I read this with a side eye that the newspaper needs spending to place the ads and fund them.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/planning-and-budgeting/i-can-ea…
I know there are a few posters here who both pay cash for higher class airfares, and work the systems for lots of points (then work hard to spend them).
Tell me your stories about when it is worth spending for the better class, or other times it has been worth dropping the frugality.
I rawdog regardless of class. I feel the same the day after the flight, so I wouldn't be spending on business thinking that you'll get an extra day at your destination. The value of business class lies only in the extra comfort while on the flight.
Nah, it's more than just the flight. Short lines to drop bags off, priority through immigration/security, then spending the lost 2+ hours pre-flight in a comfortable seat while eating decent food and having a drink. Pre-flight shower is also great if you have an evening flight after a day of sightseeing.
I still don't think the cost:value proposition is generally worth it and I can't see myself paying for it, but it's all those extras that remove a lot of the stress and frustration that comes with travel.
With the long haul flights it is the shower and decent feed during the stop over for me. Having lounge access during the stopovers makes flying a lot more bearable even in economy class.
Yes, you're right. The other perks of business are not having to queue up (although now with e-check in, it's pretty fast in economy too), lounge access, going on the plane first (to sit down and wait for the others to board) and your luggage are meant to come out first at the destination.
This is so true. My last flight to UK was delayed on the tarmac by three hours - takeoff was supposed to be 1am and it was well after 4am before we got away. I can't imagine how it felt sitting in economy for that length of time before the plane even took off. Meanwhile I was in business class (paid via points redemption) sipping wine and generally relaxing. Then once in the air I could put my seat flat and sleep comfortably. It's on those long-haul flights that business class is so worth it.
I've done it for work. The goal is to be able to land and start working, because I had a better flight. If my work is flying me business class to somewhere, the $10k is peanuts compared to whatever the project/contract is.
IMO airlines have done a good job marketing business/first as "luxury", but the real target is corporate. Unless you need to land and be as fresh as possible, just factor in an extra day of chilling into your trip and all will be good. I just book a seat with extra leg room and pick up a bottle of something in duty free and I'm happy either way.
Same reason I buy computer parts off aliexpress and find cheapo deals, yet my work laptop I expect a high-end spec'd laptop that can cater all of my needs. That laptop hampering my work costs money, my gaming machine not giving me 120fps at 4K doesn't hamper anything.
If it’s financially sustainable, go for it.
Business class is awesome if someone else is paying.
What's the point of being rich if you aren't going to do rich people stuff. If I was somewhat wealthy I would probably rather spend the money on something else and just fly on an airline with economy class I already like.
I think that is my thinking. I might have a top meal at classy restaurant a few times a year but that isn’t close to an extra $8k for a flight. I always get blocked by the idea it’s an unpleasant night in a seat instead of a bed, but that is weeks of work.
I guess I need to earn more so it is a fair trade of a day of work for a day of travel. But I can’t believe the biz class seats get filled with people earning $1.6m p.a. So I guess there are plenty of people earning a lot less who get it.
I think I'd need to be extremely rich to spend $8,000 extra on a flight just to be more comfortable for 10 hours or whatever. Statistically most people will never be that rich. I suspect business and first class take up so much room in a plane because rich people fly more often than the rest of us.
Most aren’t paying $8k. If money is tight you need a better strategy.
I've only ever redeemed J/F, I don't think I'd ever pay for it but there's some value other than the obvious seat + food:
Finger in the air, my budget would be a week of disposable income for J. F is just dumb - only if I had FU money.
I went to Business Class once and honestly enjoyed it, no lie-flat seat or champagne, but we did get to enjoy Porter's 5 Forces and a good old SWOT analysis.
My take is pretty simple. If you earn points from credit cards, and aren't willing to sell the points privately, then business class makes a lot of sense. Can easily churn cards to get the points for upgrades.
If you sell the points privately, business class is a complete waste of money. Much rather travel for a few days extra or get a better hotel for multiple nights than to just blow it all on one flight being slightly more comfortable.
If you buy business class flights for cash directly then you're either very wealthy or crap with money. The financials rarely make sense unless it's like your last flight you'll ever take type thing.
Business class were the only tickets available. Made the state government pay for it under the patient travel schemes. A welcome comfort after being stuck in a ward for a month.
I’ve flown Etihad first (2013) and Etihad business (2010 and 2017) to Europe and it was great.
I’ve then flown JAL (2024) economy and was also happy.
But flying Jetstar economy to Thailand (2023) was horrible. I’d rather not do that again.
If you have the money buy economy and use points to upgrade. If you don’t I would not recommend paying, just go for another economy class flights holiday somewhere.
Bought business class when Virgin had around the world business class tickets for $3500 each. Absolute bargain at that price and would do it again if I could.
We’ve flown Melbourne to Brussels Emirates business class on points and it was good to have lie flat seats to sleep and lounge access during the transit.
Last year we flew Qatar Qsuites business on points from Melbourne to Paris and on the way back I got First and the man in Business from Dubai to Sydney ( we couldn’t get two in the same class). The big score was 15 hours (by choice) in the first class lounge in Dubai.
We are getting a tad older and softer so 24 hours in economy is a daunting task. We save up our points to try to get into Business if we can but finding two seats on the same flight is difficult. The fees for business class points flights are roughly economy fares.
If you can do it through points I certainly would. Our current consideration is if we can only get one First class on points we might consider buying the business class to match. This gets both into First class lounges.
This article is the biggest '1st world problems' read i have ever read
Yup and we live in the 1st world.
In fairness it is a problem OP sounds like he is on the border of wealth in which he can afford the upgrade but struggles with the cost because it does nessearily present value
all i can add as im someone who has never flown business class is that it depends on how much to 'value the service and comfort' to how much you value money itself
i mean some people make 100k a week and wouldnt blink at the extra cost but most of us dont and the 'cost' of being uncomfortable on a flight is a price we have to pay to travel
if i could afford it i probably would for longer/international flights - the article is just strange because the journo can afford it but just want to spend her money which is a strange thing to write about
Being able to afford it and being able to justify it is two different things. The reality is we could probably afford to buy business class tickets, but have a lot of trouble justifying the costs. We could justify the $3500 round the world business class fare because it was great value. We might be able to justify one business class ticket if we can get a First Class ticket on points. We’ve done quite a bit of travel in economy, including when smoking was allowed on planes, and the novelty of being in the big silver bird has waned. Now we’ve tasted business class we look for ways to get there that doesn’t involve spending the big bucks. First world, absolutely. Then again so is a decent restaurant compared to eating Maccas.
Look at Mr World Traveller, jetting around in Economy class, while most of us can’t even afford a flight to Cairns.
@JIMB0: Ms World Traveller to you. Interesting point is we probably have done many more international flights than internal ones.
@try2bhelpful: It was actually a tounge in cheek reply to Trying2SaveABuck who was complaining about this being a first world problem while admitting they've travelled the world in economy class.
I read the article yesterday too. I have flown business a few times for work (London, Perth multiple, Chicago/Boston, Singapore few), but hard to convince myself to pay for myself. And if I do, I will pay for the whole family as the kids are still young.
Here's my thinking:
If you're near retirement, let's say $6k net ($8k less $2k economy, after tax) is ~10% of your salary. You could take ~1 month leave (assuming work was flexible). If was here, I would value this far more. (I value early retirement (30-40s) much more with flexibility to spend time with the family, invest and pursue multiple hobbies - to each their own).
My life has changed very much compared to corporate life. I never come near to eating for example like at a good hotel breakfast buffet, or have a red with a rich dinner, so a lot of the value proposition don't add value. And I don't need a warm towel to wipe my hands on boarding, although I did appreciate it then.
However, I wrote in an investment book - fly first class or your kids will.
Offsetting 3. is as I've gotten older and wiser, I've met many other successful people who are humble and generous, and think of others, and I think this is where I'm headed. $6k (excess over economy, say) for a few hours can provide so much more value in other situations.
I've flown business internationally a few times. Most recently was with points and to Malaysia. Like most others have said if someone else is paying or its with points then go for it, but paying over $5k each way to Malaysia is just not worth it. For most flights Economy on a quality airline is not a bad thing. When I returned from Malaysia I flew Air Asia economy back, not so much the plane or the flight was terrible but it was the clientele that you're stuck with the whole time. I'll never do budget airlines for international travel ever again.
I have flown a number of the major airlines in our region (QF, FJ, JL, QR) in international business class, but only using points. It was on the whole pretty amazing, but don't think I could come close to actually paying for similar flights with cash.
I think my mental price limit for business class would be around double the economy price, maybe a bit more.
I have flown BC to Europe for work a few times, and it was amazing, but I could never justify spending my own money, even though I could probably afford it. I would always prefer to spend the money on something else
I've flown business a few times - to London on work's dime, upgrade bid a couple times with my own money.
It seems to me it really depends on the flight and the airline.
The business class flight to London was definitely worth it - because I wasn't paying, because it is a LOOONG flight, because it was on Emirates.
The upgrade bifs were marginal. It was certainly nice to skip queues and have lounge access, but they were also daytime flights and not nearly so long as the Europe flights - so I too was left wondering if the trade-off was worth it.
I am 6”5 and have back issues. Economy is almost a show stopper for long haul. I use my points that I acquire via credit card or sometimes very low sale fares if I can get them. Or I bid to upgrade. I find it is worth it.
Do you perhaps mean a 'deal-breaker'?
I have flown to Europe business class, and closer destinations, and find it lovely. But when I have to pay, I am always struck by the value/performance trade off and it stops me.
Maybe I am looking at it wrong and I could have an extra trip a year if I didn’t have to spend a day stretching my back and catching up on sleep after a jammed economy flight?