First Class vs. Business

[pjorourke]

Originally Posted by Gryphon

So my question is: What is the difference between first and business class on long international flights and is first class worth the extra $15,000?

Its primarily the seats, boarding & lounges. remember that most international travel is at night so sleeping is important.

International FC typically has a "flat bed" that you can sleep on. You board first, and have a special lounge before hand.

Business class has a seat like you find in domestic first class. Lower boarding priority and no special lounges.

Neither cabin will insulate you from screaming kids.

I think the best value in international travel is the business class upper deck of a 747. You get plenty of room to spread out. No screaming kids (they usually don't let them go upstairs). And the big FC seats are reasonable for sleeping. I have never been able to sleep well on the flat beds --IMO kind of like sleeping on a quilt on your kitchen table.

Take the 15K, have a real nice dinner before you leave and hit the spa for a full treatment when you get there. You'll be about 14K ahead of the game.

[Gryphon]

This is a question that this forum is probably better qualified to answer than any other group I could ask.

I'm considering a trip to Australia (a long vacation). I've looked at flight prices and for the long international segment (LA-Sydney), both first class and business class are available, with first class costing 3-4 times as much as business. In the U.S. I generally fly first class because the comfort and legroom are worth it to me. On my few trips to Europe, only business class has been available and is indistinguishable from first class in the U.S.

So my question is: What is the difference between first and business class on long international flights and is first class worth the extra $15,000?

[charlestudor2005]

I haven't flown that route, but I hear in that area of the world, the greater difference is in the airline you choose than in the First/Business distinction.

I would suggest you register at flyertalk.com and ask your question in some of the general forums there. There are a TON of experienced flyers to that area of the world that are on the forums daily.

[pjorourke]

Originally Posted by pjorourke

Its primarily the seats, boarding & lounges. remember that most international travel is at night so sleeping is important.

International FC typically has a "flat bed" that you can sleep on. You board first, and have a special lounge before hand.

Business class has a seat like you find in domestic first class. Lower boarding priority and no special lounges.

Neither cabin will insulate you from screaming kids.

I think the best value in international travel is the business class upper deck of a 747. You get plenty of room to spread out. No screaming kids (they usually don't let them go upstairs). And the big FC seats are reasonable for sleeping. I have never been able to sleep well on the flat beds --IMO kind of like sleeping on a quilt on your kitchen table.

Take the 15K, have a real nice dinner before you leave and hit the spa for a full treatment when you get there. You'll be about 14K ahead of the game.

I have no idea how this post ended up first. I think the time screwed up, it should be the third post.

[terbul]

Originally Posted by pjorourke

I have no idea how this post ended up first. I think the time screwed up, it should be the third post.

I was wondering how you knew what he was going to ask

[charlestudor2005]

Never let it be said PJ doesn't have powers...

[RisingSon]

There is a big difference between First Class and Business Class on international route if the airlines is a real premium airlines like Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and other Asian Airliners. If however the airliners are domestic ones which extend into international flight, then the difference is much less! So choosing the right airlines is one key in travel planning.

Most international flights offer flat bed now regardless of whether it is FC or BC. The difference is that FC will give you a wider seat (50% wider), more room in your seating area, while BC is usually narrower than FC, but they are quite comfortable! Let's say the difference is like sleeping in double bed vs twin bed! Many airliners are now trying to upgrade their seating conditions (e.g., BA the last I heard in March), nonetheless, Asian Airliners are always the best, they always have a more modern fleet of airplanes.

The service in FC is always better and more attentive. For example, you get a pajama to change for long flight, and they'll make up the bed for you. No such luck with domestic one like American, which is considered better than many of its counterparts! For example, when you arrive at the airplane gate, AA's attendants will point you to the FC cabin while they usually continue with their chit-chatting with other attendants - find your own seat, baby! But Asian Airliners will welcome you first, lead you to your seat, help you stow your carry-on, hang your coat, and welcome you onboard with drinks.

Food and wine are always better in FC than in BC, always a better wine selection.

The best way to travel to Australia, which will be a long long flight, is to fly Around-The-World fare in FC. It is only about $3-4,000 difference between FC and BC.

My recommendation is to fly to London, take a day off there to see the city unless you want to spend more time. Then catch Qantas from London to Singapore, then to Sydney on new Airbus 380! While in Australia, you are allowed to fly to 3 other cities as part of the deal (you are allowed to make 4 city-stops in each continent)! After that, you can fly back via Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific back to US. They will count it as 3-continent stops if you don't stop in Hong Kong. So for a vacation, it is a nice adventure for only a little extra money, and you'll be traveling in style. LOL.

[discreetgent]

In the US you are flying through the West Coast. Delta Business-First has very nice flat beds, and the cost was around 5K RT, way better than straight FC

[rakuguy]

Originally Posted by pjorourke

I have no idea how this post ended up first. I think the time screwed up, it should be the third post.

i agree it's a time stamp issue possibly related to the post below -rak

Originally Posted by St.Christopher

Over the next several days, we will be doing some optimization exploration on the site that will affect various areas of how the site appears to you. Some features will be turned off and on, or moved around, so don't be alarmed by any thing that seems odd or out of place. We are preparing for our next phase of development which includes a number of enhancements to the user-experience on ECCIE.....and we need to make sure all the pieces fit and function well together. Sorry for any inconvenience and we'll get through this as promptly as possible.

Thanks!

St. C

[John Bull]

www.seatguru.com

[charlestudor2005]

Originally Posted by St.Christopher

Over the next several days, we will be doing some optimization exploration on the site that will affect various areas of how the site appears to you. Some features will be turned off and on, or moved around, so don't be alarmed by any thing that seems odd or out of place. We are preparing for our next phase of development which includes a number of enhancements to the user-experience on ECCIE.....and we need to make sure all the pieces fit and function well together. Sorry for any inconvenience and we'll get through this as promptly as possible.

Thanks!

St. C

Maybe they'll be turning providers into hobbiests and vice versa. Or, they'll be swapping out one showcase for another. Talk about misleading pics...

[Sisyphus]

My, admittedly, rather limited experience largely concurs with what's already been posted.

What I have to add is... it depends largely upon the airline....

For example, international business class on British Airways (Houston-to-London, London-to-Houston) is comparable with first class on US-based carriers like American or Continental along the same route. First class on British Airways smokes (same routes) anything I've ever experienced on any other airline & I suspect there are other carriers that trump BA.

My rule of thumb on such travel.... I fly business class outbound (red-eyes) as it provides enough comfort (a decent meal & a flat or flat enough seat-bed) to arrive ready to function through the following day. If all goes well, I plan to be asleep most of that flight anyway. I fly First Class on the return where I plan to be awake enough to fully appreciate all of the extras.

[WTF]

I thought all you peeps had your own G5's

[atlcomedy]

Originally Posted by pjorourke

Its primarily the seats, boarding & lounges. .

Originally Posted by John Bull

www.seatguru.com

great site JB.

that said if I'm not getting upgraded domestically the best seat in the house is bulkhead

In some cases you have more room than 1st/Business. The only downside is you have to pay for your drinks and need to board early to secure overhead space.

On most airlines this is not something you can reserve until 2 hours before the flight as these seats are held for the disabled/elderly. That said, this is one of the few times a man (exercising his charm) actually has an advantage as 80% of gate agents are female or gay males

[WTF]

Originally Posted by atlcomedy

as 80% of gate agents are female or gay males

I'm going to have to take your word for the latter