Would you pay £500 each to upgrade on an eight-hour flight?

[smoshna]

We're coming back from the US soon, around an 8 hour flight. It's a day flight that lands about 10pm US time in the UK.

An upgrade to business class from economy is around £500 each. Would you bother? We're not rich, earning about £10k a month.

I wouldn’t, but it depends what your savings and outgoings are like.

Yes

8 hours isnt that long. No

Not.for a.day flight that long. Overnight of 10+ hours definitely

If they are bringing home £10k a month after taxes etc that is way more than £60k each

I think I would just for the experience-it would be a one off. We have paid an extra £400 to go PE on Singapore Airlines overnight-and we’re pensioners on a modest income. But it felt like a treat and unlikely to do again. I hope it will feel worth it!

Is there anything more pointless than people getting exercised over the fact that different people have their own subjective definitions of what “rich” means.

Personally I think if you have to rely on a job and a salary to live a comfortable life you aren’t “rich”(in the financial sense), but it doesn’t upset me if other people want to define it differently!

On topic, I might be tempted to upgrade if it was a special occasion, but otherwise probably not. The food in BC is obviously better, but it still doesn’t compare to eating in a decent restaurant, it is just that on a plane you drop your standards!

When I fly BC for work I generally think - this is nice but I’m not sure I’d pay extra for it. The exception is flying overnight when having a proper bed to stretch out in does feel pretty good.

No. I wouldn't spend £1000 as a couple for one night anywhere... let alone in what is effectively a luxury dorm room with a shared bathroom and no shower!

I'd take the £1000 and use it for another trip with better food, better accommodation and more to do! You could have a lovely weekend at a fancy spa for that.

I would if it was a night flight but I’ve never been able to justify it for a day flight. 8 hours is not that long, I can tolerate economy.

Also, it doesn’t sound like OP is rich to me, though Rich is a subjective term. High earners? Yes. Rich? No. A rich person wouldn’t think twice about a $500 upgrade, they wouldn’t be in a position to need an upgrade as they’d always buy business class. High earners may eventually become rich, but that tends to be towards the latter of their career. Most high earners I know have high outgoings to facilitate their job (cleaners/childcare/dog walkers/food deliveries), high living costs due to job location (inner city housing costs or big commute costs) and private schools. These are obviously all their own choices. Are people like OP poor or to be pitied for their situation? Absolutely not. They are earning wages and will have a future that most can only dream of…that doesn’t mean they are rich.

I always pay for business class when flying long haul because I have a back problem and would find sitting for a long time very difficult - my DH doesn't have any such issues so does not.
So it's all about whether it's worth it to you

your earnings are unnecessarily vulgar here.
youve got the money. Go first class.

Not rich?

£10k household income...!

So what would you classify as rich?

Re the upgrade - if you can afford it, yes. Otherwise, no. Pretty simple

Ah but there's "rich" and then there's "rich enough to afford First"...

@notimagain exactly but some folk on here get deeply offended if you mention your income

its irrelevant - the questions about the upgrade

And for those who don’t know going business usually costs in the region of maybe 3k or more so even on 10k a month its not that doable to take multiple business class flights for a couple - that doesn’t even include the cost of the hotel and spending money

3/4k each that should say!

"We're not rich"

On 10k a month

Hahahaha. Don't be a dick

@Littlebitpsycho

their mortgage could be 6k a month, council tax £800, gas £400, utilities £300
car, 1000, pension payments, student loans, food

believe me it soon goes

But anyone who can afford mortgage repayments of £6,000 per month IS rich!

if i had a monthly income of £10k a month I would!!

I don’t think the issue is that the OP has mentioned her income - it’s the fact that she added that she and her partner aren’t rich with £10,000 per month and for the vast majority of people, that’s a fortune. I have never begrudged anyone who is a high earner, but what DOES make me angry are people who are so insensitive about their high incomes, don't realise or care how privileged they are, and then brag about it.

The only time I’d consider it is if it was a very special occasion in a Q-Suite on Qatar or on Singapore Airlines.

Any other business class for an 8 hour day flight isn’t worth the £500 in my opinion.

£500 from economy to business is an absolute bargain, btu be aware you won't be able to go back! Thanks to DH's frequent business travel and points he took us all business class on our last transatlantic trip. I slept on a plane for the first time ever and don't think I could ever do long haul in economy again.

Not in a million years, and I also could afford to do it. Donate the money if you don't need it.

I don’t think she bragged.

I never saw behaviour like that in first class in 26 years of working as cabin crew! You must have been very unlucky.

@Op obviously that £1000 is going to take years to replace on your meagre salaries!