Business Class 10hr Flight

[tonystarksrighthand]

I know this can't really be answered. But is it worth it? Business Class flight for 10hrs. I suppose I'm asking for others experiences.

Thank you

Well it's always a nicer experience. It probably has more benefit if it's an overnight flight. It depends on how affordable it is to you to a certain extent, it is just a nicer seat and meal when you strip it back.

yes.... but I tend to use avios to upgrade. I'm well off but not well off enough to afford a full price business class fare. There is an amex reward card that I push all our spend through and if you spend so much a year then you get a 2nd ticket free.

Don't most business class have lie flat beds nowadays? If so yes, I would. Sadly I don't have the budget for such luxury but if I did I wouldn't hesitate. Regardless of flight times.

www.americanexpress.com/uk/credit-cards/card-types/avios-credit-cards/

You have to judge if its worth the money for the premium plus - I just use the standard one.

If it's an overnight flight then having a lie flat bed to sleep makes such a difference. Plus you will get access to the business lounge and priority boarding. I have flown business class with work before and it was a very relaxing, comfortable and stress free experience. Sadly I don't have the budget to pay for my own business flight.

I have done many 11 hour flights in economy and will do more to get somewhere I want to go.

Never travelled any other class, but if I could easily afford it and not miss the money or have to scrimp as a result, I would go business, yes. For the comfort and space.

It's a cost benefit.

Do I want a slightly more comfortable 10 hour flight.

Or do I want a nicer hotel for next week. Or nicer room/suite or the rooms with lounge access/ free breakfast and snacks

To me I always upgrade the hotels over flights.

Its nice, but I don't think I could ever justify the £2k (or more) per person extra on flights when that could do so much on a holiday

Yes definitely if it's financially viable for you or you have the ability to upgrade using points etc

Even short haul we go business.

100% yes. We used to fly to LA quite a lot and the only time we ever felt 'normal' with no jet lag was when flying in business class. However like everything else I guess it depends on affordibility!

I’d always upgrade a long haul flight over a hotel, it starts and ends your holiday in a much nicer way and for a 10 hour flight if you can afford it to me it’s a no brainer.

Yes, but I wouldn’t pay full price. We did NYC return in business. Cost £2700 in total for the four of us using Avios and Amex companion vouchers. If we’d paid out of pocket it would have been around £10k. Personally, I love the extra space, a more peaceful cabin due to a lot less people, not queuing for the toilet, better food, the welcome fizz etc plus the airport perks of quick check in, express security and complementary lounge access. We never travel long haul in economy. If we’re paying full price then we upgrade to premium economy but business is better so we try to utilise our Avios as much as possible.

I think it depends on how much it costs and how much that money means to you.
I am flying on my first business class trip in February to LA, we used pints and the Amex reward scheme so it cost £1000 each. To me paying the full price would not be worth it, but then I don’t actually know what I’m missing.
I am very short so don’t find economy seats too small and I always take a sleeping tablet on overnight flights. Having said that I don’t like overnight flights at all.
I prefer getting the overnight flight out of the way and having a day flight coming home but we tend to fly the other way to the Caribbean etc.

For a 10 hour flight Business Class is the only way. You get lounge access, extra babage allowance, quicker check in and boaring. Really large seat private seat which becomes a bed. Chance to sleep for night flight. Lay back and watch movies on your own screen. Really nice food with proper menus to chose from. Champagne and any alchohol you want. Endless snacks (on BA from the pantry). When you get off your luggage is loaded off first etc etc. We splurge on one big holiday each year and always go first or business class.

Really depends how well off you are.

Are you going without other things you want to get business class?

Personally I've only been business and once, first, when travelling for work. For work, we get business for over 5 hours which I expect as when I get there I can't spend a day recovering. When going home, I want to see my kids not be asleep. When I'm in business for work. If it's night time I sleep!

It depends on the cost. For a couple, often, for a large family, maybe not! Sometimes you can get a good price in the sale that helps.
it also impacts carbon emissions if you are mindful of that.

10 hours is worth it
Night flight- very little service everyone goes to sleep
Day flight you feel that you get a little more in terms of benefits other than just a bed.

That said club flight are through the roof in terms of pricing at the moment. I wouldn't pay £6k for JFK which is the current price and a shortish flight.

The ITA matrix or google flights will help you to find the best price, particularly if you are not fixed on dates or airline.

Starting ex eu is much cheaper (Dublin, Amsterdam, Madrid or Budapest).

Lots of lounges are closed or reduced service and so don't assume there will be a decent lounge (a lot are just the same ones as the priority pass). Priority boarding doesn't really matter in club a sphere is loads of overhead space anyway.

People are mentioning Avois and BA amex. That is really stretched at the moment, for most routes in club you have to book a year out and 1st redemptions have vanished unless you are Gold and have a GUF. The premium plus vouchers offer more seats than the free card. You need to spend £10k a year to get a voucher on the paid card.

www.headforpoints.com
Has lots of advice to avios/miles collecting.

It's one night (or day) and so for me not worth it. I did get a free upgrade once which was nice but I'd rather spend the money elsewhere on my holiday than making my flight more comfortable. 10 hrs on a plane isn't that much fun wherever you are on it so I'd rather spend the money on something amazing.

I went economy to Australia and I survived

Nope. I've flown first class many times and business even more. Someone else has always paid for it or we've used our air miles.

There is no way I'd be spending 5 figures on a flight and most of mine aren't 10 hours they are 27. It's a handful of hours in your life seriously. There are some lovely bits (champagne on tap) but the fact is airline travel is shit. Business and first make it slightly less shit but it's still shit. The food is shit, the 'bed' is laughably uncomfortable, crap pillows, the temperature is always wrong. Premium cabins attract a lot of entitled annoying arseholes and if you aren't a 'gold' or 'platinum' you are still last down the pecking order.

The on board bar is the best bit to be honest but I suggest saving £8k and err visiting a lot of bars once on holiday. The redeeming features and the nice bits are definitely not worth that money!

We are just about to book our next 27hr flight. We can afford business easily but absolutely no way is it the worth the money so economy it is.

Its not like a convict ship
Most people do survive who travel to Australia these days.

Of course business is going to make it a much nicer experience. It all comes down to whether you can / want to spend the huge amount extra to pay for it!

I'm going to do it. Sod it. The whole experience for me sounds glorious. We haven't been away for 3 years so that's how I'm justifying the price.

I know I would of course survive in economy as I always have in the past, but fuck it.

Thank you!

Where are you going and how much is the business class flight?

Just to add its not always as expensive as people thing. I flew BA First class London to Singapore for under £2k back in April. I drank about £400 worth of Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne in the concorde lounge alone :-)