Classless blended cabin for long haul flights

marsman802

globetraveller wrote: »

If you are in a First class cabin it is usually very quiet. Also no chance of escaping crying babies. Less people walking past you when you are trying to sleep. Hiwever it depends on the price. It would need to be a fair bit cheaper.

Ha I took my baby into First Class. Not sure everyone enjoyed it!

dickydonkin

jpsartre wrote: »

Smaller and more private cabin, less noise on overnight flights due to less passengers, less passengers per toilet, higher FA to passenger ratio. That's off the top of my head. Granted, perhaps there's a way you could integrate the latter two features with a classless cabin.

So that eliminates BA.

theonlywayisup

richardw wrote: »

What sort of other things on the aircraft do you like that make business class a different class?

It depends on the airline and not all these apply to all but are an example of what I have had in UC/BC and value (apart from the answers given above) - priority baggage handling/check-in, private or premium security lane/fast track departure/arrival, on/off plane first (beating the immigration queue), dedicated phone line pre/post travel, lounge access (most have spa's with a complimentary therapy), chauffeur to/from airport, increased luggage allowance, concierge services, seat selection for free, additional executive/flying club miles/tier points, better amenity kits, decent headphones, better food - served with really cutlery and plates(!), most airlines let you "eat on demand" and have a "graze menu" which you can have whenever you like.

There are novelties (which I don't rate but are fun) - bar areas, showers, pods which have doors, check-in from your chauffeur, being driven to your plane on the tarmac.

If you select your airline - even the plane they are using - carefully then you can get excellent value. The value has a knock-on effect as with BA Gold for example, you get 100% more avios and free seat selection for your entire party regardless of their status. With the additional Avios and Amex 2-4-1 I try to get 2 First or Club World trips for 2 per year for nothing more than the cost of taxes. That is value to me.

EssexExile

dickydonkin wrote: »

So that eliminates BA.

Oh yes indeed.

slinga

richardw wrote: »

What sort of other things on the aircraft do you like that make business class a different class?

We've started flying BC the last few years.
I like the no queue at check in, the lounge, the quicker security check the no queue at boarding.
But I never use the flat bed as I find it uncomfortable.

The fact that I can't see the missus directly or talk to her without us both bending forward is annoying.

Is it worth the extra dosh, well not really as far as the flight goes but the airport stuff is good but still not worth the extra, imo.
We just have a bit of spare cash to do it.

malkie76

slinga wrote: »

The fact that I can't see the missus directly or talk to her without us both bending forward is annoying.

Who have you been flying with ? As you probably know there are various types of business seating (and indeed different orientations within the same plane), which might suit your needs better.

You can use the footstool on VS as a 'buddy seat' I believe (although I don't ever fly VS). BA's central pairing seats allow pretty good direct conversation if you push the plastic divider back.

QF and UA offer side-by-side seating in pairs too.

zagfles

theonlywayisup wrote: »

It depends on the airline and not all these apply to all but are an example of what I have had in UC/BC and value (apart from the answers given above) - priority baggage handling/check-in, private or premium security lane/fast track departure/arrival, on/off plane first (beating the immigration queue), dedicated phone line pre/post travel, lounge access (most have spa's with a complimentary therapy), chauffeur to/from airport, increased luggage allowance, concierge services, seat selection for free, additional executive/flying club miles/tier points, better amenity kits, decent headphones, better food - served with really cutlery and plates(!), most airlines let you "eat on demand" and have a "graze menu" which you can have whenever you like.

You can get a lot of that in bog standard economy on a lot of airlines, and some of the other stuff you can buy for low cost.

For instance on Singapore we got free seat selection, can get food and drink whenever you want (just press the call button or wonder down to the galley for a chat with the staff), seat selection was free, we got vouchers which would have covered to cost of a lounge had we wanted it. Fast track security cost about £4 last time I looked.

Even the expensive stuff you could probably pay for out of a tiny fraction of the difference between business and economy prices!

theonlywayisup

zagfles wrote: »

You can get a lot of that in bog standard economy on a lot of airlines, and some of the other stuff you can buy for low cost.

For instance on Singapore we got free seat selection, can get food and drink whenever you want (just press the call button or wonder down to the galley for a chat with the staff), seat selection was free, we got vouchers which would have covered to cost of a lounge had we wanted it. Fast track security cost about £4 last time I looked.

Even the expensive stuff you could probably pay for out of a tiny fraction of the difference between business and economy prices!

You can't get a "lot of that in bog standard economy", you may be able to buy a little. But even then it won't be the same standard, which is fine you don't value the standard. Food and drink "whenever you want it" in economy will never match a BC or FC product. I've not seen anyone "wonder [sic] down to the galley" and walk back with a BC/FC meal. But hey, it's what you want to pay for - and that wasn't the original question. If you can afford it, you pay for it, if you want it, you pay for it. If you see it as a non entity, you don't. That is fine. My post was about the differences and for me, why I do pay. But I pay because I can and I see value.

zagfles

theonlywayisup wrote: »

You can't get a "lot of that in bog standard economy", you may be able to buy a little.

You can. I've just listed some!

But even then it won't be the same standard, which is fine you don't value the standard. Food and drink "whenever you want it" in economy will never match a BC or FC product. I've not seen anyone "wonder [sic] down to the galley" and walk back with a BC/FC meal.

I didn't say they did. I said you can eat and drink on demand, which you seem to think was a benefit of BC. I didn't say it'd be caviar.

But hey, it's what you want to pay for - and that wasn't the original question. If you can afford it, you pay for it, if you want it, you pay for it. If you see it as a non entity, you don't. That is fine. My post was about the differences and for me, why I do pay. But I pay because I can and I see value.

Some of the "differences" aren't different. That was my point. Don't get me wrong, there are benefits. But some of the stuff you listed you get free in economy on some airlines. And some others you can buy at low cost. That was all, no need to get defensive about it

theonlywayisup

zagfles wrote: »

You can. I've just listed some! Quite. But...I didn't say they did. I said you can eat and drink on demand, which you seem to think was a benefit of BC. I didn't say it'd be caviar. Some of the "differences" aren't different. That was my point. Don't get me wrong, there are benefits. But some of the stuff you listed you get free in economy on some airlines. And some others you can buy at low cost. That was all, no need to get defensive about it

Some.

I didn't say caviar either, you seem to miss the point.

There are HUGE benefits and the "freebies" you get in economy are nowhere near those you get in business or first.

I'm not defensive at all, I have no need to be. I don't fly Y because I don't have to, but I am on this site because I believe in 'best value' and for me and many others that isn't Y.

My post was about the differences, as picked up elsewhere, I merely expanded. I am not sure why you felt the need to defend yourself in Y as having those things J or F gives without the cost. It doesn't. But that is why J and F exist.

If you fly J or F (and I don't know or care if you have/ever will) but you will understand. At the moment it doesn't look like you do.