In the ideal world we'd all be rich, fly everywhere First Class and stay in the most luxurious hotels whenever we travelled. Unfortunately life just isn't like that for most of us.

I often read the trip reports on this forum and am surprised how often people regularly travel First Class, seemingly paying for their own ticket, and then stay in what is generally recognised as a fairly mundane hotel. I know from time to time there may be a particular reason why a hotel is selected.

I, personally, find it difficult to imagine that I would be prepared to pay several thousand pounds for a comfy seat and a few nice glasses of wine and then put up with staying in a run of the mill 3* hotel for the next 7 days. I'd much rather spend the money on making sure the 7 days were as enjoyable and luxurious as possible and by necessity sacrifice the 12 hours up front on the flights.

What is the general consensus. If you had to pick 1 and not both would it be the First Class flight or the first class hotel?

First class airline seat hands down!

When I consider how much time I actually spend in a hotel room.. and usually just sleeping... and I rarely use the fancy amenities of a first class hotel... it is not worth it for me.

I find a first class airline seat makes the trip much more comfortable and enjoyable for me.

However, a king size bed in a mediocre hotel gives me the relative same sleep as one in a five star hotel.

William

The first class seat, without hesitation - especially for long flights.

I don't much care about the hotel, so long as it is clean and has comfy linens. Dunno about you, but I don't fly thousands of miles to lanquish inside the hotel room - but I do want to get there feeling human and whole.

1st class seat all the way. Hotels are hotels for the most part. Long, uncomfortable flights need all the help they can get.

I agree completely! I prefer to go premium class all the way, but if I have to compromise I would rather do so with the hotel rather than with the flight.

Hotel for me.

I'd rather take a week of luxury in a hotel over a few hours of slightly-more-comfortable-than-down-the-back on a plane.

For vacation travel, the first class hotel does it for me. It's almost a pleasure to pay the extra $$$. I'll remember the Bora Bora Nui OWB, the CP view room at the NYC MO or the room at Il Palazzo in Venice overlooking the Grand Canal much longer than any premium airline seat. Of course, I'll also sleep in a tent (and I'm not talking about a luxury safari tent) if that's what's necessary to go somewhere (e.g. kayaking the Grand Canyon).

I look at flying premium cabin (C in my case for the most part) more as a necessity and clearly as a rip-off. I really have trouble recovering from Y after the overnight leg of an intercontinental flight. Only fly C so that I can actually get to work the next day. For daytime flights, Y is fine.

All hotel rooms look the same with your eyes closed.

I use my miles to fly first/biz and stay in hostels or priceline hotels.. I'm doing this in a few days when I go to NRT.

I'm a hotel person. I don't even begin to waste my time with the airlines. I can deal with bad set for a few hours, but I want a comfortable, and clean hotel after a long day of travel with the feeling that I am taken care of.

Depends. I won't stay in an absolute flea pit so I can go in a mildly better airline seat.

However as others have said I rarely stay in my hotel room much when I am away, that is unless I am at a resort hotel, in which case I am more likely to compromise on the flight. Flying F/J to stay in an armpit of a resort is stupid. When in cities I am rarely in the room other than to sleep.

Flight definitely. On many trips I'll spend far more time in the air than in a hotel, and as others posted already any nice bed is fine - doesnt need to be supernice.

Flight, definitely.

I only fly F, business or private (except if F is full -- yes it happens) for health reasons. In any hotel I have a flat bed and enough room to move around. But 8-10 hrs on a plane in econ can literally kill you (especially if oyu do it very other week)

The flight most definently....living in Australia most overseas flights are a minimum of 8 hours and nothing worse than arriving feeling like death warmed up. I can tolerate a so so hotel so long asthe beds comfortabel and its clean.

Variable. I can usually stand Y for flights less than 8 hours, and would happily stay in Y for a better hotel on the other end. But for long flights (trans-pacs and the like) the ride is definitely more important.

I find it odd that many businesses still fly their people in C for trans Atlantics. It's far cheaper to add a day on the front of a trip and stay in a VERY nice hotel (and recuperate the extra day) than to pay the differential for C fare.