sts603

Then what are you spending it for? Some food of variably quantity, free middle-of-the-road booze, and a pre-programmed entertainment device? There are very few airline experiences in the world that are worth staying awake for in and of itself (yes, I have forced myself to stay awake on a 2am QR F flight to enjoy the caviar - though still ditching the rest of the meal service to sleep). BA J is certainly not one of them. Premium class travel to me is all about getting to the destination more relaxed and rested (or if work is required, having a comfortable space to do it in).

Globaliser

Sleeping better (and therefore being able to function better on arrival, as Cymro says) is, for most people, one of the big reasons for spending the money on business class. One cause of the high prices for business class is that the beds take up a lot of real estate on the aircraft, and it's the beds which have revolutionised business class more than anything else.

You see the ultimate expression of this on the shorter overnight flights back from the US east coast, eg from JFK: the Sleeper Service. The idea is that you eat in the airport, and as many minutes as possible of the actual flight are devoted to a sleeping environment (including a much reduced onboard meal service), with breakfast available in the airport in London. The reason it's continued for so long is because many passengers want precisely this, and are prepared to pay big money for it.

In contrast, if you're going to be up all night anyway, you might as well save your money and sit in an economy seat watching the TV.

cur

this is so bizzare, i talk to my seat mate (if i have one) on red eyes all the time. domestic, international, economy, pe, business. it's mass transportation, and noise cancelling earbuds are an accessible thing even for the most chintziest of travelers. have never ever in my life thoughtthere's a social contract regarding talking on redeyes

yup ^

but being that i can sleep anywhere any time, my most favorite part of a lieflat is being able to recline, eat some nutz, drink some cognac, and watch my stories...if i'm not talking to someone lol

sts603

Ear plugs and noise cancelling headphones aren't 100% effective. Nor are full noise cancelling headphones conducive to sleeping comfortably in a flat bed. So if I can hear you above my ear plugs, you're probably going to know about it. And I think most red eye travelers would agree with this.

Hilde

Given the excitement displayed by the OP in their responses here, combined with their decision not to get any sleep on an overnight flight, it would suggest longhaul travel in J is still a novelty for the OP (maybe even their very first LH J) that they want to cherish and maximise the experience as best as they can.

I think many well-travelled FT'ers may forget that for someone who hasn't flown 100+ segments in premium cabin, it is still something to look very much forward to. Even in BA CW

OP, enjoy your cruise and your CW experience from Miami!

:D!

For me maximising the J experience is all about sleeping. I still look forward to BA CW for the flat bed, everything else (that I wouldn't get via status benefits in WT/+) is neither here nor there

flatlander

Thanks for that correction, I did not search future flights well enough.

Sverigecruiser

It was very annoying yesterday when I found out that I could only write five posts the whole day and had to wait for 24 hours before I could post again! Can anyone explain why flyertalk has that policy? Can I assume that's only for beginners like me?

I understand that sleeping is the big thing for frequent flyers going to a meeting after arrival but except for that I really can't understand the reasons to pay the price for CW to be able to sleep better. If sleeping is the thing, why isn't the CW cabin almost empty on the daytime flights from Europe to America, most people don't sleep then. I know that many people like the better seat to work in and I understand that too but lots of people don't work so why fly in CW?

For me it's not about if I can afford to pay for the tickets i CW, I can afford that. It's about if I think that it's worth it and the answer is yes if I'm awake but no if I shall sleep.

The main reason for me to pay for CW is the better comfort and that's more important if I'm awake than if I sleep. I'm also interested in the better food, drinks, lounge access, shorter lines and better access to staff to talk to if I need it but the better comfort is the main thing.

As for the food I really like the food they serve in CW. (I have been in CW a few times but only on daytime flights.) I even like the food they serve in CE! Even the afternoon tea is okay for me, especially if I first get a meal on the ARN-LHR flight and the afternoon tea on a connecting flight.

Can I help you

Sverigecruiser

Because of the 5 post limit I have to reduce my responses but I wanted to respond to what you wrote.

I think that excitement is a little strong word for what I feel but it's correct that I'm a beginner even if I have flown CW before. I still love just to be on an airport and to sleep on the plane is a waste of time for me even in WT. It's also so that I always sleep bad the first night on a new place so even if I wanted to sleep on the flight that shouldn't be an option anyway.

I understand if frequent flyers prefer to get as much sleep as possible and that's the reason why I asked the question about the food on the flight.

I know that a few hours of sleep should be good for me and help me to feel better but my vacation will be over so I will feel bad anyway and the jetlag will be a small problem compared to other things!!!

Hilde

Luckily, you don't have to worry about that limit anymore, that is only for the first 5 posts on Flyertalk, now you post as much as you like

As in most other aspects of life, diversity is key. People have different desires and needs when it comes to air travel, and it is great that many different aspects can be accommodated.
In this thread, I also got a reminder that people have different definitions of "maximizing the CW experience"

Again, enjoy your travels The only negative thing about travelling in premium cabins that I can think of, is that is gets increasingly difficult to go back to travelling in Y

Sverigecruiser

Thanks Hilde.

I'm not really sure about the limit because I had to wait for 24 hours after my second post before I could respond to you. Maybe I'm "free" 24 hours after my fifth post!

I know about the problems to go back, it's the same with cruising! After our first cruise in a suite we haven't been able to go back!

Hilde

That's correct

onobond

Many of us live with that misapprehension for years...