The difference between First and Business Class....?
 

Evening,

Is there a huge difference between First Class and Business Class air travel? I know this may seem an obvious question but having read a few different threads on different sections of this website it would appear some airlines business class seats, food and service are better than another airline first class seats, food and service.

I guess it will all depend on the airline/s in question but is first class really worth the extra miles and cash?

Given the choice would you do business class and save your miles for future trips or blow them on first class?

Just curious to hear the views of people who have done both forms of travel class.

Thanks in advance

It's all about whether you are happy to settle for just being a cool customer (business) or whether you want to be totally rock-and-roll awesome. Fact. (first) *

* your experience may differ...wildly. It really depends on the carrier... baggage tags look good on the tube. Better to be seen in the First class check-in line etc etc...

Thanks OttoMH, I take it you're in Leeds judging by your avatar?

Cheers

Soon to be moving with luck!

In answer to your question, it really depends on the carrier. If you have the miles and can afford to go F then do it on the better airlines (Lufthansa, Swiss, Ana, Singapore, Thai via Bangkok.)

In my limited experience, avoid United. My flight with Lufthansa Business was far superior to United First (albeit, Old First).

Always weigh up the cost of extra cash (if doing cash + miles) - there's a big difference between 1.5x cash and 2.5x cash.

And regarding miles, figure out if you would rather have two trips in business somewhere or 1 in first (or whatever your situation is).

Would I trade 2 long-haul holidays in business for 1 in first? No. However, would I use up the remainder of my miles for a trip in First if I had no time/money for a second trip? Yes.

I've never traveled in F {little point as I don't drink Champagne}, but from what I understand from reading many threads on similar subjects over the years, I've generally see F has being more Private - more personal space, etc. than you will get in C - when travelling on the same airline

In C you may have extra comforts that let you work or arrive refreshed enough to go straight to work (e.g. Lie-flat seats, decent meals, Lounge access, on board laptop power/internet), but you don't necessarily get the personal space. You are likely to have to still sit next to someone you don't know, and may even have to climb over them (or v.v.) on some airlines*.

With F service, you get some space, both in the lounges and in the air.
And the crew are more likely to avoid disturbing you - e.g. if you want to eat halfway through the flight, they'll likely accommodate it, whereas in C it's usually either a 'No can do', or the times available being limited.

Quality of products in F should also be a bit higher too.

* {if you want to access the aisle}.

The key point to remember is C and F on the same airline.
Taking F on one airline and comparing to C on another is similar to comparing Apples and Pears - not a fair comparison.
An airline with a crap C offering is likely to offer a somewhat less crap F offering, but a decent airline offering great a C experience will likely offer a superb F package.

For me the difference isn't always huge (TAM was a waste), but i'm at a point in my life where I could afford business class for a treat anyway. I couldn't however afford (or at least justify to myself) First, so its nicer to do that as a treat, and bmi made that very easy through cash plus miles and generous earning.

The advice about choosing your carriers is very true, I've always been careful to avoid the American carriers as it is still a lot of extra miles and cash for not much more.

For me the difference is;
- More exclusive, so eight people (or so)whereas business has perhaps sixty.
- Lounges are superior and have nice twists, for example the spa in Bangkok for Thai.
- Wow factor, many people travel business, few travel first
- Better seat, and the chance of suites on certain routes which are really extra special
- Champagne and caviar, good quality and lots of them
- General improvements in service, but for the most part this is incremental over business.

But it's personal choice, and some carriers business is very nice anyway, particularly Air New Zealand.

I've probably spent close to 500K bmi miles (for two) in the last few years, and on first where possible (and will continue to do so)

And the most important reason... I travel perhaps a hundred times a year on business, almost all domestics in the UK, so it's nice to have a treat on holiday :)

Is this the new hip name......no wonder they look at me strangely :p

And possibly availing oneself of the aforementioned chappers?? ;)

I live over Selby area but spend a fair bit of time in Leeds with work. I'm off to Sydney next Nov in SQ business class and haven't sorted my return flights yet but can't decide whether to blow all my miles and do one of the return legs in first, say BKK-LHR in first with TG or just come back in Business class.

The problem is I don't fly long haul much so can't get my miles up other than spending on my credit cards.

I suppose like everyone else we dont know what are left over miles will be once BA or whoever takes over BMI.....

Might be my one and only chance to fly first class.....

And so in your case I'd happily blow my miles (you can see from my post above I'm a fan...). My preference would be to use them on Thai, you might even get lucky and get their new a380... Consider the flight to cdg too for the suites.

Why?
- Even in the best case with the miles post bmi you will struggle to earn that first class again
- Thai at bkk are amost the worlds best. You will get a great lounge, lots of cocktails, a spa, a golf buggy ride through the airport whilst you (optionally) wave to the unwashed masses
- It's a long trip to enjoy your flight, over twelve hours, and if you choose the midday flight you can spend all of that time awake eating and drinking
- Asian airlines service is top class

i d definitely choose F when flying to asia/australia as airlines are stunning (SQ, CX, TG, QF, EY, EK etc) - the below comments of others are sooo true

flying alone is fun in F as both ground staff and air hostess are your companions - so you never get bored.

i like the buggie drives in BKK, SIN or IST and real champagne there too

going through atlantic I d definitelty take SQ or LX in F. Others are not really worth it

I m not fond of C on LH (747), F on LX (340), F on TG (747). The planes are worn out and you feel like on an old boat :(

again, these are my very personal opinions and the choice is all yours

Any ideas if I booked business class on say TG how much it would cost in mile and cash/tax to upgrade to first at a later date if I wanted to. I'm sure i read on a diff post from Oxon flyer that he got an upgrade from BKK to LHR which cost 20k miles each plus £130 cash, it sounds fairly cheap.....

Given the parlous state of things at the moment, book F now while BD are still part of * and still have access to TG inventory.

Once the sale concludes who knows what will happen.

Just completed TG first redemption from SYD-BKK-FRA and it was excellent, especially the buggy and lounge in BKK. Aicraft was A340-600 and 747-400. Both in 1A ^

However, the boarding procedure was poor both at Sydney and BKK; at SYD they used the gate next to SQ and SQ was so well organized.

Reason I mention boarding is that I find this a scramble where if you travel First you don't get anything special so while the onboard service is nice and the lounge is nice, the boarding procudure is a scrum. :td:

Of course First is often full of redemptions like us, staff (not like us), crew, so it's usually loss making for airlines whereas biz class is where the money is made. So, you can have airlines with better biz class products and poorer First, or, situations where the TV screen in first is smaller than biz and resembles economy (BA 'old' First is an example that springs to mind). ;)

Actually I wasn't sure if I could spell Champagne correctly so tried a variation in the little time I had to post :o Perhaps I got that wrong anyway. :rolleyes:

>On this occasion I've been able to copy 'n paste it from littlevoices's post. :D

I'll go further and say I don't eat caviar either.:)

Last time we flew in TG F from BKK, we were escorted through security (the operatives holding up the hoi polloi to allow us to pass), and then down to the gate. The gate area was empty :D, we walked down the airbridge onto the plane and they shut the door behind us :D No scrum, no panic, just how I like it :D

Sounds like your were luckier than me, but, that you also had a tight connection. The escort through security was followed by an escort to the lounge, so, you missed the lounge (?) which I thought was great in BKK. In Sydney no escort was offered. That came out wrong! ;)

I am going to give a vote to CO business/first. I picked up on what someone said about maybe 50/60 seats in C, that may be if you are on a 777, but something that CO do very well is their business first on the 757 and 16 seats makes it quite personal. It may be a little tight but you cannot fault the service the twice I have used them and am just about to book again.

My only other experience of C is with Aer Lingus. Its o....k!

If using DC Miles which are 66%+ Extra for F Class it's not IMHO worth it, especially if Flying on an Airline with Solo Business Class Seats or Long Haul equipment Regionally i.e Upper Deck on a TG 747 or an OZ A330.

If using say UA MilagePlus flying Long Haul which are often as low as 16% Difference between Business and First and you can snag a Highly Rated Airline such as SQ. AN or OZ then its worth the Difference.

I'll be travelling with my wife so 1st class sounds more personal but less cosy if that makes sense. I'll have to think about it before booking anything.

Thanks

Nope we had a leisurely 5 or so hours, so plenty of time to enjoy the both the lounge and spa :D

my way to define the difference
imagine the morning commute
economy-the bus
business-a taxi
first-chaffeur driven limo

Nice analogy Edinburghgirl.....

IMHO, assuming you have suffiecent miles, if you're travelling alone, C is fine. The F experience is best shared. You'll carry memories of a good F trip (LH and the FCT, TK and the red ladies, an LX F cabin all to yourselves) and a shockingly bad one too (UA and their carpet monster) long after you've forgotton about C.

The only F redemption I've done was with LH, flying FRA-PVG (pre-2.5x days) but agree 100% with the above. Wonderful experience from entering FCT to waking up after a long and comfortable sleep, and they staggered our breakfasts so we could take care of Little Miss Sofasurfer (then only 18 months) which meant I was eating bacon as we started our final descent - never had that outside of F ;)

Having now done a few C redemptions (long-haul: AC, LH, OS, TP, JJ, SK) I think if you've never flown in a premium cabin, and sharing the experience with a significant other... if it's a choice between two long-haul trips in C and one in F, I'd suggest two more comfortable journeys will be more enjoyable and conducive to a better start to your trips.

But, as others have pointed out, if you're sitting on a stack of miles you'd prefer to use given the current situation, the F experience is certainly something to experience at least once in your lifetime!

So that's what I've been missing travelling by myself in F. :o

Most of my longhaul flights are between Europe and Asia on LH but the biggest difference between F and C I've noticed is that most people in F seem to want to sleep as long as possible whether it's an overnight or a long day flight.

I'm feeling nostalgic for the Manchester T1 (before the move to T3) BMI A330escort from the servisair lounge service. We moved through the duty free shops like a crocodile (BMI lady wearing her hat leading the way and pushing the Monarch and Jet2 folk out of the way :D ), reaching the gates and seeing the hoards of people 'part' as we push our way through to the front :D Happy days. ^

You'd miss most of the duty free shops if you are to walk from the Servisair lounge to your gate in T1 today. :p

Not been for ages. Is it a dump? :D Thinking further - was it Servisair or globeground we used at Manchester T1? Something like Bollin Lounge? I recall they had an Emirates A330 model on show for a while... great view of the airport from the lounge even if you did have to plod up the stairs to get to it

For my tuppence worth:

US Air business MAN-PHL was nice daytime flight. US Air (domestic) first PHL-SJU was a big comfy seat, poor drinks and food.

United F IAD-BRU was comfortabel lie-flat bed and nice meal. BMI lounge at BRU was pathetic (shortbread and whisky for breakfast!)

Thai 777 F CDG-BKK in the suites was fabulous. Never want to fly another way! Then OK F in standard seat to Sidney. Miracle was that after all that flying, was refreshed and ready to go. Spent the morning sightseeing and then took another flight to Cairns.

Thai 747 in standard F seat that makes a bed was freezing cold, not enough blankets and the maze of heathrow. Never again.

Next flights are BFS -EWR -STT in CO biz. Lie-flat seats. Easy connections, no F available and not worth the detaouyr/miles to upgrade.

So, depends on airline/route/aircraft.

But use TG suites at least once.

Am thinking of Japan to see cherry blossom (ANA) or Dar-es-salaam (LX) just to get a long flight in a suite.

I've flown MAN-ORD and MAN-IAD on BD many years ago (in Y) before I had any *A status or lounge access. T1 is now a retail emporium with departure gates attached at the end of dreary walkways (which are at least operational once again). You have to snake your way between duty free shops before you go up the stairs to one of the Servisair lounges if you don't get lost on the way!

Basic summary as I see it:

General consensus is that one will look good in-front of, and should most certainly look down upon the hoi polloi/The Great Unwashed :D
Good carriers deliver better service & better Chappers.
BMI F redemption rates are really very good indeed. Soon to go. Maybe. Make the most of it.
Basically... Do it.

Regarding costs - I recently booked the same route:
Linky.

Don't suppose you've got a link to the original UA Carpet Monster post as I can't find it for the live of me although I almost positive I had read it?

Do a search for XXXXXL underpants. ;):D

For anyone who has not yet met Oxon Flyer:

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...FyTFUYZKlg_8Tj

Looks like the Little Britain character "Bubbles".....lol

Looks like what was sitting next to me on the 62 tonight :td: