Originally Posted by
CPRich
Vacations with the family - mostly Caribbean, Hawaii, western US, etc. I may be the oddball, but I'd much rather take three coach flights to Hawaii, Aruba, Grand Cayman, etc. for week long vacations than a single J/F flight to Europe, Asia, etc. Sitting in a comfy seat and getting free drinks is nice, but it's only for a few hours, vs. the week of the actual vacation I'm traveling to.
My guess is, those who took the J/F seats to Europe, Asia and Australia, dont just fly there and back for the sake of flying although flying in comfort is a big added plus. They also spent week(s) long actual vacation, too. We spent 6 1/2 weeks earlier this year doing an AA OW130C to the Pacific Region involving 7 countries and 11 cities. On top of the comfort afforded by lieflat seats over Pacific, lounge access in airports also is a valuable benefit.
It also depends on where you are in relation to where you go. For folks on the East Coast, going to Hawaii in coach is kind of tough. Likewise for folks on the West Coast, going to Europe in coach is also tough, but is much less so for folks on the East Coast.
The flights to Asia and Australia are just waaaay too long to endure in coach to many people, even for folks on the West Coast. The flatbed seat, even the lieflat seat, really makes HUGE difference.