Ever flown business class? Is it worth it?

[LowFlyingBacon]

A little bit of background needed here so trying to avoid drip feeding! Sorry it’s much longer than I intended!

I'm due to go on holiday next month. It’s a big birthday holiday so I’m trying to make it a big treat! I’m flying as a single parent with two, primary aged, children. One has complex additional needs, one has mild. Both are good travellers.

I’ve had a text from my airline today to say that my flights have changed. I’ve had a look online and my 1 hour layover at JFK is now a 6 hour one. Because of my kids, this is really bad news. The flight is a night flight so a one hour layover meant we would get off the first flight, toilet, snack and then get ready to board the next. Now we have 6 hours in a busy airport with two tired kids. I’ve contacted the airline (Virgin) and been told that I can’t prebook into a lounge for ‘health and safety’ reasons. And they can’t guarantee entry into the lounge when I get there unless I’m flying upper class. I’ve had a look on the app and there’s an option to bid on an upgrade, and for £400 each, I’ve got a reasonable chance of getting it. If I don’t, then I’m in my original seats and it doesn’t cost anything.

the issue is, I’ve never flown business class before. It’s been a dream but this is the first time I’ve ever actually considered it. Financially I know it’s not worth it for the free lounge food and a lie down bed (we will sleep the entire flight I’m hoping!) but mentally I’m thinking that it might be to avoid the stress at the airport, the shorter queues and embarkation, and the extra treat of a lovely bed for the flight?

for financial information- I am basically a broke lone parent, and this holiday has already cost a fortune. But I do have enough to cover this as holiday spending money. It means we will have less to spend on our (all inclusive) holiday, but won’t bankrupt me. It’s more the idea of spending the equivalent of another holiday on upgrades to flights I’ve already paid for that’s the issue?

So lovely people of mumsnet- is business class worth it?

YABU- save your money, it’s not worth it
YANBU- it’s a big holiday and this will relieve so much stress that it’s worth it

Should be at 10 and 8. Hardly toddlers

My ex and I went to the US (we had already been split several years) and he booked separately as he flew in from the middle east, but was flying home with us. We had upgraded to premium economy and were excited as we were sitting upstairs on the plane.

At check in they said his seat had been changed and he was ready to argue when they said he had been upgraded. He said he couldn’t take it as was travelling with family, and I said just take it, and I went on to board. He then came up and handed me the ticket and said it’s now your seat!

I absolutely loved it! Would I pay thousands for it? Nope!! But enjoy if you do.

Yeah Qatar is definitely worth the money

Do it OP ☺️I had a five hour layover in jfk with dd and not enough funds to upgrade, all the lounges were full so we were confined to crappy waiting areas and a horrible McDonald’s 😅
have a wonderful birthday!

Do you fly it often?

You can book a lounge separately . Just look up airport and lounge access.
Priority pass is annual fee and then chesper lounge fees.

Haven’t read the thread but you should check what lounges are at that terminal and whether there are some you can pay to get in or a credit card you have gives you right to access. The fee per person is around $30 (maybe a little bit less or more, depending). I was going to tell you to go for it until I read you’re a broke lone parent.
another thing w Virgin is that if there are seats available, you can pay at check in desk for an upgrade, usually quite cheap vs what would have cost if you booked from the get go.

I have already booked us for premium economy. It wasn’t too much extra at the time and meant we had a bit more space 😁 sorry, thought I’d told everything but missed this!

1 hour between flights is not enough

twice a month?

Im not sure how long your flight is that your looking to fly bus class on? We fly exclusively business on long haul with our toddler and i wouldnt fly economy - but i value the actual seat on the plane more than lounge access. Sure, the lounges are great in that you can have as much food, drink etc in one place as you want and there is often a kids area, sometimes an Xbox or PlayStation for older kids, shower etc but personally, I could make do with being just in the regular airport. For long flights, i really value the lie down seats. We fly BA and the layout is a big problem. Im always put in the middle seat with my child beside me but because of the divider, when child needs me, its a nightmare. A dropped teddy etc and I would need to walk down the entire cabin and back up the other side, so dh will take any seat on the same side as child. Ideally across the walkway or the seat infront. For shorthaul we fly economy and although dh has dragonpass through his work for lounge access, we never use it so im definitely not a business class snob. I guess for £1200 id just consider how much of a dent it will put in your holiday. It's sounds like you can make it work, so if it includes the lounge which is important to you then go for it. If not, look into just booking one of the lounges you can pay to get into. You can do this directly for some or others you can access via subscriptions eg dragon pass. Here are the options im being shown for JFK

I'm surprised you don't think long haul business class is worth it then. Under 6 hours and especially euro business isn't but if you do that amount of flying anyway then you'd have status for lounge access

I'd never consider the trip from NZ in economy. I'd be a wreck.

I agree. I haven’t flown anything other than business class since 2010. The thought of a long haul flight without it being in a flat bed pod makes me want to cry.

Its JFK to London so seven and a half hours in total

Yes and yes

I flew BC (solo) in the past when it was the equivalent of premium economy seat but bc food. (Pre lie flat beds).

And later once with lie flat bed but my seat had a number of breakages (including no screen!) while I had aisle seat and “had care of DC” so only allowed OJ before takeoff while DH and DC (then 8) got the windows and DH was happily chugging his second bubbles before we took off!

have also done a number of overnight flights with DD in economy, including 6hr to Abu Dhabi and 6 more hours to Homg Kong, and the same from Beijing on return. (DD was 13 then, but ASD/ADHD).

We’ve also done a good few overnights in economy with DD over the years.

Honestly, the reason I’d upgrade is the lounge in the layover. As 6 hours is a good while, especially coming to evening when you need them to eat and start winding down for sleep. But if it’s an airport you know you will find foods they will eat, and check if there are kids areas or quiet areas to spend some time…weigh up is it worth it to you.

And for 6 hours, is it somewhere you can leave the airport for 2-3 hours (I’d be back with more than 2 hours “spare”, for safety) and do something to keep them interested, find some food they’ll enjoy but also get them fresh air and exercise to be ready to sleep? If it’s the same country as you started, that should work? Don’t think about massive sightseeing trips necessarily, but decent local area with a playground and food court. But leave enough time for whatever lines (security, border checks etc) and the general average of those so that you are not rushing. But in a big airport - there might be a train between terminals you can ride or similar.

Thanks! It’s really interesting how NT people are saying do it for the bed and ND parents are saying to do it for the lounge.

its JFK in New York, I’ve been before but only to go into New York and that’s expensive and way too much effort I think. Not sure what there’s there to do near the airport, but I’m looking into day time hotels at the airport

thanks for the help

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.

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.

@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.

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!)

The OPs kids are old enough to appreciate it.

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.

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?

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?