Has anyone ever traveled first class on a flight?

[BahrainLad]

First Class with BA many times. Either using Avios to upgrade (cheap) business fares, or Amex 2-4-1 vouchers and so on. I think I did once pay for a F seat in its entirety, as part of a LHR-BAH-LHR F/J sale during a hot August summer (nobody wants to go to Bahrain in August). I lived in Singapore for a bit and work paid for a couple of trips back to London - it was cheaper to buy an "ex AMS" ticket (i.e. AMS-LHR-SIN return) in Club and then upgrade to F with my own Avios, than it was to buy a premium Economy direct from London (which was within travel policy). Unfortunately these sorts of deals have dried up a bit and work are less "flexible" when it comes to this kind of thing. BA's hard and soft product in First have fallen behind the competition quite substantially in the last 20 years (around the turn of the millennium it was arguably one of the best, with a leading seat, soft touches like Krug champagne) however it's still a very pleasant way to while away a day and I happen to like the nice things the accountants haven't axed yet (like the Grand Siecle fizz...when they load enough...and the Blue label scotch). The seat is OK I guess but 14 of them in the nose of a Jumbo was a bit cramped. 777 better in this respect. A380 even better, did that a few times to and from Hong Kong and for a time when it was introduced they had a special multi-course A380 tasting menu which was a decent innovation. All gone now. One memorable trip was a long weekend to Cape Town in November 2012, a friend and I flew down overnight Wednesday night in First (lovely views of Table Mountain on final approach) arriving Thursday 8am having had a good night's sleep, four days having fun around the Cape, then overnight in Club Sunday night back into work first thing on Monday morning. A wonderful long weekend and best of all no jetlag in either direction!

On other carriers, it's been mainly business. Qatar are probably the best there (in fact they've pretty much given up on First their J is so good). Singapore business down to Sydney was good, their service is just a cut above. I did once do Cathay Pacific from Haneda to Hong Kong in First, this was tremendous value at 30k Avios + £5 or so in taxes one way. It's around a four hour flight but they put on the full longhaul cabin and a great service (four courses, decent fizz, blue label etc).

None of them compare to Concorde though, that was truly exceptional!

 

[takno]

I did once do Cathay Pacific from Haneda to Hong Kong in First, this was tremendous value at 30k Avios + £5 or so in taxes one way. It's around a four hour flight but they put on the full longhaul cabin and a great service (four courses, decent fizz, blue label etc).

To be fair Cathay was one of the best business class products I've been on as well. Full service on a 3-4 hour flight, decent-width fully-flats, and the bigger lounge at Hong Kong is geniunely worth showing up early for. I was a bit gutted that BA managed to mess up my outbound flight from Edinburgh, and got me there a day late on one of their planes.

I really dislike BA, and their business class product in particular - it's cramped, hemmed-in, the privacy screen is just awkward, the food is so-so, and the staff always seem a bit like they've literally just been bawled out by their boss for giving away too many peanuts.

 

[Airline Man]

I do, both for Business and Leisure. However saying that I work for BA! As staff I'm not entitled to use the Lounges. The extra legroom and space comes in useful which for me is the main benefit. The cooked breakfasts in First are nice, but I could get something for better in a cafe for a fiver. The suites on Emirates and other carriers are seen in the UK as a bit OTT and in your face and all about status. They wouldn't work over here.

If you've ever lucky enough to be upgraded then you'll never want to travel Economy again. I often ask myself If I would pay for First or even Business out of my own pocket. I'd say NO. It's nice but the price you pay for the Premium cabins can easily be 10 to 20 times the price of seats down the back.

And for those that think that they can get an upgrade just by asking for it. NO! The check staff have heard it a million times before and it irritates them. There are more subtle ways of ending up in the front cabin.

 

[takno]

There are more subtle ways of ending up in the front cabin.

Much as I like a good view, I think the very front cabin might be a bit much responsibility for me

 

[TravelDream]

If you've ever lucky enough to be upgraded then you'll never want to travel Economy again. I often ask myself If I would pay for First or even Business out of my own pocket. I'd say NO. It's nice but the price you pay for the Premium cabins can easily be 10 to 20 times the price of seats down the back.

And for those that think that they can get an upgrade just by asking for it. NO! The check staff have heard it a million times before and it irritates them. There are more subtle ways of ending up in the front cabin.

I have flown business for both work and pleasure usually paying out of my own pocket for the latter of course. Would I pay ten times the economy ticket to fly business? Hell no! That's far too much. I typically find flights for around three to five times economy and have, on a few occassions, found flights for less than double the economy price. Short-haul it makes no sense whatsoever to pay extra for the same seat as in economy, but long-haul it can make a huge difference.

Do suggest those subtle ways please too! :P

 

[packermac]

I do, both for Business and Leisure. However saying that I work for BA! As staff I'm not entitled to use the Lounges. The extra legroom and space comes in useful which for me is the main benefit. The cooked breakfasts in First are nice, but I could get something for better in a cafe for a fiver. The suites on Emirates and other carriers are seen in the UK as a bit OTT and in your face and all about status. They wouldn't work over here.

If you've ever lucky enough to be upgraded then you'll never want to travel Economy again. I often ask myself If I would pay for First or even Business out of my own pocket. I'd say NO. It's nice but the price you pay for the Premium cabins can easily be 10 to 20 times the price of seats down the back.

And for those that think that they can get an upgrade just by asking for it. NO! The check staff have heard it a million times before and it irritates them. There are more subtle ways of ending up in the front cabin.

Unless the BA rules have changed since I retired it was a dismissible offence to give someone an upgrade when there was no valid reason (such as overbooking). Then of course there was a list of who would be eligible first, Gold Card holders etc.

 

[BahrainLad]

Much as I like a good view, I think the very front cabin might be a bit much responsibility for me

Actually on a 747, the cockpit is above row 4 (at least in BA's config) so if you were at the front of First you were comfortably ahead of the flight crew.

A couple of things I remember about sitting right up the front - 2A and 2K used to get quite a decent view forward because of the windows curving around, the noise of the nosewheel coming up after takeoff and squealing into position, and the rattling sound coming from the ceiling just after touchdown (the lever for the speedbrakes in the cockpit moving automatically).

 

[packermac]

Actually on a 747, the cockpit is above row 4 (at least in BA's config) so if you were at the front of First you were comfortably ahead of the flight crew.

A couple of things I remember about sitting right up the front - 2A and 2K used to get quite a decent view forward because of the windows curving around, the noise of the nosewheel coming up after takeoff and squealing into position, and the rattling sound coming from the ceiling just after touchdown (the lever for the speedbrakes in the cockpit moving automatically).

It was also good fun in the BA layout prior to flat beds watching the unsuspecting passenger in 3A or 3K (although 3K) seemed more prone, get either dripped on or at times drenched in water during the decent. I do not know where above the PSU the water came from or condensed on, but I did once see someone get hit with enough to totally soak his shirt in the midst of his breakfast.
Boarding a flight where there were face cloths stuffed in the PSU from the inbound service always gave a clue this was one of the aircraft prone to this feature, which I think from a fading memory may have only occurred on the classic models, not the -400

 

[BahrainLad]

Yes I believe this was an issue on the Classics. The interior window frames in the cockpit were obviously made of metal, which got extremely cold during the cruise, so moisture from the pilots breathing would freeze on them. During descent and landing the ice would thaw and drip all over the cockpit and presumably it found its way down into the cabin.

 

[Snow1964]

Never have done, but thinking about it for a couple of LH trips in the next couple of years.

Generally speaking, is it ‘cheaper’ to upgrade through Avios / similar than to pay up front? I don’t
have membership of any frequent flyer scheme.

Also, what times of year are good for good business / upper / first flights to North America or Hong
Kong?

When we did it, booked through BA holidays (with hotel) and the prices were roughly half of what it would have cost us to do it as a separate flight and hotel booking.

Generally speaking although flights usually on sale upto 50 weeks ahead, they tend to be expensive for first few weeks, then cheapest seems to be 6-8 months forward, after which they creep up, and can be quite hefty in booked in last few days.

Availability and prices vary day of week and by time of day and by route, obviously less popular times are lot less, generally avoid start and end of working week for cheaper fares.

I have seen First on sale for less than price of Business (and similarly premium economy costing more than business), depends on size of cabin and how bookings are going. Flight search engines usually only do one class and First and Premium economy often not checked by users, the airline websites usually show multiple class prices though.

November-Early Dec and mid Jan-Feb often cheapest (but avoid any holidays like US Thanksgiving). Not that many (if any) bargains currently as many of the big aircraft with First class are parked up whilst travel is low, so might have to wait until 2022 for good deal

 

[AMR]

Has anyone ever travel first class on a flight before. If so how did you find the experience and would you consider it worth the extra price.

I haven't been in the First before but I know people who have, but they did it with flyer miles, and he loved it. But that was a long haul flight and the bed was a great bonus. But he didn't need to pay. So it doesn't answer your question but I know that it depends heavily on the airline and how long the flight is.

 

[Mojo]

And.....I feel the same about short haul business class. It’s for those that feel they’re a cut above and want to show others that they’re “special”. The lounge, the wet flannel, the free food - it’s just not worth it. There is rarely more space in short haul business nowadays and the food you can buy before the flight is far better quality and value. But obviously, if you need your ego massaging then, well.........

Don’t forget that many people doing short haul business may well be doing so as part of a longer journey. Myself, I flew from Dublin to the USA a few years ago (via Heathrow). I’d also consider it, depending on the price, for lounge access. I’m one of those people that wouldn’t even dare turn up at the airport less than 2 and a half hours before the flight, and there’s only so many aftershaves you can sample in the duty free! Yes, most places do have paid for (or via LoungePass etc) Airport lounges but they often aren’t as good, and at busy times access not guaranteed.

 

[Foxhunter]

Upon retiring I took advice wherever it was offered. One piece that stuck with me is to spend your income on experiences, not stuff. So, like:

Having got to a stage in life where comfort is worth paying for I‘d always go business for long haul flights, but would rather spend the difference between business and first on a good hotel when I get there.

That is pretty much me too. I came back from Hong Kong on one occasion after a hot and sticky day, had dinner in Kowloon then headed to the airport and the Cathay Lounge and their rather nice shower rooms. The experience of entering the Business Class cabin home clean, with fresh clothes and a fully flat bed was worth every penny I'd spent.

I've travelled some First Class over the years, the most memorable being an American Airlines 777 Gatwick - Raleigh Durham and return, all on air miles after a lot of business trips to the USA. This was just before the era of fully flat beds, so the seat was a big leather recliner in a 1-2-1 layout. My wife and I had the centre 2, where the seat had the neat trick of rotating 90 degrees so we could eat our meals across from each other at a 'table for 2'. (That was a great holiday, it could go in many of the RailUK threads: Roanoke for the railroad and O Winston Link museums; Blue Ridge Highway on the way to Cass WV to see the Shays; Kitty Hawk for the site of the Wright Brothers first flight and returning by island and ferry hopping down the Outer Banks - I commend this itinerary to the forum).

First Class - always nice, take it if you get the chance, but if it's my own money I'm likely to stick with Business.

 

[Bald Rick]

That was a great holiday, it could go in many of the RailUK threads: Roanoke for the railroad and O Winston Link museums; Blue Ridge Highway on the way to Cass WV to see the Shays; Kitty Hawk for the site of the Wright Brothers first flight and returning by island and ferry hopping down the Outer Banks - I commend this itinerary to the forum).

My parents have done similar, albeit in ‘coach’.

 

[jumble]

Has anyone ever travel first class on a flight before. If so how did you find the experience and would you consider it worth the extra price.

I am in the position of being so near and yet so far
I saved up lots of Avios and promised my other half that we would travel just once first class BA to Canada for a significant birthday
I promised her the Concorde lounge. food on demand, Fine Wines etc
We had tickets booked for Sept 2020 which never happened and now have bookings for June 2021 which aint going to happen either
What she got was a wet weekend in Snowdonia
First world problems eh

However we did manage the year before last to travel Club in the bubble of BA747 from San Francisco and if I never get to go First class that experience was very special in itself

The Bizarre thing about BA's pricing is that with Avios if you are go East Coast USA and the sort of person who pays the seat reservation fees in Club it is cheaper to buy enough Avios to go First ( availability depending) as First do not charge seat fees

 

[miami]

Long haul, a few times, all on BA

London-Baltimore (787-900, sort of -- it was the new first class cabin. I was booked in Premium economy, got bumped up to Business, then got seated in the front cabin)

Singapore-Sydney (777-300, with family, not a good layout for family, wasn't impressed, would have preferred being in CW as on the rest of the trip)

Sydney-Singapore (777-300, different trip to above, I was flying for work on a Finn Air ticket to Sydney in Business which was cheaper than BA in Premium Economy, on the return from Sydney BA bumped me up at the gate, it's a day flight too so that was nice)

London-Seatle return (747-400, seat 1A+1K with the wife for a weekend break)

Gatwick-St Lucia (777-200, again for holiday, fairly nice, but ground facilities let it down)

On the whole I find there's limited benefit over Club World, and to be honest I'd preferred my Qatar business legs from Manchester to Doha to Singapore which were cheaper than Premium on BA.

It depends how much you travel I guess. One long haul trip a year and economy is fine, certainly for short flights like the US East cost. Every 2 or 3 months and that's Premium. A dozen overnight flights a year and I'd expect a fair number to have a bed. First seems more of a faff - I'd choose it on my own over Club World, but even spending the miles probably isn't worth it.

The First class lounges can be nice - especially Hong Kong. You get that from flying a lot down the back anyway, and if you don't fly a lot a lounge isn't worth as much. Ultimately though a lounge is a fancy waiting room with £60 bottles of champagne and a nice shower.

 

[takno]

The First class lounges can be nice - especially Hong Kong. You get that from flying a lot down the back anyway, and if you don't fly a lot a lounge isn't worth as much. Ultimately though a lounge is a fancy waiting room with £60 bottles of champagne and a nice shower.

Tbh I've always got more out of the lounges on arrival. Being able to get a shower and a civilised breakfast so that you can get on your way without having to check into your hotel room. That's probably paid for the business class on a couple of flights where I'd otherwise have got into the hotel room and ended up crashing rather than getting a day's work done.

 

[darloscott]

Never managed to fly in First (yet?) but I have flown in Business many times, all for leisure though. It's definitely worth doing if you get the chance, there can be some awesome deals out there if you know how to find them. Obviously Covid has put a spanner in the works somewhat. As to whether its worth it of course, is another question. If you get the right product then it is but if it's short haul European business then the difference can be quite literally just the food then there's no real perk to it, apart from the tier points as alluded to above. The only exceptions to this are where long haul aircraft are used on short haul routes in which case it can be a very pleasant two hours down to Madrid or upto Helsinki.

One memorable trip, and to date my only long haul business class trip, was to the far east with one of BA's 'ex EU' fares (AMS in this case) where I did HKG, BKK and SIN on the 777 and back on A380, with CX A350's on the shorter 'internal' legs. It was less than half the price of the equivalent booking out of LHR itself. I often tell people it's not just about that trip but also the Avios earnt on that trip pays for 2 or 3 other trips at low cost too. It gained me silver status too, which with BA allows lounge access among other things which is certainly nice to have on shorter trips. I often just use my Avios to upgrade though as it's often a better way of spending them, and indeed I treated my mum to a trip to Madrid on the 777 with that upgraded to Club and the look on her face when we boarded was more than worth it.

I did get Flubbed once on the 777 back from a Madrid daytrip (to try the new A350 Club suite when they were training...) if that counts as First...

 

[Bungle158]

In normal times, l live 6 months of the year in India and travel for the rest. First class is beyond my means, but l probably fly around 25K miles per year. Yes l do carbon offset...

3 years ago, l tried Gulf Air for the first time. At LHR, they couldn't find my booking, time passed, no trace. Jokingly, l told them that if l had to fly 1st class, l wouldn't mind. Finally, with all paperwork in place, l headed for the gate, where they promptly took away my boarding pass.

5 minutes later, l had a new one...seat 2A. The Dinar still hadn't dropped, until that is, l boarded and was told to turn left for 1st class. Yes it was great, although l felt like a fraud the whole time. Better seat, very nice meals and too much to drink. Since that day, l always travel via Bahrain en route to Mumbai. Gulf have never repeated their generous gesture, but l always seem to get an extra legroom seat without asking. Would l pay for first class?...no way. It's great but flying is so boring that a sleep in Economy does the job almost as well and is over £1K cheaper.

 

[TravelDream]

5 minutes later, l had a new one...seat 2A. The Dinar still hadn't dropped, until that is, l boarded and was told to turn left for 1st class. Yes it was great, although l felt like a fraud the whole time. Better seat, very nice meals and too much to drink. Since that day, l always travel via Bahrain en route to Mumbai. Gulf have never repeated their generous gesture, but l always seem to get an extra legroom seat without asking. Would l pay for first class?...no way. It's great but flying is so boring that a sleep in Economy does the job almost as well and is over £1K cheaper.

Gulf Air doesn't have a first class cabin and hasn't for many years. You flew in business class, not first.

 

[miami]

Gulf Air doesn't have a first class cabin and hasn't for many years. You flew in business class, not first.

Of course the definition of "First" is in the eye of the beholder. I'd rather be in "Business" on a Qatar A350 than First on a BA 777, and I'd rather be in Business on a BA 777 (or even the old 767s) than in "First" on an American airlines domestic flight.

 

[telstarbox]

Not yet. On my two long haul trips (New York and India) it would have doubled the cost of the whole trip. Couldn't sleep in economy nut the destinations easily made up for it.

Would like to one day though!

As a related question for the people who fly to the Far East, do you prefer a direct flight or a chance to stretch your legs by connecting in Dubai etc?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not yet. On my two long haul trips (New York and India) it would have doubled the cost of the whole trip. Couldn't sleep in economy nut the destinations easily made up for it.

I've done business (for work) once but, nice though it was, having found out the price it definitely wasn't worth it, I'd have preferred economy plus a day off to recover at both ends, which would have cost them (quite substantially) less.

I can't even imagine contemplating First Class being worth it, though Premium Economy (which I guess is like the business class of old) could well be at the right price.

 

[Bungle158]

Gulf Air doesn't have a first class cabin and hasn't for many years. You flew in business class, not first.

Oh well, it was pretty cool anyway. They call it Falcon Class l think, which probably led to my inflated recollections

 

[FQTV]

Oh well, it was pretty cool anyway. They call it Falcon Class l think, which probably led to my inflated recollections

Falcon Gold, as it goes!

I can't even imagine contemplating First Class being worth it, though Premium Economy (which I guess is like the business class of old) could well be at the right price.

Premium Economy is really more akin to Economy of old, both in terms of soft and hard product.

It's generally very difficult to compare, though, especially when ground service provision is also thrown in to the mix.

The 70s oil crisis, deregulation, 9/11 and the 2007 global financial crash are probably the key moments in how service levels have changed, along with the impact of things like the retirement of Concorde and the rise of the three largest Middle Eastern carriers.

All of them have probably combined to bring us the most recent situation where the majority of long haul airlines have a Business Class hard product which is leagues ahead of what was First Class up until the 1990s, but the longhaul Business Class soft product and service levels of the 1990s were often several steps up from what's now offered on the few remaining longhaul First Class services.

Longhaul economy now, on another hand, is in both hard and soft product terms probably about where bucket and spade Spantax charters of the 1980s were. But, in real terms, it's also become incredibly cheap, and a lot of the 'cuts' have been 'disguised' by providing flashy seat back entertainment.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Longhaul economy now, on another hand, is in both hard and soft product terms probably about where bucket and spade Spantax charters of the 1980s were. But, in real terms, it's also become incredibly cheap, and a lot of the 'cuts' have been 'disguised' by providing flashy seat back entertainment.

An interesting question is whether that provision can continue to hide poor seat pitch/width etc, because we've now reached the point where pretty much everyone who wants to watch films on a flight already has a device on which they can do so and doesn't need a(n often inferior) one providing.

 

[Mojo]

Premium Economy is really more akin to Economy of old, both in terms of soft and hard product.

I’ve never really considered Premium Economy worth it. The price difference is huge but you dont get any of the worthwhile perks such as lounge access or a lie flat seat.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I’ve never really considered Premium Economy worth it. The price difference is huge but you dont get any of the worthwhile perks such as lounge access or a lie flat seat.

I think it rather depends what you mean by Premium Economy. If you're talking Virgin, it's sort of a faux business class that is vastly superior to "traditional Economy". But on some airlines, most notably US domestics but also KLM at one point (though I think they may have now changed it) it was just regular Economy with more legroom. And on US domestics even "first class" is more like premium economy on a long-haul.

I suspect you might find that like with trains the use-case varies. I'm on the large side so I would consider it for more comfort and would rather pay less for just that than more for a whole package of stuff (which is also my view on railway 1st), but a short, skinny person would probably not gain that value from it and would need the extras to be sold on it.

 

[takno]

I’ve never really considered Premium Economy worth it. The price difference is huge but you dont get any of the worthwhile perks such as lounge access or a lie flat seat.

It's one of the things I've always quite liked about United. They don't bother with Premium Economy, and just have a pile of seats with extra legroom for a fairly reasonable added fee. It's useless for sleeping in, but it's just enough to not feel actively hemmed in for 8 hours, and makes it possible to reasonably use a laptop. If I'm going to pay a premium then I'll go all the way to business every time.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's one of the things I've always quite liked about United. They don't bother with Premium Economy, and just have a pile of seats with extra legroom for a fairly reasonable added fee. It's useless for sleeping in, but it's just enough to not feel actively hemmed in for 8 hours, and makes it possible to reasonably use a laptop. If I'm going to pay a premium then I'll go all the way to business every time.

Personally I quite welcome extra width as well, but I don't want gimmickry, just more space with the fare increased in proportion with the amount of additional aircraft floor space* it takes up. So I quite like that principle.

Can't imagine I'll ever fly 1st to be honest.

* This is roughly where the railway 1.5-1.6 multiplier comes in and is why I think that's the figure at which 1st is good value - for instance 76 seats in a Standard Mk3 but 48 in a 1st is a multiplier of 1.58. I'm not interested in gimmickry, just extra space for my rather taller-and-wider-than-average frame.