For BMs that fly Business Class ..

[maipenrai]

17 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

 

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.

Actually it's not the flying that I find stressful - I rather enjoy it once all the pre-boarding BS is taken care of;  it's all the preparation to get to the point of actual departure, all those details you have to take care of before leaving for a long holiday. Thankfully I live only ten minutes away from our airport and just get my house sitter to drop me off, and at the very far end I get picked up by a Thai private driver who I've been using for almost twenty years and consider to be a personal friend - I could get a taxi into BKK a lot cheaper but there's nothing like seeing her smiling face holding a card with my name on it when I finally clear baggage and customs and get out to Gate 3. 

As for business class, I've managed to fly it across the pond twice with EVA, once through their own upgrades and once through a points flight and loved it - years ago I made the decision to upgrade to Premium Economy on EVA and flew it for thirteen years before they temporarily interrupted that service from Vancouver but it's going again and I am booked for PE  on my upcoming trip - maybe I should check into an upgrade to business class because I'll probably never make as much money again as I did this year and perhaps I should spoil myself...

[Stillearly]

15 minutes ago, maipenrai said:

 

As for business class, I've managed to fly it across the pond twice with EVA, once through their own upgrades and once through a points flight and loved it - years ago I made the decision to upgrade to Premium Economy on EVA and flew it for thirteen years before they temporarily interrupted that service from Vancouver but it's going again and I am booked for PE  on my upcoming trip - maybe I should check into an upgrade to business class because I'll probably never make as much money again as I did this year and perhaps I should spoil myself...

EVA have started offering you the chance to bid on upgrades 

[Nickrock]

Few years ago I shouted the young fella back to see his grandparents the trip from Sydney to Bangkok was on the a380 and they upgraded him to business class on my dollar  he was drunk most of the way 

On my frigging dollar and all my many trips iv never got a upgrade ( censored)

[Trip]

1 hour ago, maipenrai said:

Actually it's not the flying that I find stressful - I rather enjoy it once all the pre-boarding BS is taken care of;  it's all the preparation to get to the point of actual departure, all those details you have to take care of before leaving for a long holiday. Thankfully I live only ten minutes away from our airport and just get my house sitter to drop me off, and at the very far end I get picked up by a Thai private driver who I've been using for almost twenty years and consider to be a personal friend - I could get a taxi into BKK a lot cheaper but there's nothing like seeing her smiling face holding a card with my name on it when I finally clear baggage and customs and get out to Gate 3. 

As for business class, I've managed to fly it across the pond twice with EVA, once through their own upgrades and once through a points flight and loved it - years ago I made the decision to upgrade to Premium Economy on EVA and flew it for thirteen years before they temporarily interrupted that service from Vancouver but it's going again and I am booked for PE  on my upcoming trip - maybe I should check into an upgrade to business class because I'll probably never make as much money again as I did this year and perhaps I should spoil myself...

Or, save the $4k or so and upgrade your accommodations. Bangkok is a steal for 5-star hotels compared to most of North America.

[maipenrai]

1 hour ago, Stillearly said:

EVA have started offering you the chance to bid on upgrades 

I just checked on this and the long leg of my trip is not eligible, so I guess it'll be PE all the way.

 

19 minutes ago, Trip said:

Or, save the $4k or so and upgrade your accommodations. Bangkok is a steal for 5-star hotels compared to most of North America.

Yes, I usually stay in 4 star places in BKK and agree.

[Toy Boy]

13 hours ago, Horizondave said:

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.

 

I'm supposed to take the GF back with me one of these trips to meet the family in South Wales. At today's prices, the cost of us both flying in BC is a bit too much, plus she's small and has never flown before so would have no idea just how nice BC really is. One option is for me to fly BC as usual, and to stick her in economy. Don't knock it, free food and drink and a TV screen in the back of the seat in front of you, what's not to like if you've never flown before? The other, more democratic option is for us both to fly in Premium Economy with, say EVA. But then I'd be missing the champagne and flat bed and all the other perks beyond the curtain in BC, lol.

[thegrogmonster]

10 hours 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.

While I am still working I won't pay for business class as if I can afford to fly BC I shouldn't be working. Once I retire I believe I should be financial enough to fly business class.

[Stillearly]

Thought this was interesting, I've watched a few of this guys videos 

 

[AJSP]

On 12/18/2023 at 5:49 AM, thegrogmonster said:

While I am still working I won't pay for business class as if I can afford to fly BC I shouldn't be working. Once I retire I believe I should be financial enough to fly business class.

I’m of the same opinion. Not having children fly when I’m a bit older makes a big difference so I’m sure I’ll look to business class then. Coupled with the fact that we will fly outside of school holidays makes it a bit more affordable and open to decent deals ( perhaps) 

my plan has always been to spend 3 on 3 off in Thailand so means 2 flights per year from the Uk. I’m happy to allocate that amount of money to fly in comfort and with a lounge. 

[Horizondave]

2 hours ago, Stillearly said:

Thought this was interesting, I've watched a few of this guys videos 

 

Flown that route on the A380 but it was only business class. Maybe one day, it will be in First Class but last time I was paying for 2 of us so Business it was.

[coxyhog]

I used to fly BC in the 80's from Oman,if the fare was less than that of an LHR round trip they would give us the difference in MCO's,I believe that stands for Miscellaneous Charges Order.They could be used for anything connected to the flight so I upgraded & also a couple of times stayed in the Hilton & Sheraton in Manila.Once I did a round trip with Cathay BC via London & HK & got upped to first HK-BKK.Then for a while I was permanent staff for Swiss & flew out to Zurich & back every week in BC,supping as much bubbly as I could as I saw it as part of my wages.Also did trips to BKK & Montreal BC & all I had to pay was the increased taxes,think it was £80ea for BKK.

Now I'm too old for cattle & as we have no kids any monies left when I peg it will be going to the missus & her family so I'm going BC from now on.Whatever happens the missus will be well taken care of & that's my primary concern.She won't fly in BC says she's happy in cattle.

Roll on Oct 1st!

[forcebwithu]

4 hours ago, coxyhog said:

...She won't fly in BC says she's happy in cattle.

Roll on Oct 1st!

Do you appreciate the break from your Mrs. when you're up in BC and she's back in cattle class? 

[coxyhog]

On 6/3/2024 at 1:52 AM, forcebwithu said:

Do you appreciate the break from your Mrs. when you're up in BC and she's back in cattle class? 

She's usually either asleep or eating & watching movies.

[Butch]

On 6/2/2024 at 9:34 PM, coxyhog said:

I used to fly BC in the 80's from Oman,if the fare was less than that of an LHR round trip they would give us the difference in MCO's,I believe that stands for Miscellaneous Charges Order.They could be used for anything connected to the flight so I upgraded & also a couple of times stayed in the Hilton & Sheraton in Manila.Once I did a round trip with Cathay BC via London & HK & got upped to first HK-BKK.Then for a while I was permanent staff for Swiss & flew out to Zurich & back every week in BC,supping as much bubbly as I could as I saw it as part of my wages.Also did trips to BKK & Montreal BC & all I had to pay was the increased taxes,think it was £80ea for BKK.

Now I'm too old for cattle & as we have no kids any monies left when I peg it will be going to the missus & her family so I'm going BC from now on.Whatever happens the missus will be well taken care of & that's my primary concern.She won't fly in BC says she's happy in cattle.

Roll on Oct 1st!

I remember all the Gulf Air Hostesses staying at the Gulf Air hotel in Ruwi or the Intercontinental on Qurm Beach. You could tell them a mile off, fully made up getting a tan by the pool. (I've actually still got 2 towels my Dad and I purloined from the Intercontinental Swimming pool in 1979).

Apparently they preferred the Inter Con as it had a bar which was closed off from the rest of the hotel (I was smuggled in there once, underage) - so no one could see the erm...Omani clientele enjoying their beers.

[karon steve]

I've just looked for flights on Etihad paying with air miles earned last year and the price is down by £1,900!
All those years getting silver and gold cards what a bloody waste. Never again.

[Bazle]

1 hour ago, karon steve said:

I've just looked for flights on Etihad paying with air miles earned last year and the price is down by £1,900!
All those years getting silver and gold cards what a bloody waste. Never again.

Sorry, I'm sure I'm being thick, but I don't understand what you are saying. 

Is the price down BY £1,900 or down TO £1,900?

Either way, what is the complaint? 

The silver and gold cards, are they not giving you any advantage? 

Edited June 6, 2024 by Bazle

[coxyhog]

12 hours ago, Butch said:

Apparently they preferred the Inter Con as it had a bar which was closed off from the rest of the hotel (I was smuggled in there once, underage) - so no one could see the erm...Omani clientele enjoying their beers.

I went in there once,just a sea of Omani men....didn't stop,much cheaper in our bars.

[karon steve]

22 hours ago, Bazle said:

Sorry, I'm sure I'm being thick, but I don't understand what you are saying. 

Is the price down BY £1,900 or down TO £1,900?

Either way, what is the complaint? 

The silver and gold cards, are they not giving you any advantage? 

Down by £1,900. Straight price they quoted £2,990 but with miles I pay £1,010.
My complaint is that I should have used my miles up buying cheaper tickets long before and not bother with status cards. I get lounge access with a business ticket and don't fly economy anymore, travel light so don't need a bigger baggage allowance and have never been upgraded. I just wasn't thinking.

[Stillearly]

I thought this was a good video , ranking Business Class offerings 

Here are his final rankings 

 

[Lemondropkid]

1 hour ago, Stillearly said:

I thought this was a good video , ranking Business Class offerings 

Here are his final rankings 

 

Watching travel and Bangkok vlogs guess you are itching to be travelling again😁

[Derek Dangleberries]

1 hour ago, Stillearly said:

I thought this was a good video , ranking Business Class offerings 

Here are his final rankings 

 

I enjoyed that!

- On that list I have flown 7 in Business Class but way before the "flat bed experience " and Finnair was the only one that had 1 - 2 - 1 layout ........  so that indicates how long ago it was ..!!

- I have also flown Kenya Airlines and SA Air in Business both of which were not mentioned.

- I was hoping for an update on Air India BC to see the improvements Tata have made and which flights have individual cubicles with sliding doors but they seem to be completely ignored on these types of comparison videos..

- But the most annoying thing on all BC videos is showing champagne without mentioning how much it makes you fart !!

 

[Toy Boy]

Over the past 10 years, I've flown many times in both Qatar's and Oman's business class, and I personally judge Oman's offering to be superior. The Apex suites are more spacious than the Q-Suites and I've usually found the food and service to be better on Oman than on Qatar. On top of that, Qatar have really become quite miserly these days, charging you a small fortune for being just one kilo over your luggage allowance. Oman Air is, of course, a much smaller airline than Qatar, so I suspect that the number of reviews of Qatar out there is enormous in comparison.

As for EVA, well I just flew with them to and from LHR, and it was the poorest business class offering I've flown on for a long time. Unless you're a lover of Chinese-Taiwanese cuisine, the food was decidedly average on both flights. They refuse to foot the excise duty bill for serving you champagne while on the ground, so the best you'll get is Australian sparkling fizz. They served Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle during the flight, which is lovely, but you need to wait for an hour after take-off so they can cool the drink down properly once the Customs seals have been removed. Unlike the Middle Eastern airlines, they insist on using their own nationals as cabin crew, but Taiwan is a rich country so their pay must be very high compared with the Thais and Indians and Filipinos often used by Qatar and Oman, Their service ethic was decidedly rich kid, too, at least compared with the 'nothing is too much trouble' attitude of the staff from poorer countries.

The big pluses with them for me are the huge luggage allowance of 2 X 32kg suitcases, I couldn't even lift a 32 kg suitcase these days so there wasn't even any need for me to check the weight of my two. At the airport check-in I saw that my luggage just tipped 50 kg on the scales, so I got my money's worth. The old 1-2-1 seating arrangement means that you don't need to worry about booking a seat in advance to ensure you have aisle access. A negative, though, is that the seats are very narrow. I'm a fairly stocky lad and in flat bed mode it wasn't possible to lie on my stomach as my arms and shoulders didn't fit, a bit of a bummer as I'm a stomach sleeper.

Whether you prefer the long, uninterrupted flight compared with two shorter flights with a change of plane in the Middle East is a personal thing, I guess. On the flight back to Blighty I found myself very stiff and aching for several days afterwards as there's nowhere in the Business Class cabin to stretch your legs, which isn't such an issue for me on the shorter Middle Eastern routes. On the return flight this time, once the grub had been served and everyone was settling down for a snooze (take-off had been at 22:10 in London) I schlepped my way to the big galley at the back of the plane and had a few beers standing up there, chatting with a guy who was also up and about. This took me back to the many years I flew in cattle class with EVA, always sitting near the back of the 777 as this galley is a great spot for meeting people and  having a drink at any hour and stretching your legs.

So my own experience is that EVA's business class has a lot of pros and cons, much more so than Qatar and Oman in my opinion, and individuals will have to judge for themselves which they feel to be the most important. I flew EVA this time because the price was much lower than usual, £3,200, while it's often been close to the four grand mark when I've checked in the past. Given that fares on EVA and Oman have gone up since Covid, three grand is fair for EVA, but no way would I pay £4,000.

[Painter]

I flew Oman when they were starting off from LHR, and they were great. 1-2-1 layout,  wide lie flat seats with a stool so a companion could eat with you, no centre overhead lockers so it felt really spacious. Cracking product imo. Even got to gold with them and got 2 free upgrades. The newer staggered suits/seating I suppose gets more seats in the plane, but imo isn't as comfortable, although can be much more private.

Unfortunately they have priced themselves out of this cheap Charlie's price bracket.

[Bazle]

1 hour ago, Toy Boy said:

Unlike the Middle Eastern airlines, they insist on using their own nationals as cabin crew, but Taiwan is a rich country so their pay must be very high compared with the Thais and Indians and Filipinos often used by Qatar and Oman, 

I have flown, and continue to fly, EVA quite a lot - although not often in BC. On my flights, the cabin crew have been a mixture of Taiwanese and Thai.

[Derek Dangleberries]

4 minutes ago, Bazle said:

I have flown, and continue to fly, EVA quite a lot - although not often in BC. On my flights, the cabin crew have been a mixture of Taiwanese and Thai.

Me too!!.. Unfortunately, even after telling myself not to do it before hand, after the first few rounds of drinks I always end up speaking Mandarin to the Thai girls and Thai to the Taiwanese girls ... When I get really going it is Isaan Kmer to them all (as they politely guide me back to my seat helping me with more wine!)!!!