Hi Julie and welcome!

It may depend on your age & from which part of the country you are flying.

If I was in my 20's, I probably would agree with you and go for the multiple trips. But our trips to Europe start on the West Coast and involve somewhere in the vacinity of 13-15 hours of travel time. Also traveling through 9 time zones. So it is a very exhausting trip.

I flew coach on my first trip 5 years ago, and was in the middle of a 5 or 6 person center row, plus I had a terrified Arab woman next to me,who spoke no English, grabbing and squeezing my arm as she said her prayers. (AND she kept her light on all night) By the time we landed in Frankfurt, I was exhausted and bruised!

I'll take business or fc anyday over repeating that experience. In business you have seats that don't quite recline completely, but they are spacious and you have your own media system. In FC the seats actually lay out flat to make a bed.

Alcohal doesn't factor in on international flights, as it is free in all classes.