Flying business class

[Harrypitty]

My girlfriend of 12 months wants us to fly to Australia to see her family. She has a little boy and has a reasonable income.

I but am lucky to be able to afford to fly business class. It’s a long way and I’m getting old and grumpy and don’t want to sit for 30 hours in a cramped seat.

Thing is economy seats cost around £1400 business is around £5000.

She’s happy to pay her way down the back but can’t stretch to a business class fare, especially for two.

I really afford to pay £15000 for all three of us and but now feel bad that I can’t really sit up front with them down the back.

Should me and my bad back suck it up and travel down the back or AIBU to sit up front while they are down the back?

Can you compromise on premium economy?

This unless there was an actual medical need like a being in a body cast!
You will seem like a prick. Perhaps fly at a different time and don’t tell her you’re flying business?

PricklyLikeCactus

We’ve done the ex EU a few times, twice out of Arlanda, Stockholm and one out of Helsinki. Even factoring in an overnight stay in Helsinki, we saved literally hundreds of pounds. The only thing is the extra time you need to add on if you have to do an overnight.

Try looking at Skyscanner and play around with departure airports or Google flights as pp have said.

Yeah I got a wonderful bargain from Stockholm a few years back. Outwards rpto Cairns and return from Auckland with Qatar business for £1350. Used avoid for return flights to Stockholm

husband and I once got taking to a chap who was cabin crew in a bar in Vietnam. His advice about a foolproof way to get an upgrade - pay for it.

Are you staying with her relatives? If so, and you're saving on hotels, it would be nice of you to pay for their tickets.

The best journey I did to Australia was when I broke it up via Singapore. At the time you could stay in a kind of rest hotel for between 4 and 12 hours (and make the connection accordingly).
It felt much more civilised and wasn’t any more expensive from memory but it was a while ago.

So he’s supposed to pay for all of them? By default? Did we teleport into the 1950s?

We used to book economy out, business back. Invariably we’d be offered an upgrade for all or some of the outward journey a week or so before the flight att a good price.

Only a 'bit of a dick'.... seriously.
I classify him a complete and utter t**t. Whose completely underserving of his girlfriend.

how about economy but you pay for the extra legroom seats for all of you - the extra would probably still be much cheaper than one business class

Not sure I quite recognise the prices here unless you are booking ver close to the time of travel? I would break the flight on the way (Dubai is a good option or KL/Singapore. See if you can get good seats in economy and pay for premium. However, for the avoidance of doubt, no I do not think you can sit in business class whilst your partner and her child sit in economy. It is going to go down really badly.

Not RTFT yet so sorry if this has already been suggested but can't you fly with Air New Zealand and then book the Skycouch? Much cheaper than business but should be better for your back. https://www.airnewzealand.co.uk/economy-skycouch DH once did Melbourne > NZ > LA > London so there are routes that work.

We are flying long haul this summer, my kids are enormous and I decided thT I didn't want to be in economy with 3 hulking giants and squashed for hours. So I decided to pay for prem ec. My bf didn't want to pay for it. I didnt want to pay for him to upgrade. So he chose to fly economy and we are prem ec.
I think if a relationship can't survive a difference in flight class choice then what kind of relationship is it?
You are both grown ups and able to make decisions. I do think prem ec may be a good compromise but alternative may be if you layover in somewhere eg Dubai or Singapore is to do 1 leg in biz and the other with them in economy

DP and I have been together 20 years and we have two DC. I’m very tall and honestly, unless you are over 6 feet 3 tall, you really won’t understand the discomfort of anything over 5 hours in what passes for economy seats now. Even premium economy is very tight. However, my DP would much rather sit in economy and thinks business is a waste of money - would rather have the money to spend on themselves!
The compromise for the last few years is booking reward flights and using upgrade vouchers wherever possible. We sometimes have to travel at different times with one child each and in that scenario I’ll do business and DP will do economy and get a treat instead!

I do remember once before we had children, we had an argument about travelling long haul in business. We were only flying together on the way out. My DP insisted that they wouldn’t fly business (our finances were already mixed at that point but we’d been together about three years) and didn’t care we would be sitting in different parts of the plane. I knew DP would want me to ask about complimentary upgrades at the check in, gate, on the plane etc which made me uncomfortable as I thought it would make me look like a twat who would only pay for business for themselves! And of course that’s what DP insisted I did. Of course we got turned down at check in, gate but on the plane they said OK, DP can sit with you after meal service. It was so awkward. I was mortified. DP happily sat there saying ‘see I was right’! Still makes me cringe today…Oh and there was a stopover in the flight. On the second leg, had to try it all again and it didn’t work.

No. Did I say that?

No i didn't.

I understand your predicament. I have been through the same, except I was the one sitting in the back. I was not happy. Can you not pay the difference between the economy and business fare?

Honest conversation with her...health important here.

Kids are charged less than adults in business class usually. Is more time an option to get a week relaxing in Asia on the way and multiple shorter flights?

Even if he has a health need and you don’t?

@Cyclebabble I’ve priced up U.K.-Australia flight just this week, aiming for later in the year (not in UK or Oz holidays). Can confirm that the price points are pretty accurate.

Emirates Business class came in at £7.5k return for a single seat which had me choking on my tea. Economy on both BA and Emirates was grazing £2k a seat.

I’ve done the flight in economy before - never again.

We have a family friend who flew herself first class and put her husband and kids in economy. No one thinks highly of her for doing that but I think you should just ask your girlfriend as it’s her opinion that counts. It would bother some people, not others. Which camp does she fall into?

Look at premium economy for all of you

if not I don’t think it’s that bad but talk to her about it and make sure she understands your pov. It’s normal for many things to be out of reach when you have a kid. If you are loaded with money then upgrade them too but the cost of that would be significant. I’d be more inclined to downgrade myself rather than upgrade two people.

if you do end up in business don’t go on about how amazing it was.

In a good relationship it is fair to say it’s best to behave in a fair manner to all.
You seem very self centred, selfish and have much more money than sense! You don’t sound like the kind of person that will make a stable or kind caring lifetime partner or father!

IMO if there is three of you, a row of three in economy is actually fine as you still have your own space and not squashed in with a stranger.

Or - go premium economy so it’s a bit better for all.

You in business while they are in economy is a bit… meh.