Business Class flight to Australia.

zagfles

dickydonkin wrote: »

I really don't get what your issues are with me.

Everything I post you you disagree with -

Err, you first posted disagreeing with me!

You are obsessed with the 'dorm' concept.

Because that's basically what it is as far as I can see! A bed in a space shared with lots of others, with shared toilets etc. Like a dorm in a hostel.

Have you actually flown in J?

No. Which is why I am asking questions about it and why anyone thinks it's worth the sort of money the OP is considering paying for it.

I would prefer sleeping in a 'dorm' paying sometimes little more than economy than having a reclining seat shoved in my face, being fed inedible 'food', kids kicking the back of my seat, people of size encroaching into my seat, fellow passengers using your headrest as a handrail etc etc.....

But as I mentioned earlier.......each to their own.

To return your question - have you ever flown economy? I've done about 40 long haul economy flights and probably over 100 short haul and never has any of the above happened to me. Only serious annoyance was some idiots on a stag do on a Ryanair flight from Eastern Europe. You don't get many stag do's on long haul flights I've found

However...last time on SIA, we were sat upstairs at the back of the A380, we walked through the BC cabin on the way to our seats, BC passengers had already boarded. There were a couple of kids in BC with their father (I presume), the kids were chucking peanuts at each other trying to catch them in their mouths. Father ignored them. Snotty looking couple say nearby looked really disgruntled tutting and shaking their heads

You don't avoid annoying passengers by travelling BC it seems!

littlereddevil

You certainly don't avoid them! Always seems to be kids in BC nowadays

BobQ

Or you could travel by surface if your have the time

http://www.seat61.com/Australia-overland.htm

Filo25

Am thinking of making my first trip to Aus next year as well, will not be flying in anything lower than Business!

I hate flying in long haul economy, that is purely a personal thing, but I rarely sleep on flights and just find economy claustrophobic and uncomfortable after more than about 3-4 hours, even flying back from Athens I paid extra for an emergency exit seat.

I know many will find it a waste of money, but its worth it for me to make the flight something pleasant rather than very much the opposite.

I've got my first trip in First coming up this weekend, that I really couldn't justify normally but in this case the fare differential with Business was so small that I could justify it with the increased Airmiles I would earn from the class upgrade.

I'm jealous of those who can put up with economy long haul, it saves them a fortune!

zagfles

Filo25 wrote: »

Am thinking of making my first trip to Aus next year as well, will not be flying in anything lower than Business!

I hate flying in long haul economy, that is purely a personal thing, but I rarely sleep on flights and just find economy claustrophobic and uncomfortable after more than about 3-4 hours, even flying back from Athens I paid extra for an emergency exit seat.

I know many will find it a waste of money, but its worth it for me to make the flight something pleasant rather than very much the opposite.

I've got my first trip in First coming up this weekend, that I really couldn't justify normally but in this case the fare differential with Business was so small that I could justify it with the increased Airmiles I would earn from the class upgrade.

I'm jealous of those who can put up with economy long haul, it saves them a fortune!

I think the secret is to treat it like any long car or coach journey - they're just as "claustrophobic" - but you woudn't drive 12 hours non-stop and a coach would stop every few hours for a break/stretch of legs.

On a plane it's obviously not going to stop but you can still get up and have a wonder around every few hours, have a chat to the staff, or even fellow passengers with the same idea, you quite often see a few stood at the back of an A380 or 747, there's a fair bit of space there to stand around, stretch etc.

If you're availing yourself of the free booze you'll be forced to get up every few hours anyway for obvious reasons

zagfles

BobQ wrote: »

Or you could travel by surface if your have the time

http://www.seat61.com/Australia-overland.htm

On my bucket list! Well, maybe. You get "dorms" included on the trans-siberian express and they're only 4-berth!

bigadaj

zagfles wrote: »

On my bucket list! Well, maybe. You get "dorms" included on the trans-siberian express and they're only 4-berth!

Two berth if you're lucky.

Very variable travel companions though, one leg of my trip resulted in sharing with an Australian couple and a Mongolian trader, the latter storing his leg of lamb on the table for a few days which he gradually gnawed through!

duchy

It's no different to booking a four star Marriott hotel room rather than Travelodge . Both do the job and if your budget is tight the TL is fine but for some people indulgence is a big part of their holiday.

Personally if it was a choice between economy and Over priced fussy restaurants or Business and middle of the road eating out it'd be no contest as I like to experience new places as a local where possible. Likewise my last two holidays were a mix of hotels and Airbnb and I got better value and had marvellous hosts from Airbnb. Wouldn't have suited someone who valued five star facilities over local atmosphere but I loved it.

zagfles

bigadaj wrote: »

Two berth if you're lucky.

Very variable travel companions though, one leg of my trip resulted in sharing with an Australian couple and a Mongolian trader, the latter storing his leg of lamb on the table for a few days which he gradually gnawed through!

Yes, I used to use couchettes when inter-railing round Europe a few decades ago - had some very interesting travelling companions

zagfles

duchy wrote: »

It's no different to booking a four star Marriott hotel room rather than Travelodge . Both do the job and if your budget is tight the TL is fine but for some people indulgence is a big part of their holiday.

But the point is the price differential is on a different scale. The Marriott isn't going to cost you £2k more than the travelodge. I can understand people thinking it's worth paying a hundred or two extra for a luxury hotel or flight, but not a thousand or two!

When we went on our honeymoon (over 20 years ago :eek:) I was determined we'd fly first class. Being naive I thought the price would be maybe double the economy fare or so, but it's our honeymoon so wanted a bit of luxury. But on making enquiries found it was EIGHT times the economy fare, £3200 instead of £400 :eek: EIGHT!! I couldn't believe it! And this was only to the US, not Aus!

Would have just about been able to afford it, but in the end we both thought it was absolutely crackers to pay £5600 extra for a few hours of luxury in the air when that sort of money would pay for 3 weeks of luxury on our holiday, top end hotels, meals, tours, flight through the grand canyon, and to top it off a side trip to Hawaii :cool: