For BMs that fly Business Class ..

[Horizondave]

7 hours ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

Thanks for this info mate......... .At the moment Finnair and EVA  are neck and neck approaching the final turn before the long run in ... EVA maybe a nose in front ...... 

On my Finnair A350 there were only 24 seats in Premium Economy. The only negative is you don't have a dedicated toilet and as you are not meant to go through the Business class curtain you go to the cattle class toilets with everyone else.

My flight out was full in PE but only 11 seats occupied on the return

[Derek Dangleberries]

3 minutes ago, Horizondave said:

The only negative is you don't have a dedicated toilet and as you are not meant to go through the Business class curtain you go to the cattle class toilets with everyone else.

Y'see, that is the advantage of sitting at the back of a cabin in cabbage class because you can monitor the vacant toilets especially when the trolley service starts ..

OMG @forcebwithu will think that I am obsessed with my bowel movements ..... and he'd be correct !!!

[Horizondave]

1 minute ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

Y'see, that is the advantage of sitting at the back of a cabin in cabbage class because you can monitor the vacant toilets especially when the trolley service starts ..

OMG @forcebwithu will think that I am obsessed with my bowel movements ..... and he'd be correct !!!

Ha ha, yes I was taking pot luck (excuse the pun) when pulling back those curtains but never had a problem getting straight into the toilets. Even when the pilot had announced that he was putting the 'fasten seat belt signs on in 20 minutes' it was easy to get in the loos.

Maybe the Finnair passengers have a better constitution than most of us Brits. Wouldn't even attempt to go to the loos on a BA flight in the last hour before landing.

[boydeste]

17 hours ago, Stillearly said:

Just had an email from EVA offering me the chance to bid to upgrade my flight from Premium to Business ... but the lowest amount it will accept is €893 ( £770 ) , but apparently there is a "poor" chance it will be accepted .. this is only for the LDN - BKK leg ... if it was £500 I would probably do it .. going to speak to a friend I know upgraded to see how much he paid 🤷‍♂️

any one else done it and been accepted? 

Would you have initially booked business if it was an extra 1500 pounds?

[Stillearly]

12 minutes ago, boydeste said:

Would you have initially booked business if it was an extra 1500 pounds?

Probably not ...  👍

I haven't gone for the upgrade ... but I have booked fast track,  just incase , although recent reports for immigration have been okay 

[KWA]

On 10/17/2023 at 3:04 AM, Bazle said:

There are 56 Premium Economy seats. On my recent trip, on the outward journey 14 of those were occupied . . . . .

Things could be a little busier now.  This is the quietest day I could see in the next 5 (blue means occupied).

[maipenrai]

16 hours ago, Horizondave said:

On my Finnair A350 there were only 24 seats in Premium Economy. The only negative is you don't have a dedicated toilet and as you are not meant to go through the Business class curtain you go to the cattle class toilets with everyone else.

My flight out was full in PE but only 11 seats occupied on the return

This is one of the things that pissed me off about my last flight  with Cathay Pacific in PE - no  toilet in their PE section either and it was a long walk back to the nearest toilets in economy, especially in the middle of the night with arms and legs sticking out everywhere along the aisle - never had to put up with this when flying PE with EVA for years. 

[Derek Dangleberries]

15 minutes ago, maipenrai said:

This is one of the things that pissed me off about my last flight  with Cathay Pacific in PE - no  toilet in their PE section either and it was a long walk back to the nearest toilets in economy, especially in the middle of the night with arms and legs sticking out everywhere along the aisle - never had to put up with this when flying PE with EVA for years. 

Oooooh ..EVA PE is now a short head in front as we reach the long run in ...

At the moment it is a battle between EVA Baileys and the individual bottles of wine with Finnair !!

Edited October 18, 2023 by Derek Dangleberries

[Butch]

14 hours ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

Oooooh ..EVA PE is now a short head in front as we reach the long run in ...

At the moment it is a battle between EVA Baileys and the individual bottles of wine with Finnair !!

Follow the Wine.

You know it makes sense and remember that time you tabbed over Dartmoor chinstrapped , cold and hungry and looked forward to the full English?. Same thing, but with Wine.

[Derek Dangleberries]

5 hours ago, Butch said:

Follow the Wine.

You know it makes sense and remember that time you tabbed over Dartmoor chinstrapped , cold and hungry and looked forward to the full English?. Same thing, but with Wine.

I'm guessing that an Aeroflot stopover would be like an Oakhamton Nissen Hut with no heating or hot water !!!

[Derek Dangleberries]

I'm considering flying back June / July for the Euros. Almost definitely PE si I checked EVA and Finnair websites ..

Not only is Finnair cheaper it appears to have the option to book the lounge and Fastrack too !!!

[Horizondave]

16 minutes ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

I'm considering flying back June / July for the Euros. Almost definitely PE si I checked EVA and Finnair websites ..

Not only is Finnair cheaper it appears to have the option to book the lounge and Fastrack too !!!

The transfer at Helsinki is quite easy, it is not a large airport and on the occasion I flew the A350 out of London, it was the same plane that flew on to Bangkok (same gate). You don't need to go through transit security when heading to Bangkok but you do need to go through security in transit when coming back from Bangkok to London.

Supposedly the security at Heathrow is sufficient but they don't trust the security at Bangkok.

The Finnair lounge at Helsinki is at Gate 52, very large with so many different styles of seating. Food and drink was ample.

I also love the A350 aircraft, nothing wrong with Finnair as an alternative to the non stop services. If using their lounge in Terminal 3 you will be invited to the Cathay Pacific lounge which is very acceptable.

My overall experience at Helsinki, and Finnair inflight, was very positive, if the price is right I believe they are a viable airline for Thailand travels.

[Derek Dangleberries]

42 minutes ago, Horizondave said:

The transfer at Helsinki is quite easy,

Yep, I have used it before when working in Norway and flying Business but it was under reconstruction at the time... I'd like to travel Business with them again but it is way out of my league nowadays !!!

[Horizondave]

2 hours ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

Yep, I have used it before when working in Norway and flying Business but it was under reconstruction at the time... I'd like to travel Business with them again but it is way out of my league nowadays !!!

I still have a 90 Euro voucher going for £40 with Finnair, if needed.

[Binlid]

Well the wife and I`s holiday in April will be the first and last time we ever travel business class so I decided to book with one of the best airlines to do it with. This has only been possible courtesy of my late mothers estate. I have only booked the one way with Singapore Airlines for £2477.19 each, it`s only money and you can`t take it with you when you go. Our journey will start by catching the 05.40 National Express coach from Cardiff, getting into Heathrow at 08.25. Our flight leaves at 11.25 so hopefully be able to have breakfast in the KrisFlyer lounge or are any of the other Star Alliance lounges in Terminal 2 a better option? We arrive in Singapore at 07.30 the next day and depart for Bangkok at 09.30 arriving in Bangkok at 11.00, so about 24 hours travelling time after leaving home.

[forcebwithu]

12 hours ago, Binlid said:

Well the wife and I`s holiday in April will be the first and last time we ever travel business class so I decided to book with one of the best airlines to do it with. This has only been possible courtesy of my late mothers estate. I have only booked the one way with Singapore Airlines for £2477.19 each, it`s only money and you can`t take it with you when you go. Our journey will start by catching the 05.40 National Express coach from Cardiff, getting into Heathrow at 08.25. Our flight leaves at 11.25 so hopefully be able to have breakfast in the KrisFlyer lounge or are any of the other Star Alliance lounges in Terminal 2 a better option? We arrive in Singapore at 07.30 the next day and depart for Bangkok at 09.30 arriving in Bangkok at 11.00, so about 24 hours travelling time after leaving home.

Careful, flying BC can be addictive. I speak from experience. It's one of the very few luxury items/services I treat myself to.

[Toy Boy]

3 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

Careful, flying BC can be addictive. I speak from experience. It's one of the very few luxury items/services I treat myself to.

It's odd. My oldmate, Rob Longpockets, the tightest Yorkshireman I ever met, and that's saying something, first flew Business with Qatar over a decade ago, and raved about it afterwards every time we were having a beer and travel got mentioned. I've no idea what convinced him to remove the padlocks from his wallet and pay all that moolah but, not to be outdone, I also flew Business on my next trip back to Blighty. Brilliant! It was Oman Air and, on the final leg to London, the cute Pinay stewardess kept my champagne glass filled up all the way. I think I suffered sugar poisoning for a week afterwards, lol. Initially, I was concerned that I'd soon notice a large hole in my bank balance from flying Business, but that has never happened. You look around for the best value deal, book it, and then wince as the £3,000 or more leaves your bank account, never to return. Yet, after enjoying the flights immensely, I find that I just don't miss the money, or find it necessary to make any other savings to pay for it. I couldn't imagine flying long haul in Cattle Class any more, life is too short and there are few better things you can do with your money than fly Business, at least IMHO.

[forcebwithu]

6 hours ago, maipenrai said:

I get asked by friends, particularly female ones,  if I am excited about my upcoming trip - I reply that I am generally more nervous than excited because there are so many things that can go wrong between now and then; not that I am a pessimist but I have had last-minute screw-ups before - I don't relax completely until I view the snow-covered ground receding below me as the plane lifts off, which will be 27 days from today. 

 

15 minutes ago, Toy Boy said:

It's odd. My oldmate, Rob Longpockets, the tightest Yorkshireman I ever met, and that's saying something, first flew Business with Qatar over a decade ago, and raved about it afterwards every time we were having a beer and travel got mentioned. I've no idea what convinced him to remove the padlocks from his wallet and pay all that moolah but, not to be outdone, I also flew Business on my next trip back to Blighty. Brilliant! It was Oman Air and, on the final leg to London, the cute Pinay stewardess kept my champagne glass filled up all the way. I think I suffered sugar poisoning for a week afterwards, lol. Initially, I was concerned that I'd soon notice a large hole in my bank balance from flying Business, but that has never happened. You look around for the best value deal, book it, and then wince as the £3,000 or more leaves your bank account, never to return. Yet, after enjoying the flights immensely, I find that I just don't miss the money, or find it necessary to make any other savings to pay for it. I couldn't imagine flying long haul in Cattle Class any more, life is too short and there are few better things you can do with your money than fly Business, at least IMHO.

Quoting a post @maipenrai made in another topic along with yours as it ties in to my thoughts on BC.

Like maipenrai I now find flying stressful, so BC and the perks that come with it go a long way to making travel less stressful. Same with shelling out for a private car service to and from the airport. One less cog in the wheel to getting me in the air and on my way to my destination.

[Bazle]

20 hours ago, Binlid said:

.... so hopefully be able to have breakfast in the KrisFlyer lounge or are any of the other Star Alliance lounges in Terminal 2 a better option? 

IMHO, the best one is United, despite many of the staff having a really crap attitude. 

[KWA]

6 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

Same with shelling out for a private car service to and from the airport.

I've flown many times with Emirates and the chauffeur drive service at both ends comes included with your ticket.  Unfortunately Pattaya is out of the "free" mileage radius.

[Horizondave]

9 hours ago, Toy Boy said:

It's odd. My oldmate, Rob Longpockets, the tightest Yorkshireman I ever met, and that's saying something, first flew Business with Qatar over a decade ago, and raved about it afterwards every time we were having a beer and travel got mentioned. I've no idea what convinced him to remove the padlocks from his wallet and pay all that moolah but, not to be outdone, I also flew Business on my next trip back to Blighty. Brilliant! It was Oman Air and, on the final leg to London, the cute Pinay stewardess kept my champagne glass filled up all the way. I think I suffered sugar poisoning for a week afterwards, lol. Initially, I was concerned that I'd soon notice a large hole in my bank balance from flying Business, but that has never happened. You look around for the best value deal, book it, and then wince as the £3,000 or more leaves your bank account, never to return. Yet, after enjoying the flights immensely, I find that I just don't miss the money, or find it necessary to make any other savings to pay for it. I couldn't imagine flying long haul in Cattle Class any more, life is too short and there are few better things you can do with your money than fly Business, at least IMHO.

I would agree with you as a single man, but when taking the family on holiday (wife, daughter in my case), cattle class will have to do. I did do business last trip on Finnair and would do again but will be a while yet.

When I worked for BA I travelled business or first all the time, especially when I was the BA Manager in Brunei and Malaysia, but there is also something satisfying when traveling in economy with family when actually paying for the ticket as opposed to getting it gratis.

 

[Butch]

The issue nowadays is that due to the huge increase in fares we've seen recently, flying a family of (in my case) 3 Singapore Airlines to the PI , BC will cost in April , as I've just checked, £16108.87

Whatever way you look at it, that's a serious chunk of cash which while I could afford, I can't justify spending.

Edited December 17, 2023 by Butch

[Stillearly]

8 minutes ago, Butch said:

The issue nowadays is that due to the huge increase in fares we've seen recently, flying a family of (in my case) 3 Singapore Airlines to the PI , BC will cost in April , as I've just checked, £16108.87

Whatever way you look at it, that's a serious chunk of cash which while I could afford, I can't justify spending.

I once flew back from Rio and the parents were sat up front and every few hours they would wander down to see how the three kids were doing in economy ( probably 7 , 11 and 13 )  555

[Horizondave]

23 minutes ago, Stillearly said:

I once flew back from Rio and the parents were sat up front and every few hours they would wander down to see how the three kids were doing in economy ( probably 7 , 11 and 13 )  555

I remember traveling on a standby ticket with Porn and Kataleya, back in 2019, when I brought them both to live in the UK. We had traveled to Bahrain from Bangkok for the connection and we were at the BA desk where we were informed that we were getting on, but with 2 in business class and 1 in economy.

Well you know who had business class, the wife and Kataleya, with me in the back row of economy. I was just being a gentleman, may be that won't happen again. I do remember Kataleya crying and being brought back to see me as she didn't believe I was on the plane.

Thing is, I had been diagnosed with a need for an Aortic Valve Replacement with prognosis as imminent death or death anyhow within 18 months and I am in economy, what was I thinking. I had my operation 4 weeks later.

Not the first time I have been a gentleman and then royally screwed.

[ChiFlyer]

Looking to make a trip to the US September 2024.

• At 74 years old I need BC for a trans-Pacific flight.
• I want to bring the Thai Wife with to meet my family, at least the ones that are still talking to me. 🙂 I should probably get the visa request in play very soon for that.
• I do not travel very much anymore, but have a Platinum for life membership with American Airlines and One World. Not enough points left to fund these trip tickets, but it would be good to add to the "in the bank" totals for future trips.
• My destination airport is Chicago (ORD). There are no direct flights from BKK. Looking at various routings, my preferred choice is JAL. Expensive at $4,500 RT per passenger, but it gets me what I want.
• I have used this route before and the HND-ORD leg is very nice. The BKK-HND leg is not much above Premium Coach.
• Hmm - looks like we have to renew the Mrs' passport to start with. I hear the US visa process takes about 6 months. We better get started I guess.
• I do not want to put out any relatives, so we will need one month in a hotel, as well as a car rental. I am guessing that this will baseline a trip at about $25,000.
• It would be great to take the Mrs to some of my favorite locales in the US (Key West, San Diego, Seattle (where I was born), but it is difficult to justify that budget.

More later