Have you ever flown in First Class?

Phil Ayesho

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Not Business, not Economy Plus but First Class especially in a 3 class cabin flying international. The very front of the plane and I don't mean one of the 8 seats in the front of a Southwest flight or any other discount airline.

Have you ever flown first class, what was it like and was it worth the extra bucks?

I have flown first class on many occasion.
Mostly not on my dime.

Either complimentary upgrades, mileage upgrades, or someone else paying.

First of all, there's real china and real silverware. There's the fact that the sewardess will serve you drinks and snacks BEFORE the plane is in the air.
The food is not that much better, though the service is.
And there's the bigger chair... and nowadays, there's the chairs that turn into actual beds, with all the little amenities you might want, privacy screens, book lights, television and internet.... In first class, on a long flight you really can get a full night's sleep... ( thereby missing all the nice service and food)

But in today's world, where first class really shines in before you even get on the plane.

You often get to go thru a special security line that is always much shorter and faster. Shorter baggage check lines.. and such.
You get to get on the plane first, and off the plane first. You get access to a lounge if on a layover, or at the airport too early.

These Airport related perqs really are nice, given what an ordeal it has become to actually get on an airplane anymore... Flying first class, you can still arrive at the airport 20 or 30 minutes before a flight and get to the plane.

BUT... is it worth it? Most first class tickets are whooping costly.
I could never justify that much expense just so I can save an hours or two's inconvenience and get a more comfy chair...


HOWEVER- that said... Business Class... which is pretty much an old fashioned first class chair with coach class service, is ABSOLUTELY worth the money for any flight longer than 3 hours.

What matters on long flights, particularly overseas flights, is the chair. Being able to put your feet up, have an armrest you don't have to fight over, recline a little further, and catch some sleep is the Key to making flying a pleasure, rather than a trial.

When I am flying on my dime, and gonna be on the plane longer than a few hours, I shell out for the business class seat everytime... and I rate airlines by their Business class accommodations.

But on those occasions when I do get to fly first class... I sure as hell enjoy it...
 

earllogjam

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I have flown first class on many occasion.
Mostly not on my dime.

Either complimentary upgrades, mileage upgrades, or someone else paying.

First of all, there's real china and real silverware. There's the fact that the sewardess will serve you drinks and snacks BEFORE the plane is in the air.
The food is not that much better, though the service is.
And there's the bigger chair... and nowadays, there's the chairs that turn into actual beds, with all the little amenities you might want, privacy screens, book lights, television and internet.... In first class, on a long flight you really can get a full night's sleep... ( thereby missing all the nice service and food)

But in today's world, where first class really shines in before you even get on the plane.

You often get to go thru a special security line that is always much shorter and faster. Shorter baggage check lines.. and such.
You get to get on the plane first, and off the plane first. You get access to a lounge if on a layover, or at the airport too early.

These Airport related perqs really are nice, given what an ordeal it has become to actually get on an airplane anymore... Flying first class, you can still arrive at the airport 20 or 30 minutes before a flight and get to the plane.

BUT... is it worth it? Most first class tickets are whooping costly.
I could never justify that much expense just so I can save an hours or two's inconvenience and get a more comfy chair...


HOWEVER- that said... Business Class... which is pretty much an old fashioned first class chair with coach class service, is ABSOLUTELY worth the money for any flight longer than 3 hours.

What matters on long flights, particularly overseas flights, is the chair. Being able to put your feet up, have an armrest you don't have to fight over, recline a little further, and catch some sleep is the Key to making flying a pleasure, rather than a trial.

When I am flying on my dime, and gonna be on the plane longer than a few hours, I shell out for the business class seat everytime... and I rate airlines by their Business class accommodations.

But on those occasions when I do get to fly first class... I sure as hell enjoy it...

I guess you don't have to pay for checking-in bags if you go First Class.:tongue:

I've never been able to sleep in Coach on overseas flights. In Business that extra room and being able to bring your feet up makes a huge difference on how rested you are especially on an overnight flight.

When a company pays for your tix do you get to keep the miles?
 

vince

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Anything under five hours flying is just a puddle jump and isn't worth the extra money. I fly economy on the shorthaul flights. Past that I will pay for or spend some airmiles to upgrade to Business. First isn't that much more restful than a good Business class cabin.

I've flown First on a few different carriers. Aeroflot from Istanbul to Beijing via Moscow (they discontinued First about five years ago). Asiana, LA to Seoul (great airline but the seat didn't lay out flat). Turkish Airlines on their old 747 service to Chicago was the best ever First Class service. I use to do it all the time and it wasn't an expensive upgrade over Business considering it's a 13-14 hour flight. They treated you like a Paşha.
 

D_GlennFeckless

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I guess you don't have to pay for checking-in bags if you go First Class.:tongue:

Same goes for just having some status in most points/miles programs, regardless of class of ticket you buy.

When a company pays for your tix do you get to keep the miles?

Absolutely, unless you work for a guy named Ebeneezer. I'm at over 80k miles this year, and didn't pay for a single one out of pocket.

One other benefit is the airport "club" lounges on long layovers. Free food, booze, wireless, power, showers, and airline customer services at a private desk.
 

mickstl

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My travel agent strongly advised me to fly domestic First Class from Beijing to Shanghai because coach was very cramped and sometimes people would spit on the floor...and it was relatively cheap. First class in China is awesome. You have your own waiting area separate from coach where they dispatch a girl to collect you when its time for boarding. Arriving on the plane through your own dedicated first class door, they gave me slippers (that were too small for my big American feet), offered me a magazine or newspaper, and offered me a glass (real glass) or orange juice (fresh squeezed). The stewards (all young girls and one older woman) almost outnumbered the customers. One of the girls actually placed a linen napkin in my lap for me. The best part was being able to recline my seat before take off, and leaving my seat reclined and traytable down while we took off. I felt so wicked doing that. China is an example of capitalism gone wild to a degree that makes Texas look like France, but if you have a little extra money...travel there can be interesting.


Guys I know that went to China all the time ALWAYS booked first class for in country flights. Coach there would literally be like a cattle car.
 

DavidXL

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I've redeemed frequent flyer awards for first class tickets to Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Bermuda for vacations with my wife. But, I wouldn't pay money to do it and wouldn't use the miles if I were flying alone, without my wife.

For work (ironically, in my 20s at my first job and not now, because my current company policy is coach only), I flew in first from NY to LA and SF a whole bunch of times in first on AA on their 3 class transcon service. It was pretty sweet. I totally appreciated it then and think about it often now that I never fly first and am usually on Southwest. . .
 

OhWiseOne

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My travel agent strongly advised me to fly domestic First Class from Beijing to Shanghai because coach was very cramped and sometimes people would spit on the floor...and it was relatively cheap. First class in China is awesome. You have your own waiting area separate from coach where they dispatch a girl to collect you when its time for boarding. Arriving on the plane through your own dedicated first class door, they gave me slippers (that were too small for my big American feet), offered me a magazine or newspaper, and offered me a glass (real glass) or orange juice (fresh squeezed). The stewards (all young girls and one older woman) almost outnumbered the customers. One of the girls actually placed a linen napkin in my lap for me. The best part was being able to recline my seat before take off, and leaving my seat reclined and traytable down while we took off. I felt so wicked doing that. China is an example of capitalism gone wild to a degree that makes Texas look like France, but if you have a little extra money...travel there can be interesting.
How dare you. Looking forward from my spit soaked sit.
 

Phil Ayesho

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I guess you don't have to pay for checking-in bags if you go First Class.:tongue:

I've never been able to sleep in Coach on overseas flights. In Business that extra room and being able to bring your feet up makes a huge difference on how rested you are especially on an overnight flight.

When a company pays for your tix do you get to keep the miles?

Yes... but some overseas carriers only let the mileage apply to their flights...
With ChinaAir, I could get a ticket from China to someplace else in China... but I never had time over there for sightseeing, and I wasn't gonna fly all the way to china for a vacation...


So I just used the mileage to upgrade to business or first class.
 

gymfresh

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I did a Circle Pacific trip on OneWorld in first class. Yes, I paid cash, no upgrades. First class on Cathay Pacific from SFO to Hong Kong, then on to Perth, Sydney, LAX in first on Qantas, then AA to SFO. Lovely trip. I've been to Sydney a couple of times in first on United, and Frankfurt in first on LH then onward on Singapore Airlines in first to SIN. Delta's BusinessFirst to Johannesburg (nonstop from Atlanta) was very comfortable. Over the years I've racked up more than 10 million frequent flyer miles, but redeemed about 2/3 of them by now.
 

martin60018

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first class chicago to tokyo $15K biz $9K econ $1.5k
not worth it
first class tokyo to chicago ok on a over night flight when you sleep most of the way
any over night flight more than 8 hours is worth a bed to sleep in
check for biz class full flat beds, not slanted or old fashioned but they must be 180 deg flat beds. those are almost the same as first class, and if you are sleeping, who cares if you miss the meal service.
only people in first class are upgrades, staff, corporate sponsored travel, celebs/sport stars, noveau riche, gangsta, or soon to be bankrupt fools who actually paid for it.
rockefellers still fly private charters. once in a while you get an upcomming rich person who might actually be able to afford it. ask the airlines for discounted biz class fare or discounted first class fares, they got rules etc etc. but cheaper to buy than the full fares
 

earllogjam

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only people in first class are upgrades, staff, corporate sponsored travel, celebs/sport stars, noveau riche, gangsta, or soon to be bankrupt fools who actually paid for it.

You're probably right. I wonder what the % of people in first class actually pay for their seats on their own. My guess is 5%.

I'll think of that next time I pass all those folks sitting in first class seats on the way to the cattle corral in the back for the 99%.
 
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Hoss

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whichever way you fly when the plane crashes you'll still be just as dead so why spend all that extra money?
 

earllogjam

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whichever way you fly when the plane crashes you'll still be just as dead so why spend all that extra money?

LOL...I always found it ironic that the rear passengers ie smokers (when there was a smoking section in planes) always had the best chances of surviving a plane crash.
 

rbkwp

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on the many Trans-Tasman (NZ to Australia) flights, i was upgraded several times gratis... happened to be a real happy gay steward once, think he took a liking to me ha
plenty of xtras, free booze etc, (it was free in economy at the time anyway) he really spoilt me this time..WHOLE bottle of best red wine... i was absolutly pissed, he helped me off, i got to meet his ...bf ha

this one was at the end of the long hauls, from London to Sydney via Auckland, so the seats going spare were littered with former customers rubbish, smells even....
.eeeww now that i think of it, someone sleeping all the way from India or sommitt haha

naah LA-Ak-Syd i think...............it was'
 
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I've never flown first class, although if I would go on a 10-14 hour flight I would consider it.
My legs demand some special attention!

I flew to Japan twice, both times I had coach tickets. The nice thing was that the Japanese who happened to be seated in the more spacious seats gladly switched places with me!

Japanese people rock!