Business class innit

RMJ

Being flown to US for work this week. Going business class both ways. Currently set in the lounge like a virus waiting to be detected by the affluent antibodies.....

Anyone done this before? 

rlw

Flown Business Class once before, on an almost empty plane flying to Belfast on a quiet Saturday afternoon.  A very odd experience.

octatonic

I don't bother for short haul but only do business class long haul now.

My shoulders are wider than an economy seat so it is a miserable experience otherwise.

Grangousier

I know how you feel - travelling with my guitar I discovered that getting a Club Class ticket one way gave me the extra bag for both legs and was cheaper than buying an extra bag and two Economy tickets (they've stopped doing that now, bastards). I didn't really think about it until someone who had a lot more experience with flying told me about the Club lounge. I was amazed, and spent the whole time thinking I was going to be chucked out (with a voice in my head saying "You have a ticket! You're supposed to be here! You have a ticket!")

I also felt very grubby compared to the astonishingly clean people who habitually fly at the front of the plane. 

The second time is a lot easier. 

merlin

I flew to New York many years ago and on the way back (I think I was flying Gulf Air but don't remember) the flight was overbooked. I was offered by the totally flustered guy a seat on a British Airways flight, so he gave me a voucher and off I went to the BA desk where I was told that there were no seats in Standard. So I went back and found a mad crowd of angry passengers hurling abuse at this poor guy. 

After they left, with no tickets until the next day, I asked his really nicely and politely if he could give me a Business seat. He hesitated but then handed me a voucher for a Business seat on the BA flight. 

This was the only time I've flown Business across the Atlantic and it was great. If I had the funds I would do it every single time, but I don't so I can't. 

Grangousier

A very powerful moral lesson, there, about not being an arsehole, even under pressure. I wish I could do that, but it seems arsehole is my default setting and very difficult to switch off. 

Cols

RMJ said:

Being flown to US for work this week. Going business class both ways. Currently set in the lounge like a virus waiting to be detected by the affluent antibodies.....

Anyone done this before? 

More times than I’d care to recall.  Which airline?

meltedbuzzbox

I've done business to the US a fair few times now. 
British airways were a shit load better than Delta. 

All good fun either way

RaymondLin

Only done it once from Lisbon, it was only a £75 upgrade and I put it through my business.  Short haul is not worth it normally but for the relatively little cost this was good, with lounge access and a full 3 course meal with steak for lunch.

Long haul I wouldn't pay for it for the cost/value, I just suck it up and spend the extra hundreds or thousand for a better hotel stay.  Unless I can redeem some air miles for it.

SteveRobinson

I once flew 1st class to the USA (and back) as I had a ton of upgrade vouchers to use up. I was the only person in the cabin and on disembarking, the flight attendant gave me a bottle of champagne as I hadn't drunk any during the flight.

RMJ

Cols said:

RMJ said:

Being flown to US for work this week. Going business class both ways. Currently set in the lounge like a virus waiting to be detected by the affluent antibodies.....

Anyone done this before? 

More times than I’d care to recall.  Which airline?

American Airlines

stickyfiddle

RMJ said:

Being flown to US for work this week. Going business class both ways. Currently set in the lounge like a virus waiting to be detected by the affluent antibodies.....

Anyone done this before? 

I fly a lot so have lounge access pretty much anywhere these days. Free champagne always make everything a little bit better.

The highlight was flying to NYC from Abu Dhabi in First earlier this year (on miles and a companion ticket, not cash!!). Something like 16 hours each way, in an A380, with vintage champagne and perfectly cooked steak whenever I wanted it.  It was **really** good. 

The best bit was having a glass from the wine list of a tiny boutique wine from a vineyard in Australia that we'd had a tour of and met the winemaker the previous summer. My 15-year old self wouldn't recognise me...

And now i'm going to stop talking because the rest of my life isn't like that and you'll get the wrong idea! 

skunkwerx

The best I’ve ever got is when I turned up to work once and got asked to go cover the Bluewater store, the perk was I got to finish at my usual time still. 

So I took a very slow drive across the congested toll bridge and arrived in time for lunch. It was brilliant. 

I think they refunded me some petrol, it was about £2.. even though I claimed I used a Ferrari for the journey, which obviously used more fuel.. they didnt buy it... 

Cols

RMJ said:

Cols said:

RMJ said:

Being flown to US for work this week. Going business class both ways. Currently set in the lounge like a virus waiting to be detected by the affluent antibodies.....

Anyone done this before? 

More times than I’d care to recall.  Which airline?

American Airlines

The Heathrow lounge isn’t the best; if you’re there you could see if you could get into BA lounge instead as they’re both Oneworld airlines.

 Main advantages of Business Class is that you get a lot more room, decent food and a lie flat seat.  Relax, enjoy the free food and drink (don’t get hammered though) and be polite to the stewardesses. 

bluechargeboy

I just got back from the US in business class (American), although we usually go premium economy these days. The AA lounge was a much nicer place to spend the 3 hour delay, and the business class seat was also a much nicer place to spend the next 3 hour delay while they fixed the plane.

Once aloft, I rejected the meal and slept well. All hail the lie-flat bed!

Roland

For me the Business/Economy decision depended on the flight. Business is useful for lounge access, but for a short haul early morning flight I'd prefer to eat a cooked breakfast in a restaurant, and sleep through the flight in one of those unwanted seats at the back of economy.

Coming home on a Friday evening I'd prefer lounge access, where I could finish my weekly reports and admin. On one project in Paris I used to meet my supplier counterparts in the BA lounge so that we could coordinate our reports. Once you get above five hours, so anything further than New York, I'd definitely go Business Class for the lounge, the seats, the better food, and not needing a day's recovery time.

I regularly used to send people to Mumbai. Business class was essential. Monday in the London office. Overnight to Mumbai. Three full days into which you could pack four or five day's activity. Back Thursday overnight. Friday morning in the office to debrief, then home on the early train. Using economy would have meant weekend travel plus time off in lieu. So Business class was more cost effective than Economy.

I always used to travel light, so extra baggage never worried me. Nowadays, when anything more than a laptop is a chargeable extra, that might be a different case.

bluechargeboy said:

Once aloft, I rejected the meal and slept well. All hail the lie-flat bed!

I have that T shirt. The only food which seems to survive airline catering is a Jet Airways curry.