[gatorfast]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

LOL I've never ridden first class out of cheapness but I love this.

The business class travel experience is a game changer (particularly for international travel).

[ImolaMoop]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Jesus, why and where?

It’s mostly for work. Various places in Asia from SFO.

[xQx]

Originally Posted by ImolaMoop

When economy class passengers make eye contact with me on their way back to the cattle room.

I spend way too much time flying but I still enjoy it. I cross the pacific 20x per year.

Really?, that's like my favorite part. The only time economy passengers can make eye contact with you are when they're boarding the plane, so I look them in the eye, smile, and take another sip of my glass of orange juice.
(haven't ever tried to get a beer or scotch before take-off, plenty of time once you're in the air).

I fly cattle class for work, business class when I'm on holidays - so if I'm in business class I'm wearing a T-shirt, shorts & thongs (edit: that's flip flops if you're not Australian). I've been doing it for years, and honestly, the novelty has never worn off.

But my ultra-favourite part is when I'm flying at the front of the plane with my son. Who's now four.

That way I can give anyone who looks me in the eye a sympathetic "yeah, I know, flying's with kids is tough work, hey", while I'm settling my four-year-old down in business class next to me with an iPad & Bose headphones.

Honestly, the flights are booked with points. The iPad and headphones are mine, not his. ... but from the perspective of everybody getting on the plane, That's "fuck you money" wealthy.

While I'm on the topic, let me touch on "kids on planes". Kids in economy suck. It sucks for the kid and it sucks for everyone around them; but the same isn't true for kids in Business Class.

First, business-class travellers generally have all the mod cons to drown them out (free alcohol, noise cancelling headphones etc.). But more importantly - kids travelling in business class BEHAVE. They've got room to move around up the front if they're restless; and they're generally seasoned travelers, travelling with parents who've done this flying thing more than a couple of times before.

I've never seen a badly behaved kid in business class.

Honestly, I love flying. There are plenty of things that can annoy you at the airport and in the plane, but if you've done it enough you buy the tools and learn the tricks to minimize the annoyances.

The only thing I hate about flying is when I can't fit everything into carry-on and have to wait half an hour (or more) to get my luggage at the destination.

Protips:

1. Good noise cancelling headphones
2. Tablet stuffed with movies you haven't watched
3. Stop for a beer every chance you get
4. Have your shit together at security, and don't be afraid to cut in front of people who are holding the line up because they don't.
5. Get access to a lounge if at all possible.
6. Fly business if at all possible.
7. Carry-on luggage ONLY
8. Try to have someone pick you up from the destination airport so you don't have to drive (see point 3)

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by xQx

Really?, that's like my favorite part. The only time economy passengers can make eye contact with you are when they're boarding the plane, so I look them in the eye, smile, and take another sip of my glass of orange juice.
(haven't ever tried to get a beer or scotch before take-off, plenty of time once you're in the air).

I fly cattle class for work, business class when I'm on holidays - so if I'm in business class I'm wearing a T-shirt, shorts & thongs (edit: that's flip flops if you're not Australian). I've been doing it for years, and honestly, the novelty has never worn off.

But my ultra-favourite part is when I'm flying at the front of the plane with my son. Who's now four.

That way I can give anyone who looks me in the eye a sympathetic "yeah, I know, flying's with kids is tough work, hey", while I'm settling my four-year-old down in business class next to me with an iPad & Bose headphones.

Honestly, the flights are booked with points. The iPad and headphones are mine, not his. ... but from the perspective of everybody getting on the plane, That's "fuck you money" wealthy.

While I'm on the topic, let me touch on "kids on planes". Kids in economy suck. It sucks for the kid and it sucks for everyone around them; but the same isn't true for kids in Business Class.

First, business-class travellers generally have all the mod cons to drown them out (free alcohol, noise cancelling headphones etc.). But more importantly - kids travelling in business class BEHAVE. They've got room to move around up the front if they're restless; and they're generally seasoned travelers, travelling with parents who've done this flying thing more than a couple of times before.

I've never seen a badly behaved kid in business class.

Honestly, I love flying. There are plenty of things that can annoy you at the airport and in the plane, but if you've done it enough you buy the tools and learn the tricks to minimize the annoyances.

The only thing I hate about flying is when I can't fit everything into carry-on and have to wait half an hour (or more) to get my luggage at the destination.

Protips:

1. Good noise cancelling headphones
2. Tablet stuffed with movies you haven't watched
3. Stop for a beer every chance you get
4. Have your shit together at security, and don't be afraid to cut in front of people who are holding the line up because they don't.
5. Get access to a lounge if at all possible.
6. Fly business if at all possible.
7. Carry-on luggage ONLY
8. Try to have someone pick you up from the destination airport so you don't have to drive (see point 3)

Gotta be honest with you... i've only flown business twice... both times across the Atlantic and was sorely disappointed. One time on Lufthansa and once on AF... it was halfway decent at best, I ever scored the flights on last minute upgrades at the airport. To be honest even for the price it wasn't worth it... I can't sleep even on lie flats and found the service to really not be as great as I expected. I think customer service across the board in all industries has suffered and its showing. Now, the lounge access, I 100% agree with on that one... my CC pays for it and its awesome and makes layovers was more reasonable.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

The business class travel experience is a game changer (particularly for international travel).

My cheap Indian self will never justify the price hike.

[JimVonBaden]

Originally Posted by Dang3r

I wont argue with you but let me say this: Its true that the cabin pressure is making your myringas popping and if you are ill and the inner liquid ear channels are swollen, then it hurts double because your body isnt really ready to react onto this. But into relation on bodies I would rate the pressure rate as effect for bloating at 100 people for less than 7. That depends on more than just the overall body mass and just breathing the air. The pressurization level of an aircraft varies between 6500 and 8000ft, this depends on more than just the type.
The cabin isnt a fully closed duct but a space with a lot of openings. To keep the pressure constant its necessary to add it in batches after reaching the preset sensor limit. Those pushes are causing sometimes more inconvenience because they are higher dosed than just pumping up the cabin before take off. This is to be felt more into the cabin as into the cockpit, also a cause of size of the space and the locations of the inlet valves.

I only worked on planes for years, so don't take anything I have to say as fact. Your "facts" on the other hand...

[JimVonBaden]

Originally Posted by ImolaMoop

When economy class passengers make eye contact with me on their way back to the cattle room.

I spend way too much time flying but I still enjoy it. I cross the pacific 20x per year.

Is that a fgucked up humble brag?

[JimVonBaden]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

The business class travel experience is a game changer (particularly for international travel).

It is nice, at 4 times the price. Rarely worth it to me, but I make less than half a million a year, so...

[Kidscollege$]

Originally Posted by Real Dodger

When the pilot gets sick from eating the fish. Both pilots, And the nav/engineer.
Then Ted Stryker has to land the plane.

Luckily I practice landing the type of plane I'm flying on on microsoft flight simulator. (actually, I really do).

Have you ever seen a grown man naked?

[ImolaMoop]

Originally Posted by JimVonBaden

Is that a fgucked up humble brag?

Nope, just a regular brag

[Bt12]

Sitting next to the bathroom.

[xQx]

Originally Posted by JimVonBaden

It is nice, at 4 times the price. Rarely worth it to me, but I make less than half a million a year, so...

Originally Posted by ASAP

Gotta be honest with you... i've only flown business twice... both times across the Atlantic and was sorely disappointed. One time on Lufthansa and once on AF... it was halfway decent at best, I ever scored the flights on last minute upgrades at the airport. To be honest even for the price it wasn't worth it...

I couldn't agree more - at 4x the price, Business is very hard to justify. (ie. mostly not worth it). ... especially for us mere mortals who aren't on half-a-million+.

However, if you're booking with frequent flyer points, Business is MUCH cheaper - typically it's only 2x the points of the same economy flight. Sometimes, when all the cheap economy reward seats are booked-out, a business-class reward seat is only fractionally more expensive than a 'any seat any time' economy reward seat.

For that price, it's well worth it.

The other thing is that an in-airport-upgrade is the worst way to fly business. The best thing about business class isn't the bigger seats or the free booze (you can buy a lot of booze for the upgrade cost of business class).

Frankly, the in-flight experience of business class on a short-haul international Virgin flight is less luxurious than an economy singapore airways flight in a bigger plane. Where business shines is the in-airport experience.

I'm not sure how much of this translates to the US domestic airports, but in Australia, business class gets lounge access, its own check-in queue, its own security screening, 'skip the queue' cards for customs clearances in&out of the country and priority checked baggage (your bags come out first on the belt).

So, it means especially if you're travelling on for 6+ hours at the start/end of a holiday, the whole airport/plane/airport experience is smooth, easy, stress free and jam-packed from start to end with free food&drink - rather than moving from one 1/2 hour long queue of stinky pissed-off travelers to the next.

That's worth a lot more than a couple of extra inches of space on the plane.

(And if you're getting the in-airport upgrade, you've already had to turn up early, line up etc. So half the pleasure of business-class is already behind you).

[Georgeair]

Originally Posted by Rampant

Passengers who absolutely must have the window seat, yet then proceed to close the shutter/blind, get their laptop and headphones out and watch their own movie.
You can do that from any seat. I want to look out the window, jackass.

Could be so they also can sleep or endure the whole event undisturbed by folks climbing out, getting drinks and snacks passed over them, etc. It's snug, but the most isolated part of the plane.

[jaye944]

Don't EVER lean on a window when plane is in flight,
causes torsional stress's and the window can pop out mid flight,
seen it, NOT a pretty site..

Also on a side note, the dick on the Titanic, that open'd the bath plug on the lower floor, let all the ocean in , damn thing sunk

Originally Posted by IllSic_Design

Yup, I like to look out the window sometimes, but also use the wall to lean against as said by another poster. It's a lot easier for me to sleep on a plane leaning against the wall/window.

[jaye944]

. ............

Originally Posted by xQx

I couldn't agree more - at 4x the price, Business is very hard to justify. (ie. mostly not worth it). ... especially for us mere mortals who aren't on half-a-million+.

However, if you're booking with frequent flyer points, Business is MUCH cheaper - typically it's only 2x the points of the same economy flight. Sometimes, when all the cheap economy reward seats are booked-out, a business-class reward seat is only fractionally more expensive than a 'any seat any time' economy reward seat.

For that price, it's well worth it.

The other thing is that an in-airport-upgrade is the worst way to fly business. The best thing about business class isn't the bigger seats or the free booze (you can buy a lot of booze for the upgrade cost of business class).

Frankly, the in-flight experience of business class on a short-haul international Virgin flight is less luxurious than an economy singapore airways flight in a bigger plane. Where business shines is the in-airport experience.

I'm not sure how much of this translates to the US domestic airports, but in Australia, business class gets lounge access, its own check-in queue, its own security screening, 'skip the queue' cards for customs clearances in&out of the country and priority checked baggage (your bags come out first on the belt).

So, it means especially if you're travelling on for 6+ hours at the start/end of a holiday, the whole airport/plane/airport experience is smooth, easy, stress free and jam-packed from start to end with free food&drink - rather than moving from one 1/2 hour long queue of stinky pissed-off travelers to the next.

That's worth a lot more than a couple of extra inches of space on the plane.

(And if you're getting the in-airport upgrade, you've already had to turn up early, line up etc. So half the pleasure of business-class is already behind you).

[dmatre]

Landing 30 minutes early, only to wait on the tarmac 30 minutes because there are no gates available, and then another 10 minutes for the jetway operator to finish their lunch.

[CTinline-six]

I HATE flying commercially, everything about it sucks. The showing up to the airport 3 hours before the flight, the stupid people, the problematic aircraft, the horrible airline customer service, etc. Your plane could crash, everyone would die except for you, and the airline would probably only offer you $10 off your next flight.

I had to travel to a training session for work for a week. I could either take a 45 min flight there or drive 5 hours. I chose to drive 5 hours in the BMW. Since I drove they paid me for mileage and I was able to bring my GF with me to the hotel. Definitely worth it since I would've probably spent the same amount of time sitting in the airport/on the plane/getting a rental car. And of course I would've had to go alone.

[UncleWede]

^ misses strange opportunity - smh

[Ickdeep]

Just came back from a trip to California and the delays is what is soo irritating for me. They pushed the boarding time for our departure flight first 20 mins, then 45 mins and eventually an hour. And the cherry on top, the airline just said "sorry for the delay"

[other_evolved]

Originally Posted by Ickdeep

Just came back from a trip to California and the delays is what is soo irritating for me. They pushed the boarding time for our departure flight first 20 mins, then 45 mins and eventually an hour. And the cherry on top, the airline just said "sorry for the delay"

What are they supposed to say in the event of a delay? Or rather, what would you prefer they say?

Also, what was the delay for? Weather?

[jmg]

Violation of the coach/economy armrest rule: Window get window armrest. Middle gets both. Aisle gets aisle armrest. END OF STORY.

Crowding the gate before their row has been called. GTFO of my way.

[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by jmg

Violation of the coach/economy armrest rule: Window get window armrest. Middle gets both. Aisle gets aisle armrest. END OF STORY.

Crowding the gate before their row has been called. GTFO of my way.

Middle shares with both.