigger luggage allowances and a bigger seat and slightly better food than Business. Some airlines even offer suites in First Class!

I've only ever been in first class once on my and dh 10 year anniversary trip, I loved it, the free champagne was lovely, food was lovely and the air stewards were lovely

If I could afford to travel first class Everytime we went away I would!

I tend to ferret out better prices for example it's often significantly cheaper to fly from Dublin to the US than from the UK to the point that business comes out only slightly dearer than economy but frankly for me the flight is only a means to an end and business or first comes under the category of a nice perk but not an essential. Ultimately I'd rather spend that part of the budget on the experiences on holiday and do and see more, stay in more unique places, have nicer meals or just go for ten days rather than a week.

I'll make sure I increase the odds of getting upgraded by flying with status etc but I certainly don't see it as a deal breaker.

I spent all the Avios I'd collected over almost 20 years upgrading to a First Class flight to Houston and it was lovely and well worth it. I arrived 4 hours before the flight and enjoyed breakfast and the spa and made the most of every minute. Didn't have enough to fly back anything better than World Traveller Plus but happy memories of those 10 glorious hours at the front of the plane.

That would have been Business Class - you don't get to "walk through" First Class as a member of the great unwashed.

I have noticed that many flights/routes don't offer first class anymore - business, premium economy and economy and short haul flights I was on recently only had economy seating.
With some airlines the there is not much of a difference between business and first. Dh was upgraded to first on Lufthansa - more space, different menu and fresh flowers on table, but he had to move seat three times as entertainment system was not working. This may have been an older Lufthansa plane - but there were certainly no individual areas like Singapore first class.

You get a lot of the same perks by flying business long haul - especially on BA.

I've flown first twice but I now always fly business because I don't think the difference in price/airmiles to upgrade warrants the extra service/perks.

I'm a BA gold member so I get into the first class lounge anyway, no matter what class I fly, but the only real differences on BA are: (i) a slightly different menu which is a little nicer (but don't kid yourself, its still plane food), (ii) a mattress thing they put over your seat for sleep (which by the way isn't particularly exciting) (iii) a slightly better pillow, (iv) a couple more drinks rounds (pointless as club has the club kitchen so you can just help yourself anyway), (v) you get into the concorde lounge if you fly first - i don't see the appeal of this though - its no better than the Flounge and (vi) a bit more space (which really only leads to them being able to serve your food on a tablecloth - but i still don't get why this is considered such an amazing thing). oh and the champagne is a bit more expensive...

Business still gets you lounge access (you can still get champagne in there if you request it), a flat bed, better service, the club kitchen, bedding, a posh amenities kit, decent champagne on the plane and priority boarding etc.

Overall you're looking at around £2000 extra or 25000-35000 extra points on most full priced flights for first class over business.

Having flown premium economy on BA, i think it's a complete waste of money. They should really just call it Premium Plus. The legroom is better, you get the main course from business (still overcooked plane food usually) and the seats recline slightly more, but other than that it's absolutely not worth the money - you get sod all else. You'd be better off just paying to secure bulkhead seats.

ohmy - on long haul you don't walk through business either - turn right for economy.

*Economy Plus