DP wants to fly Business Class!

[girlynut]

We're planning a trip to Florida next year with DSs (who will be 11 and 7). Two weeks at a hotel in Orlando (to do all the theme parks) followed by a week at a villa on the Gulf Coast to recover.

I've been making some initial searches for the best deals and can get flights, accommodation and car hire for 5,500. We'll have to consider how much the park tickets will add up to but I'm on the case...

Last night DP sprung it on me that he wants to fly Business Class, as this will be a "once in a lifetime" trip and we should blow the budget. I'm going to get some quotes but I'm guessing Business Class will add at least 4,000 to the cost. As a family with a combined income of under 50,000, we're not rolling in money and it seems like a waste of money which could be better spent on something else. I know the DSs won't appreciate it and if we're flying longhaul with a decent airline, Economy won't be so bad.

DP has some hairbrain scheme about airmiles, assuring me that we can all four fly Business Class to Florida for around 1,000! 1. We don't have any airmiles and 2. even if we saved airmiles over the coming year I'm not sure we'd have enough.

Do you think BC is worth the cost for such a trip? Anybody know much about airmiles? [hopes for lots of posts agreeing it is a silly idea so I can wave thread under DP's nose]

Honestly, don't waste the £1200 (for the 4 of you) on seats that are a little wider - the kids won't notice, and think what you could get out of that sum on your holiday that you'd really notice

Honestly, I think there are much better things to spend your money on unless you have a lot more money to spare. I've never paid for Business class out of my own pocket and our household income is about three times yours.

We once went Premium Economy to Japan (a longer trip) for the extra space. DH's flight was paid for so it was only three of us. Even that I'm not sure was really worth it.

To be honest OP, I'm amazed you could get 4 flights, a car, and three weeks accommodation for £5500! Who is that with?

I've never flown first class, but we were bumped up to premium economy on the return flight of our honeymoon, and it was great to be able to stretch out. I find the flight to Florida fine, there are films and games and meals, and the time goes quite quickly. It does drag on the overnight flight back though, and I can't sleep at all sitting up in one of those seats. Could you just upgrade to come back?

I would also look at the other costs before you upgrade. Is your car insurance included? That can be expensive. If you are going to do all the parks (not just Disney) the tickets will be expensive. I think it's over £1000 for four people to have a fortnight pass to Disney. At Disney your 11 year old will pay adult prices. You need to factor in the cost of parking per day at a theme park, unless you are staying on Disney or Universal property. It used to be very cheap to eat in Orlando, but not so much now. We used to find the supermarkets cheap too, but prices have gone up there too.

I hope you have a lovely time, I'm very jealous that you are going for three weeks! I would seriously check all the costs though. Years ago we saved our tesco points and had money off a virgin holiday. We saved for a few years and saved about £500, but it wouldn't have covered any flight upgrades.

floridamasters.co.uk/

These guys have some really great deals and I love the idea of combining a hotel with a villa.

Quote was 5,500 for United Airlines (economy!) flights LHW - Orlando and return Tampa - LHW, 14 nights hotel, 7 nights 4-bedroom villa in Sarasota, fully insured 4x4 SUV for the duration and Kids Eat Free cards.

Seems like a great deal but I'll read the small print.

I'll make sure that I research the ticket prices and whether we'll have to drive / park or catch a free bus. Thanks for the heads up!

Cheap though is not always cheerful. They're basically doing what you can easily do yourself by booking direct with the airline or villa agents.

I would read their terms and conditions VERY carefully before making any such booking because they may well be offering what is known as a "dynamic package". A dynamic package holiday is simply to be avoided.

You would never ever get 4 business class seats, even on an airline like United, for 1K. Your man's scheme is unfortunately unworkable.

I've just thought of a problem. Your flight would be with United Airlines, and air miles, which are now called Avios are only available with British Airways. We've only used Avios once, and it wasn't easy to get what we wanted. We had to be very flexible with dates, and booked a flight three weeks after our ideal date!

Premium economy is rubbish, don't do it!!! Not worth the extra cost on economy.
Business class is heaven but if only do it for a really long flight (12 hours plus).
It's not worth it to florida

We had 2 weeks in Florida and NYC last year. The whole thing coat us £10k plus pending. Altogether £14/15k. And that was economy. Check your sums OP.

I am about to fly first (never been business) and am very excited! But work is paying for that. I will take photos for the kids

We have some airmiles from both DH flying for work a few times a year and collecting and converting Tesco Clubcard points.
We only book economy flights in Europe where the taxes are capped at £35 per person.
Would never earn enough for business class but wouldn't be that bothered anyway. Much rather have an extra holiday.

This year
DH has flown very infrequently, a pattern that's set to continue, and in the future we won't have any airmiles to use.
Not bothered at all, and as from 28 th if this month they are being seriously devalued anyway. You still have to pay hefty taxes on long haul flights, and that is when you manage to get them!

Currently in Australia - flew here Business Class with dh and 2 dc. Cost over £12k for return flights (might have been £14k - not sure) . Very expensive but worth it for such a long journey - could actually sleep on fully flat full length bed. No queue for BC loo which was as fresh at the end as it was at the beginning of the flight. No bastard annoying seat recliners in front of me, etc etc. Would not bother with business class for US trip - usually fly premium economy for flights > 5 hours but less than 12.

I've flown business a few times through work. And it IS fab - no question about it.

But if I had to pay, I'd only fly business if it's truly long distance. Think LHR-LAX, etc.

Or if I was a multimillionaire.

I had colleagues who are in that sort of bracket... they fly business / first when at work, but tend to fly premium economy when on holiday with their family.

Business is great, I doubt that it's worth it in this case though. I would personally never spring for premium economy unless it was only marginally more expensive than economy, and I mean marginally.

We have travelled business several times on a complex scheme involving the purchase of miles via a frequent flyer programme, rather than earning them. Flyertalk will tell you more but I think it's very unlikely you'll make it work for that many people to that destination. Virtually impossible.

Just to clarify, Avios are BA's airmiles, not all airmiles are Avios. Each airline will have its own frequent flyer mileage programme and miles can usually be used to book flights on partner carriers (within OneWorld or Star Alliance). United are SA so yes, Avios are no good for flights with them (BA are OW).

We only ever fly Business ( and with 4 kids) but we have seventy trillion airmiles so don't pay.

I don't fly economy for a milion reasons, the lack of lounge being one of them.

Madbugger - How did you get that many airmiles?!?

We had masses of air miles when DH travelled 8000 miles a fortnight business. Once you are Gold or Guest List the number of miles/Avios given is more generous & you get more points for being in business. You also get matching tickets & free tickets if you travel enough.

Easily possible to do the trip for £5.5k. We are doing five flights plus car hire (SUV) for 2 weeks, £2900, a week in a 3 bed condo on a 4* resort for £425 and a week in a beautiful villa on the gulf coast £730. Park tickets and spends are more but we are cutting the price of park tickets by buying a 4 day Disney pass with one day free plus a universal pass, one day with one day free but the trick is to fly indirect saving a small fortune and identify the condos you like, say ones in the virgin brochure, and book them directly with the owners through owners direct. The massive advantage to this, other than saving money is you know exactly which condo you will get. Needless to say this is all economy but we expect the whole trip, minus spending money to be in the region of £5.5k.