Business class travel - is it actually worth it?

[redutnrip]

I’m always amazed when travelling at the number of people who seem to afford to fly business for leisure. DH and I earn well but even paying for premium economy seems like a stretch.

We recently went to Joburg for a safari and direct biz flights were £3,500+ and yet the cabin was chokka?

My sister and her husband fly BC/FC every long haul flight and they fly long haul a lot! They have lots of disposable income, nothing is paid on the tick or via points!

Me on the other hand fly long haul a lot but can't afford to upgrade but have made it one of my bucket list things to fly one time like that before I die! Preferably on one of those amazing cabins with showers etc!

It is worth it if you can afford it comfortably or someone else is paying

I have chronic pain and can't sit upright for long, so we always flew business class to Australia (have relatives there). I haven't flown anywhere since pre-Covid, because there seem to be more delays these days and my pain has got worse. DH visits his mum in the UK (European flight) and often books BC on the way home because it doesn't cost a lot more and certain benefits are valuable to him (needs to allow plenty of time to get to LHR so having the lounge is nice, two free bags so he can bring stuff back).

It's not just a couple of hours sleep though. It's all the time before the trip too. If you know you are in buisness then the flight is enjoyable and something to look forward to but if you are in economy it's something to dread, that has to be done if you want to go on holiday.

Having said that it's only worth it if you can afford it.

Depends on the airline and the length of flight I think. DH travelled long haul regularly for work, he had a BA gold card and got so many airmiles we got business class flights often.
Last year we flew to the USA on BA business paid for by ourselves and were surprised at how low standards had dropped since we last flew BA business. The cabin was grubby looking and the food wasn't that good. The lounge at Heathrow was awful, far too few seats and rubbish left on tables. I wouldn't pay that much again.

Business people who’s companies or limited companies pay for it. Americans who have few but expensive holidays. Richish people. People treating themselves. Its not really worth it with your own cash though! Unless you really need to sleep on a long haul for some reason.

I flew Singapore Airlines BC from Seattle to Singapore and return a year ago. For 18 hour flights it was absolutely worth every penny.

SA lounge in Seattle left much to be desired though, disappointingly. But Changi more than made up for it.

I know people who travel
business for work, get a ton of miles and then use them for personal travel and upgrade to business. Not every company allows this but some do.

100% worth it to me - but we're giants! Premium is bearable but economy is a no go. We normally do fly business, it's just something that makes a holiday for us. Sometimes we use points to upgrade or companion vouchers, sometimes we just shop around and get good deals on the tickets. We're not limited to school holidays which helps!

My children all fly business long haul. It makes a stressful experience a little bit less so, they usually fall sleep too and the in flight entertainment is always much better.

Plus I think having their own section where they can close the world off really helps too.

Thought about it loads of times, but there are better things I can do for £3k than sit in a bigger chair and eat slightly better food.

That’s £6k for the two of us. You can do a lot with 6k.

We tried business class for the first time ever coming back from LA with BA, it was DH's and my 50th and the kids had just done GCSE and A-level and i just thought "feck it, you only live once". It was a night flight and I chose to do it on the return leg thinking we would likely get some sleep with the lie flat beds but I barely slept a wink. The vibrations and noise from the engines were awful. I was far too hot, and thirsty, but didn't want to disrupt everyone in the middle of the night calling the crew for drinks.

The lounge in LA was absolutely lovely, though! A total peaceful haven, with nice food and drink, and so much space to find a quiet spot. It was really chilled. The food on the plane was ok but my body clock was totally out and I didn't want breakfast at all when they offered it in the morning but I felt that as we'd paid all that money we should try it. Ended up trying to force it down so left half of it. Waste of money. Lots of people didn't bother with it at all and just stayed asleep.

The business class lounge at Heathrow when we landed was a disgrace (we were flying onwards to Manchester). Far far too many people. There were tables that hadn't been cleared, we struggled to find a seat. It didn't feel premium at all and was such a disappointing experience. Also the onward flight to Manchester from Heathrow was pointless being business class. We had an afternoon tea virtually flung at us as there wasn't enough time. It was rows of 3 and they just kept the middle seat free and that was our "business class"!

The best thing about it all was the lounge at LA and the privacy of your own little space on the plane. Being able to lounge right back to watch TV was nice.

If I ever did it again (for a special occasion) then I would research carefully about whether the lounges included felt luxurious and exclusive and peaceful enough (I would NOT include Heathrow in this bracket). I'd also choose a day flight actually, contrary to what you'd think, as I think you get more out of it. But I am a VERY light sleeper, so if you think you'd get the benefit of the beds if you're a deep sleeper then it may be worth it just for that.

I see I'm not on my own with the crappy Heathrow business class lounge experience then.

I can't afford it but did it once and absolutely would for long haul if I could afford it. I can handle transatlantic (UK to US East Coast) in economy, but once it gets above 8-9 hours it starts getting uncomfortable. It would absolutely be worth it for a very long flight like Australia/NZ. If you fly from here to Sydney it's nonstop from LA, a 15hr flight.

Plan to go business class next time I fly to Joburg. My years of cramped economy are over.

Yeah, but don't you have to be a frequent flyer to get points? Most working people aren't frequently flying abroad for work these days since COVID and Zoom. Can't be many people who would have enough points to get that much off their flight?

Business Class is worth every single penny for one reason - for me - being able to lie down and sleep-on a 14-20 hour flight to Asia or Aus. The rest is a bonus, but its the flat bed that does it for me...not that I can easily afford it but if pushed, I would fork out

It was 5 years between visits and we were shocked at the difference. It was definitely not worth the extra money. I'd probably use premium economy if I was using BA for anywhere further than Europe.

The buisness lounges at Heathrow T5 are shite. Way too busy. I've stopped using the loo there as the wait is too long. The food is fine but the general poor cleanliness and the overcrowding isn't.

And don't get me started on those stupid black horses. What were they thinking.

It doesn't help that so many business men and women think I want to listen to their VERY IMPORTANT phone conversations. They are such wankers and need to shut the fuck up.

Yes it's worth it for long haul. We've mostly flown BA and haven't found T5 lounge unacceptable. We've been happy with it. The upgraded cabins are very nice. Some planes haven't yet been upgraded and it depends on the route as to what you get. We haven't found the meals on board awful either. We've used klm and there's not much difference. Emirates later this year. We have a sizeable holiday fund as we are now retired.

The huge advantage is lying down! Yes, I do sleep and I really appreciate having my feet up. I like having my own space and upstairs on the Airbus A380 has lots of space and spacious loos. I check seat guru before checking in/getting the seats. 14 hours to Chile is much nicer in BC.

After a business flight I'm far less grumpy when I arrive and we don't do economy on long haul. I'm just more able to function on arrival. Economy short haul is ok. Using Iceland Air this summer. We find T5 at Heathrow is preferable though and have never had any issues.

On short-haul, no.

On long haul day flights or mid haul overnight flights, maybe.

On long haul overnight flights, yes. I don’t care about the food, booze or lounges. The flat bed & opportunity to actually sleep is what you’re paying for.

The big problem with flying long haul in business class, however, is that once you have done it a few times you get used to it & the idea of a 13 hour overnight in economy sounds like a form of torture. Particularly if you’re tall. Or wide. Or can’t sleep sitting up.

Totally agree @SpottedDonkey - I'm addicted!

yeah it's all about lying down. especially if you're going straight into some heavy work days on the other side (which i always am, unfortunately).

On long haul, yes. But I don't fly very often and if I do (well, did!) it would be for a special holiday which I'd saved for.

For instance, 13 hours to Thailand, or my overnight flight to South America (BA) - I don't really like flying and any luxury is worth it. I love having my own space, my own 'bed' for the overnight, food at any time of night if I choose, lots of locker space and no fighting over toilets in flight or hand luggage at the end....

If I'm planning a long trip I tend to plan at least a year or more in advance and booking flights so far ahead results in fantastic savings on business class. But there's only me, I agree it's very expensive if you're going as a family.

Ooh Emirates is in a different league to BA! Chauffeur pick up for a transfers and you are delivered right to the desk. The lounges are incredible.

Also agree that the BA lounges are awful at T5, way too busy. Perhaps this is what they are trying to address with the changes to their exec club tiers🤷. The concord lounge is lovely though.

Old style club is not worth it, new suites is. Best business IMO Emirates, Qatar and Singapore. All three worth every penny. Other airlines vary.