Are first class plane tickets worth the extra money?

[jesusfarts]

Drinking orange juice out of a champagne glass?

I've flown in First Class twice and it's definitely a nice experience. It's all about comfort and convenience.
But at the end of the day, flying in a plane in just a form of transportation. You'll get where you need to go, so it doesn't matter. It just makes the experience more enjoyable.

The only issue is, once you go First Class, coach is a nightmare you'll never want to experience again.

LMAO That's true!

If the plane crashes, you'll be just as dead.

HAHA Sounds like something my grandma would say.

 

[TickTockMan]

My thing about flying first class is as I am walking through first it doesn’t look much different than coach. The seats only look a bit larger and are made of the same stuff as in coach. I have been shopping around and all of the planes are the same. Which is to say really old and need to be retired.

I am sure my friend and I will go first when and if we go on the trip, but it would be nice if there was a larger difference. It would be nice though to be seated and not have my shoulders in the next seat. I don’t even know if first class would allow me that on the planes I would have to fly.


Are credit cards that give miles worth the annual fee? Do they give a lot of miles?

 

[clorox]

if you're tall it's really nice. Free meals, blankets and toiletry bags. Even the seats in Economy plus barely do it if the jerk in front of you puts their seat back.

 

[TickTockMan]

if you're tall it's really nice. Free meals, blankets and toiletry bags. Even the seats in Economy plus barely do it if the jerk in front of you puts their seat back.

I am 6' 2". It would be nice if all of me could fit in my area for once. My ass fits just fine, but my shoulders are way to broad.

 

[hotdog1846]

Hmm, if the seats in first class look much like the seats in coach on the flight you're considering, then you must not be considering flying on a big plane.

I've done both business class and first class. There's no way, with my poor beaten-up body with all its surgeries and injuries that I'd ever be able to do a intercontinental flight without a lay-flat, which means business class (at least) on British Airways. You see, intercontinentally, I fly out of Denver, direct to London, and BA is the only airline that offers lay-flats out of Denver.

I've heard United is upgrading its fleet to lay-flats, but they haven't got around to upgrading the planes that fly out of Denver yet.

British Airways' business class on its 777s is expensive (like, $2000 more than United's business class, and $4000 more than United's coach, for Denver to Bangalore round trip) but wow! is it worth it, especially for a beaten-up old coot like me. Besides the lay-flat, you get much more room to move around, room to get up and change clothes, stretch, do a little yoga, whatever. I actually sleep on the flights, which is *really* unusual for me -- I almost never sleep on planes.

I got upgraded somehow from business to first class from Bangalore to London, again on British Airways. As good as business class was, first was even better! It had a lay-flat too, but more expensively done, with plusher cushions, even more room, more privacy, and better bedding.

I don't know how much a first-class ticket from Bangalore to London would be, but I loved it. But again, I couldn't even consider doing a trip like that without lay-flats and business class. I need all the comfort I can get.

 

[Yooper]

**shakes head**

Oh, you young folks. How's about flying cross country in one of these puppies? My Mother, when she was 6 months pregnant (with me!) flew Denver to Phoenix on perhaps this exact aircraft. And not nonstop...there were 7 stops on the way!

Or how about the Missoula, Montana to El Paso, Texas trip...Frontier had 17 stops on that one.

Soft, I tell ya. Soft.

 

[Yooper]

Ooookaaaaay...

The next time you worry about your fancy schmancy 777's or whatever, or worry about how comfortable your flight is, check THIS one out...

http://FAL-1.tripod.com/FL_Crash.html

And a painting (more photos and the story in the link)

 

[TickTockMan]

Hmm, if the seats in first class look much like the seats in coach on the flight you're considering, then you must not be considering flying on a big plane.

I have to fly on Boeing 737-700's. Thats all we got that go to LA and Vegas that I know of.


I am guessing a 777 is bigger? Or would that make it smaller?

 

[hotdog1846]

I have to fly on Boeing 737-700's. Thats all we got that go to LA and Vegas that I know of.


I am guessing a 777 is bigger? Or would that make it smaller?

Yeah, a 777 is quite a bit bigger than a 737. The 737 is a narrow-body single-aisle plane, with three seats on each side of the aisle, and meant to carry 130 passengers or so (more on stretch versions). It's meant for short flights and routes that don't have a lot of people who want to fly that route. The 777 is a wide-body double-aisle plane, with a 3-4-3 seat configuration in coach (10 seats across) and can carry up to 370 passengers or so (more if there's no first/business class). It's meant for long-haul flights and routes that carry a lot of passengers (Hong Kong to Tokyo, for example).

If you're flying a 737, I probably wouldn't pay the extra cost for first class. However, if the airline offers extended leg room, I'd definitely go for that. United calls it "economy plus". It costs about $15 more for short flights, about $40 more for a longer flight. It gives you about 6" more room between seats, and that extra 6" makes a huge difference for me, old and creaky as I am.

 

[MidnightPrism]

I've upgraded several times recently.

1. You get free alcoholic beverages
2. You don't have to pay for extra baggage.
3. Not nearly as many screaming children

I think it's worth it