Business Class flights - worth it?

[supercee]

Specifically to New York (possibly from Manchester).

I have a big birthday next year and have already booked the hotel (free cancellation in case this shit show doesn't let up). Due to my single/child-free/pretty-disappointing-friends status, I tend to travel alone quite a bit and always choose the cheaper end option, so have splashed a bit more on the hotel.

Which has led to think F it, I'll splash out on the flights too. I've never been whisked away on holiday or treated to anything special in my life so I'll just continue to treat myself! I'm only 5'3 so economy has never been much of a problem but I upgraded to the bubble area the last time I flew to NYC and even that felt more special, despite still being economy.

So, is it worth it, especially for a solo traveller? I'm guessing you get access to a lounge and all that jazz.

Someone mentioned above but join the BA club and book a premium economy seat. Then you can pay a small amount to upgrade to business at the airport if they have any seats. I flew for work a lot and have always done this. On 3 occasions I was upgraded to business for free. Once to Brazil, once from India and once from NY. Happy days!

I would personally use PE for departure (however, there is no separate toilet in PE, people in that section have to use the toilets in Economy) and Club World on return as its a night flight.

NYC has been in the past a high demand and their most profitable route for the airlines. Therefore buying a Premium economy seat and paying for an upgrade at the airport is possibly not going to happen. Any available seats for upgrade are allocated more often than not in advance also to higher tier (i.e Gold or Silver) Executive Club members.

I would also not book anything definitive until the US travel ban to UK and European citizens is finally lifted.

(BA City Flyer have further reduced their service from Stansted FinallyFluid)

Only ever booked business class ones last year. But the flight was cancelled and took months to get my money back.
Now will never fly with any Middle Eastern airline again. They all took money for flights and didn’t deliver .

Qatar airline took the top prize for screwing people over. They cancelled our return flights as they said the government wouldn’t let people transit through their county only to start flying again within 24 hours of cancellation and the ticket going up 400%. Took them 9 months to refund

Ethiad booked business class but then cancelled within hours and took months to refund

Emerates booked and they cancelled the day before we were supposed to fly and months to refund.

Big up Thai airways they got us home

We were luck we had access to enough funds to get home

I flew BA premium economy to Tokyo and it was worth every penny - nice amount of space (it was a 13 hour flight), decent food and a proper glass of champagne on arrival.

Would 100% do it again

Guys, there is literally nothing worth paying £1500 for a glass of champagne and a dinner served on a tray at an altitude where your tastebuds are compromised. Save it for Peter Luger!

@AttilaTheMeerkat

Thank you, I eventually found this, they announced it on December 8th 2020

www.businesstravelnewseurope.com/Air-Travel/BA-Cityflyer-suspends-summer-2021-STN-and-MAN-services

How cheesed off would you be, if you had booked the MAN route and you discovered three weeks before a CV Christmas that you would have to fund a hotel the night before.

@burnoutbabe

Flying beck from toronto once I actually took a day flight. Stayed night at airport hotel, flight was 8am, arrived back around 8pm uk evening, taxi home.

Was great compared to an overnight flight and it's not like I would have done much on that day I arrived back in uk anyway.

New York should have similar day flights as similar flight times.

FWIW in pre-Covid times BA operated a daily JFK-LHR daylight flight with similar timings to the one you describe.

No idea when it will be reinstated but it used to be popular for those who had the luxury of not having to hit the office/go into meetings the minute they arrived in London...

@EuroTrashed I certainly wouldn’t pay that....the most I’ve ever paid for a Club World seat to NY is about £750.

If you make the most of the lounge and the flight in total it’s nearing 11-12 hours of luxury so for me, with a hectic life, that’s worth it.

I also disagree with posters saying go business on the overnight flight. The overnight flight on the way back from NY is faster due to the Gulf Stream (in fact last year mine was so fast we arrived before Heathrow was open!!) plus if you’re going to sleep you don’t get to max the benefits! I’d rather slum it on the way home and then sleep when back home. Usually I’d be driving back from the airport too so wouldn’t make the most of the booze either.

The overnight flight on the way back from NY is faster due to the Gulf Stream

I rather hope the fast flight was due to a Jet stream rather then the Gulf Stream..

But yes, you can get some V fast (but possibly bumpy) eastbounds if the winds and routing is favourable across the Atlantic, but it's not guaranteed...

Jet Stream yes.....silly me 🤣🤣🤣

Blame the fact I’m multitasking on a work zoom!

Check seatguru with the flight # (if you know it) before making a decision- business class isn't always the same level of quality, even on the same airline.

Eg, airlines usually put the best planes on from Heathrow to JFK but the same airline might use an old configuration for Gatwick to Newark. You might get unlucky and end up in a business class that doesn't have flat beds, just slightly nicer/ wider upright seats.

This has happened to me a few times, most recently between London and Asia. I was livid.

If it was a night flight I would, other than that, it’s a no. Save your money and buy yourself something nice in NY.

If you've never flown business then totally take the day flight as well- you don't have time to enjoy yourself properly on a night flight back from JFK, you are too tired.

It is really fun- even when you do it a lot. And although I rarely pay for it myself (work/upgrade with miles) if I had the cash, it was a special birthday and the price difference was reasonable I'd just do it.

Definitely a good idea to check the planes though. It is really disappointing when you are on one with the old configuration.

So on my nightshift last night I spent sometime watching YouTube videos of the Virgin Upper Class experience (anything to make the nightshift go quicker!) and I'd want to have the full experience if I do it, as in the lounge at Heathrow. I think they use Delta from my local airport and the Manchester lounge didn't seem as great.

Still a long way away but if I get a reasonable deal I think I'm going to go for it. It's not worth it in the money sense but I'm never going to have a job that will give me this perk or be whisked off by someone else. I just want to do it once for the experience. Excited now and I have a long time to wait. Sigh.

Sometimes, if you are prepared to stop for a brief period on the way (I prefer a stop as I like to stretch my legs and feel different air on long journeys) you can get very good deal.
I used both KLM and Finn Air and was really impressed with both. I got a transfer and upgrade to \Cathay first from HK to Heathrow because Finn were overbooked. I got £400 euro's for agreeing to transfer flights plus the upgrade and arrived an hour earlier.

My sister lives in Australia and I will only go business class that distance. Its lovely to lay flat in the bed and be waited on for 24 hours!

NYC I have been twice in economy and wouldn't justify the extra spend on that length of flight as in the cheap seats I had a nice meal, watched a film and felt good when I arrived (with more spending money )

The Heathrow Virgin lounge is fabulous!

I've done it once before and only because at the airport it was £439 each one way from Amsterdam to Tokyo. So for a 11hr flight it was absolutely worth it! Would I do it again if I had the money? Hell yeah!!!

Actually I tell a lie, we got an upgrade for £375 each one way on our return journey too when we checked in online, so you bet we took it! But by once I did mean one return trip. Just wanted to clarify.

I wouldn’t for short long haul - especially not of flying in daytime. Economy plus gives you more room.

Business is great - if someone else is paying! - and you have to get right off and work after a really long flight. It doesn’t normally include a lounge though, you need upper class for that.

I saw a great deal. Business class to New York. For our (3 x friends) 50th. Reduced down to £800.
But my friend said the flight was as so short it wasn't worth it.

I would've gone for that @Oblomov20! My flights haven't been released yet so will wait patiently.

Just go for it and have a blast! Yeah it's maybe more worth it on longer flights but it's probably as cheap as it's going to get if you book now. And it does make a huge difference to how enjoyable it all is. And Virgin Upper Class is pretty good

I fly a lot (pre covid)
NY IMO would only be worth it in the overnight return leg because it’s a rough jetlag otherwise and more importantly if you’re virgin etc you can skip the horrendous security queues right to front and then sit in lovely
lounge.
Not all Business class are equal
Virgin is fab for NY hop imo- but make sure it’s on the virgin planes not code share planes with delta
BA never worth it
Others somewhere inbetween

Agree with WingingWonder, it really depends on the airline and the plane. I actually think Virgin Premium Economy is a better deal than Upper Class just because some of their Upper Class prices can be ridiculous. You still get some bubbles when you sit down but not the lounge of course.

The trouble with upper class is that once you've gone there you dont want to go back.