Business class- worth the money?

[janni-chan]

Eyo everyone
Since most people in this section of the forum has probably flown a lot, I wanted to post this here- please don't get mad if it's in the wrong section! ._.

I've gone to Australia two times, and I'm now getting ready to plan my third trip there. Seeing I live in Denmark, Europe, it's a good, long trip with around 24 hours in the air and around 4 hours on the ground (depending on transit times) every time and I have started considering spending some more money on my trip and get a business class ticket instead of the oh so dreaded "cattleclass".

So I wanted to ask you: Is it actually worth the money to go on business, maybe even 1st class when you have to pay yourself? Of course it depends on the airline. At the moment, I believe it'll be Qantas/British Airways (it's only British Airways on the one hour trip from Copenhagen to Heathrow and then, Qantas from LHR to Sydney). Also, I got a little confused with Qantas- they have both "Business" and "first class", but I do suppose business is the cheapest of the two (I'm not a millionaire... yet ) Anybody who would like to tell me about their experiences with Qantas Business or first class?

Or should I just stick to my little cattle cabin and spend the money on souvenirs? :P I would love your opinion on this =)
-Janni

[kiwilliam]

Hi, I was flying from AKL to HKG via SYD with Qantas last year. It was economy class, and I bought my ticket really really cheap. I think I was on N class, I can't remember now. I went to AKL for checking-in on the right time. However, I didn't know why they upgrade me from economy to business class the whole way through to HKG. I loved it so much!!!! Really nice food, great service. What I agree is, you will get what you have paid. But I had a free business class trip from AKL to HKG anyway, and I was so pleased. But if I have a normal income, I would not go with Business Class, it's too expensive. While, it really depends on what you really like to do. Hope this helped. Cheers

[janni-chan]

thanks kiwilliam
Well, I fly so much, so I figured I would try something new this time- I don't have much money (I'm 18 and on financial help- around 500 USD per month) but I tend to get what I want even though I have to save up hard for it
Business is around twice the price of economy... maybe I should just take a shorter and cheaper flight to someplace on business instead of spending so much on the flight to Australia when the main event really is the visit itself.

Thanks so much for your opinion! I really appreciate it, and once I know how much money I can spend on this, It'll definitely be taken into consideration whether I really will go on business or not, but I'm glad to hear it was a nice experience for you
-Janni

[uy707]

Depends of the airline and the route. Not securing a business in "Classe Comfort" on board Corsair would be a source of contradiction, while the issue could be seen a minimal if not existent with most asian airlines.
Alain

[kiwilliam]

Janni:
Sounds like you have a good idea now, hehehe. I hope your dream come ture! You know for us---flights lovers are all want something different--business class or lounge access.

If you are travelling soon, have a good trip to SYD!

William

[Crunk415balla]

I flew in it on UA 744s, but it was free with my dads flight benifits. It was really nice, food and drinks faster, TVs on every seat, and better service then coach.

[Simpleboy]

On AirNZ business class is a big step up i have found, and i think you should pop over teh ditch to NZ too.

[pbateson]

Very high income can fly biz classes.

[janni-chan]

Thanks for all of your replies!
Well, if I don't hop onto business class this time around, I definitely will next year It's just got to be tried out I guess... But if everybody was like "ARGH! NO!! DON'T SPEND MONEY ON THAT CR*P!!" I wouldn't have been considering it now. Well, roughly, I'm going to Australia every second year to see my friends there, so maybe the business experience will be worth the extra money (I wouldn't know, I haven't tried it :P )
Actually, Air NZ is fairly cheap at the moment (not as cheap as Qantas now tough) when it comes to tickets from Denmark... maybe I should consider it
My biggest dream would probably be business class on one of the SIA B744... spacebeds!!!

High income is something I don't have, pbateson But it's not like I want to fly business every time I go out (yeah- keep on dreaming, I say ) and I believe as an one time experience, it's affordable
Thanks once again! I'll definitely take it all into consideration
-Janni

(Sorry about the smiley abuse!)

[NOTAR520AC]

I flew Qantas last year from LAX-AKL-BNE & back in economy class & lucked out on the way over there- I got an exit row seat. That was first class in itself- the f/a's let me put my feet up on the exit slide & whole flight was fantastic.

My QF 744 was configured with economy and business only (no first class) & from what I saw in the business cabin I don't think it's that much more than economy. If it was flatbeds, I'd go for it, but it's only a wider seat with more pitch. I managed in economy ok even without an exit row (aisle seat & got up often).

Just my two cents- enjoy your trip!

Justin

[Chris Kilroy]

To me, on long hauls, the difference between coach and business is like night and day -- much less than between business and first. If you're going on a regularly scheduled airline (not a discount carrier like Corsair, or other European charters), I would definitely recommend business. Most 'real' airlines on longhaul offer at least 50 inch seat pitch (about 20 inches more than coach), at least 150 degrees of recline (about 140 degrees more than coach) in business, and highly raised footrests in business. The difference in comfort between a C seat and a Y seat on longhaul, to me, is the main reason I haven't flown longhaul in 'the back' since the 1990s.

[janni-chan]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments- and I know that as soon as it's possible for me, I will definitely try business- maybe it'll get stuck and I'll keep doing it, who knows
I'm just wondering... if I end up on a flight like the one Justin mentioned- as in a flight where business is almost non-existent- the airline will have to inform you, won't they? Because paying so much money and only ending up with a larger pitch (which makes me wonder even more- didn't they even have bigger LCD screens or anything?)... I know I would go absolutely nuts if I was expecting (and had paid for) the whole business deal like the one Chris wrote about and they hadn't informed me that I would only get an extra 20 inches in my seat :P

Chris, I pretty much intend on going on Qantas if SIA isn't available I pretty much fell in love with SIA's business cabin last time I flew with them I flew in coach class, but they had to bring me up front in the cabin to get me out first because of my knee injury- so I got to spend the last hour of the flight in business
But at the moment, they're 3000 plus USD for a ECONOMY ticket... no thanks...

Thanks again to all of you!
-Janni

[NOTAR520AC]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments- and I know that as soon as it's possible for me, I will definitely try business- maybe it'll get stuck and I'll keep doing it, who knows
I'm just wondering... if I end up on a flight like the one Justin mentioned- as in a flight where business is almost non-existent- the airline will have to inform you, won't they? Because paying so much money and only ending up with a larger pitch (which makes me wonder even more- didn't they even have bigger LCD screens or anything?)... I know I would go absolutely nuts if I was expecting (and had paid for) the whole business deal like the one Chris wrote about and they hadn't informed me that I would only get an extra 20 inches in my seat :P

Thanks again to all of you!
-Janni

Well don't get me wrong- business was definately nicer than coach- the seats had probably around 20" more pitch like Chris said, and were wider (2-2-2 config I think) w/ greater recline... I myself would only shell out the $ if it was flatbeds. My plane was older too- VH-OJJ was built in 1991, so naturally it probably wasn't as nice as the newer ones.

[janni-chan]

Well don't get me wrong- business was definately nicer than coach- the seats had probably around 20" more pitch like Chris said, and were wider (2-2-2 config I think) w/ greater recline... I myself would only shell out the $ if it was flatbeds. My plane was older too- VH-OJJ was built in 1991, so naturally it probably wasn't as nice as the newer ones.

Oh, I see!
lol... I can't seem to concentrate to read things correctly the same day I've flown... this is the proof

[BA747-436]

To me, on long hauls, the difference between coach and business is like night and day -- much less than between business and first. If you're going on a regularly scheduled airline (not a discount carrier like Corsair, or other European charters), I would definitely recommend business. Most 'real' airlines on longhaul offer at least 50 inch seat pitch (about 20 inches more than coach), at least 150 degrees of recline (about 140 degrees more than coach) in business, and highly raised footrests in business. The difference in comfort between a C seat and a Y seat on longhaul, to me, is the main reason I haven't flown longhaul in 'the back' since the 1990s.

...+ the fact you have one of those money tress growing in your garden. Gota get me one of those