Originally Posted by
findark
Some people have routines for enduring the misery and want to fly the fewest number of hours possible. Some people chart stopovers or overnight transfers to allow for rest in a hotel, as you suggest. Other people invest dozens of hours into understanding programs and finding fares to travel in a premium cabin, or in better seats, etc. for prices that might be similar to what the average non-FTer pays to fly in Economy. But the unifying thread is everyone knows what to expect when they do fly, as you can see from the undertone of mockery in some of the replies here.
I used to routinely cross the Atlantic in regular coach when I was younger. UA’s introduction of E+ was a game changer for me. The second game changer was discovering Flyertalk… which introduced me to elite status and ways to actually get one of those big seats upfront (at first occasionally, nowadays more often).
Today I can’t imagine sitting in coach on a flight like SIN-SFO. My body is not allowing that anymore. When my former employer wanted me to fly to India, but wouldn’t pay for business class, I insisted on SFO-FRA, overnight in a hotel, then next day FRA-BLR. That was doable. So definitely consider breaking up your trips in segments, OP.