travelgirl2

Just sitting here late at night, thinking. Our travel style is to search and search for airfare bargains and then plan our trip around them. This summer, we're going to Cologne for 25,000 Continental frequent flyer miles each (there are 4 of us).

I've noticed some people who say that they strongly prefer to avoid flying coach and will pay or use miles to upgrade to business or first class. I only flew first class once, when we got a complimentary upgrade home from Spain. It was truly marvelous.

But, if I can use my miles and go twice, I'd rather do that than go once and fly in style. The flight is only 8 hours, after all, and I can bear anything for that period of time.

What do you guys think?

barbmike

Hi T,

GOOOOO 2x's !!!!

Dukey

The one time I flew in Continental's "Business First" I felt it was worth the money but I got the ticket on sale.

I fly in First periodically, either by using miles or by getting a sale price.

When I spend more than 13 hours in the air next year flying to Japan I will definitely be in First Class but I'll be using miles to do so.

Paying full price, I think the cost of First, for what you get, is usually a big rip-off; Business perhaps somewhat less so.

I agree with your strategy of flying cheap and doing it more often or flying cheap and staying nice.

Carrybean

Odd one out here but since the job prevents me going more often, I opt for the upgrades. I'd rather do it up right for the big trip of the year.

ira

Hi TG,

1 cl is a very, very expensive, very, very tiny hotel room.

You could stay at a 4*L hotel for two nights.

Fly cheap, sleep cheap, eat well.

Dukey

I can understand, and appreciate, Ira's recommendations about sleeping cheap. I don't always do so but can see why many do.

What I find interesting is the rationale some use for not spending more money on things such as hotel rooms.

That old, "we only use the room to sleep" seems reasonable until you realize that people are talking about a minimum, in most cases, of fully a third of their day.

ira

Hi Dukey,

>That old, "we only use the room to sleep" seems reasonable until you realize that people are talking about a minimum, in most cases, of fully a third of their day.<

"Sleep cheap" is a relative term.

My Lady Wife and I now require ensuite facilities, AC in the Summer and comfortable mattresses.

The days when we were happy to sleep on cots in the garret are behind us.

gard

Hi

I have flown business and first a couple of time and it is a major drag to come back to normal coach class (or cargo class as a friend of mine called it ). I would use points to upgrade myself if I had the chance but I don't think that I would pay for business or first class tickets at regular price. Call me a cheapskate but that money can be used for another trip to another wonderful destination. And even if it is wonderful to have to luxury of business class it is not the flight that is the vacation...it is the destination that matters

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

hoya_rambler

The comparison of flying first class to sleeping at nice hotels is very funny to me. I insist on fine hotels, but I don't really care about upgrading on flights. My husband insists on business class or better, but he would sleep anywhere that has a bed. So lucky us?!?! Good thing that DH has both airline miles AND hotel points or we wouldn't be eating anywhere

Jan_Tony

We live in Denver so to just about anywhere in Europe is about 15 hours for us with one stop. We always book a package deal that includes Air&Hotel for around $3,300 to $4,000.00 depending on how many nights we are there. For the same 15 hour flight on the same air plane, staying at the same hotel in Europe but flying first class would be $9,900 to $12,000! To us it's just not worth that much money to have bigger seats and better food for a half a day. From Denver the planes are mostly 767's so we reserve a row with two seats in the back of the plane and make the best of it until we get there.

Jan_Tony

Oh yea, I wanted to say that Delta sky miles takes 50,000 miles for a round trip to Europe.

baby2

On short flights like SFO-SEA, we fly economy. But the last time we flew economy SFO-CDG in 2000, my back went out on me. Fortunately, it got better in a few days - bad beginning to a six week travel in France & Italy.

We have traveled club world on BA since then - love those sleeper seats. We come to Europe at least once a year, twice this year. Infact, we are here in Paris for six weeks this holiday season.

Ralstonlan

I know I'm in the minority, but we have been using miles to upgrade for our last four trips and there is no going back. We generally travel to EU once a year, so we save up the miles, pay for coach tickets and upgrade to business. For us, it is worth the extra expense.

MorganB

I always try to upgrade if possible. I cannot afford a business class transatlantic ticket but can swing the upgrade. IMHO it is worth it to get in the front of the plane any way you can manage. Not only do you get a bigger seat, you get priority check-in, priority security line (not all airports),and a nice lounge to wait in. When you get to your destination, you are among the first off the plane so when you arrive at the immigration counter there is often no line. Once clearing immigration your bags come up first. You then arrive at your destination fresh and well rested and are able to enjoy your first day to its maximum.

For me the bigger seat is the biggie. Coach seats are so tiny and cramped that I am miserable for the entire flight unless I get a bulkhead or exit row. But the entire experience is worth it.

lemidi

It is worth the expense if it is within your budget and does not mean sacrificing an extra trip or taking a second mortgage on your home. It is so expensive to purchase first class tickets but well worth it if you can. Upgrade is certainly the better way.

First class is more than just material differences; it is part of the travel experience while coach is just transportation. The difference in the cost is to make it prohibitive for some so that a cerain standard can be maintained.

canterbury

We're flying Business for the first time overseas in April. DH travels a bunch domestically and frequently goes BC or FC (courtesty of his company).

We used FF miles for the tickets. Our bodies are getting too creaky to fly Coach for that long and we decided to try BC. We could have used that amount to travel twice, but felt the extra room was worth it.

If we had not had enough miles for BC we would have upgraded with $$ to BC.

I also don't skimp on hotels anymore. I like 4*, preferably a small suite. Maybe a 3* but definitely a suite. Location has to be good. Bed and bath must be excellent.

Now food - I'm the exact opposite of Ira! I don't much care about it. Simple and quick is best. DH likes to enjoy a nicer meal now and then.

And I'm very thankful that we've gotten to travel as much as we have in the past five years. And I'm even more thankful that we can do it well!

BTilke

Ditti to lemidi. If upgrading to business *won't* keep you from taking another trip or force you to cut corners elsewhere on the trip, then it's worth it. If, OTOH, upgrades mean serious budget trimming for other parts of your trip, then it probably isn't.
When I'm flying on my own dime, I usually go premium economy and consider upgrades at check-in if the rate is competitive enough. (Fortunately, my business travel is almost always in first or business class).
Some people opt to upgrade one way. Many Fodorites say they prefer to upgrade to buz on the way to Europe, to take advantage of the flat beds. I go the other route...I prefer to upgrade for the flight to the U.S. because a) it's generally a bit longer than flying the opposite direction b) I don't sleep well on planes, flat bed or no, so I'd rather go biz on the day flights where I can full advantage of the other biz class amenities--food, drink, entertainment options, etc.

I do try to avoid flying regular coach if at all possible. I'd rather fly premium economy in January than regular economy in May.

travelhorizons

There are some great business class sales going on right now... I wrote <a href="http://travelhorizons.blogspot.com">a blog</a> on this very subject.

Madison

Definitely business/first with miles or upgrades. In 2003 I flew to London and out of Paris using miles. What a treat it was. Row 2 the entire time. In April I am flying to Rome and out of Paris, coach. I booked the flight months ago and when I got enough miles tried to upgrade and they said because I had an economy ticket I wouldn't beable to unless I paid in a lot of extra money. I said thanks, but no thanks. So I will save my miles and use them for next year's trip. It is very difficult going from business/first to coach. Never would I pay full price for a 1st class ticket.

Sue_xx_yy

Your question can't be answered without more specifics. (By the way, Dukey is right to compare this to the hotel room business: that 8 hours of rest for me is critical to the success of the holiday. Sleeping 'cheap' can be expensive, if one doesn't, in point of fact, ever get much sleep.)

As others have indicated, everyone has their own ceiling on splurges. I'd stop the bidding for BC at another $100 extra per person, per flight leg - which needless to say puts me out of the running for business class. Someone else might stop at $50 extra (same outcome) while others would keep bidding several hundred dollars more. Those who have large accumulations of flyer points can upgrade for little extra cash, although the dollar value of the points might have to be considered. If I flew as often as some of my friends do for business reasons, I'd upgrade as often as my firm allowed. That's one's life going by in those seats.

As for leisure travellers, you say you could bear anything - but it's not always a matter of a stiff upper lip (or a stiff back, as the case may be.) How old are you, what is the condition of your health? How many more years of travel are remaining to you? I'd send my mother business class in a heartbeat, if that was all that stood in the way of her travelling. She would really benefit not only from the extra comfort, but the extra attention, not to mention the relative greater calm and security of business class lounges. Travel is very hard on the very elderly, and the very infirm.

Point being, there are too many variables here.