To be the only one to upgrade on a group trip?

[Checkenberger]

I have a group trip abroad in the plan stages with close family.
My best friend works for the same airline we are planning on booking with and has me on her staff travel plan.
I can therefore get a first class ticket for about £200 return
Would I be a horrible person to leave the rest of my family behind in steerage to enjoy a 3 course meal plus 2 lighter ones, full bar, lay down bed etc? Would i be any less a cunt to do it just one way 🤔 or should the trip just begin at the airport and stay together the whole time?

Could your sister upgrade (in the normal way) and the two of you split the total cost of your cheap ticket and her expensive one?

So lie to your own sister and children?

You aren’t supposed to check in separately when you are traveling together.

I think the real issue is it being a standby ticket. If the flights full are you going to mess up everyone's plans if your arrive late?

Nah it’s a bit shitty. Upgrade and donate seat to an older member or just don’t

Given it’s cheaper it feels like a done deal but I’d be uncomfortable with it. If you do decide to do it be honest, if you have to lie about it to be comfortable you probably shouldn’t do it.

I've been on a family trip, mums and daughters and we, the mums (my 2 sisters and myself) flew business class. Our kids are teens to 20s and were fine with it.

I wouldn't do it if I was travelling with just one other person. Although I do find economy seats on BA Eurotraveller to be not so comfortable and tight for me, so I could still opt for an upgrade and explain that to my travelling companion.

My DH is the one person likely to be funny about it.

I’d feel too guilty to leave my kids in economy.

I will admit I am an anti social git who is becoming more anti-social as I get older. And I have done quite a few 24 plus hour flights. I was tossing up OP's choices, and even if I was travelling in the same class nowadays I would probably sooner sit by myself so I can completey switch off and have no responsibility for anyone else and actually feel free to amuse myself as I choose.

So when it comes to a cheaper ticket, and in 1st Class, I would bite your friend's hand off. In fact, I wouldn't let her out of my sight. Call me selfish, but my companions wouldn't see me for dust. One thing I learnt in travelling (when I had no moral responsibilities for my companions) was that I may never be in this place or situation again and I am not going to miss the chance to see or do something I have dreamt about for years.

Obviously, there are exceptions to this. Travelling in the past with my own small children, or a vulnerable adult for whom I have responsibility. Or something else of that ilk.

I sound like a horrible person, but there you go!

Could you sit in first class on the way there and let your sister sit in the first class seat on the way back?

However old her number is it’s still a standby ticket. I did that with a friend of mine a lot (she joined 20+ yrs ago); most flights were ok however a couple of times there was no seat for me so I took the next flight; once I didn’t have a seat and had to fly a very very long haul flight on jump seat ). So there’s always a risk if it’s popular time of the year/ popular destination.

Speak to them if that was my family member id tell them to go for it they would be stupid not to.

Sounds like OP is being economical with the truth in order to get validation for a decision she has already made...

You should share the seat with them and let everyone have the chance at a nap.

You’re probably right about @TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne but the OP has managed to sink even lower with her reply.

You sound like you have flown staff travel with your friend before on a first class ticket so it’s not a one off treat. I think it’s a bit dick behaviour. Better to stick together.

This. Not the best start to a family holiday, fly first class another time.

I used to fly with a friend using her standby tickets. She’d normally be quite good at knowing which flights we’d be fine to get on and also check the load of the plane just before. She’d worked there 20+ years as well so had high priority over other staff (and that’s what long length of service means. You don’t get priority over actual paying customers). And yes we were normally fine. Until one time there was a weird influx of upper class bookings last minute and we got bumped down to economy for the way home. Which we needed to take as we both needed to get back for work. My friend has also been in jump seats and been totally bumped from flights in the past. So just be prepared that it can happen. Might not be likely depending on the route, but it could.

I think if you and your sister are going with your joint adult kids she will be expecting to sit with you? I don’t see mine much so would definitely be a bit miffed if she disappeared off.

I would never do this, but looks like lots think it is ok so am probably old fashioned

is it a stand by ticket?

You are not a horrible person, of course, you have your likes and dislikes. I’m just curious why you would book to go away with other people if you hate spending time in the company of others so much. Would you purposely organise to go away on holiday with one other person (and your kids if any) only to then look for the first opportunity to ditch them and be by yourself? I think you probably wouldn’t so you would be unlikely to end up in the situation that OP is in.

I wouldn’t do this personally. If I plan a trip with one more person, not to mention your kids, then I wouldn’t ditch them to sit somewhere else. I wouldn’t have any issues doing it if I were on my own of course.

The cheap upper class tickets are standby yes.

You would be a horrible person to take standby tickets for a family trip.

I suspect that you've purposefully left this info out of your OP to try and influence the responses you get.

Absolutely not. That’s not fair on the other passengers in upper class and I would be very surprised if you got away with it

If your going to somewhere in mainland Europe I wouldn’t bother but if it’s to USA, Canada or further then I would.