I have done - and will continue to do - long trips (e.g. SYD, BNE, AKL) in Y. As others have said, while I prefer to be more comfortable in J or maybe F it all depends on the price and what else I can do with that money.

I have discovered that I much prefer doing those kinds of routings straight through rather than with a stopover. Why ruin 2-3 days feeling tired and crappy when in my experience, I feel no worse stepping off a 12 hour flight than on a 23 hour flight with a leg-stretch in the middle.

Economy. What's that? On a scale of world traveller plus to first where does it fit in?

Depends on the legroom.

74cm - <2 hours
79cm-81cm - <3 hours
Exit row - <7 hours

Of course price / discomfort factors then play in.

I'm 6.5" (195cm) and 100kg, so sometimes it can be horrendous.

Thomas Cook 4 hour flight never ever again.

ah, windowontheAside, but you are fairly young and fit, and are blessed with a metabolism that can cope. And whilst I completely accept your argument on price, I'm also conscious of your work travel aspects.

For the older leisure traveller, its a completely different game, and a few breaks en route (on a 'creative routing') adds something to the pleasure of the trip! Our impending HNL includes 3 night-stops, so that we can take it gently ... although there are still some annoyingly early starts!

There a lot of variable to take into account before deciding how much to pay for any particular flight.
Who is paying is a big one - the rest here assumes self paying
Distance: I would never pay more than economy for any flight within Europe.It just is not worth it. As a BA Gold I have access to their lounges and can select my seat at the time of booking, so I have an isle seat and might even sometimes (not too often) get an upgrade. When I am upgraded again I remain convinced it would not have been worth the extra cash.
Time of day: There is a big difference between a day flight and an overnight. On my last flight to JFK I booked premium economy out for the day flight and business home.
[Age: We need to take more care of ourselves as we age. What is suitable for backpackers and youngsters is not so good for the elderly who need not just to be a bit more protected from pushing and shoving scrums but also the more positive dangers of DVT. Looking after your legs is a lot easier in Business or higher.

AGE: I am very efficient in airport scrums (despite my age), wield my backpack with skill and discretion, and generally move faster than the majority of passengers!! Unfortunately, 'Rugby scrums' were also probably the cause of my slightly dodgy back, which needs careful management ... such as being careful when placing suitcases on the belt at bag drop! Accordingly I know that l/h in W or Y is highly likely to result in several days of pain and diminished mobility.

And J is much nicer :)

(PS: I'm only 71, for heaven's sake!!)

I'll be 60 next year and I'm not far off being as fit now as I was 40 years ago.
Of late I haven't had to fly long haul in economy and shall continue avoiding it. However if I wanted to get somewhere bad enough then economy long haul would not be a torture and short haul would be a dawdle.

When I see people getting all melodramatic about having to fly economy I tend to think spoilt child. At the end of the day no-one is forcing you to do it unless you really are a child. :D

Who was melodramatic, HIDDY?

And anyway, I could have said the same about fitness when I was 60. It starts to go downhill later :)

The under 40 brigade. They need to man up.

I am a leisure traveller. Sadly, since I took my first F flight the right side of my body has become dominant and I can only turn left when boarding. :D

That must get tricky on short haul!

No problem, I back onto the plane.

on BA then 2-3 hours maximum now.

It depends on how willing I am to see the bank balance go down- and that's the truth! I can survive a 20+ hour trip in Y down to Australiasia. Not that I'd like to...

I certainly wouldn't let me inability to pay for premium class travel restrict where I'd go in the world (that applies to all my travel).

Agreed, grow a pair.