Flying first/ business class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Summertime biz class tickets to Europe are 10k+ this year. I’m not even using my work budget for that.

We're flying our family of 5 to Europe in August in business class. $2,500/person on Lufthansa. Premium Economy was $2,100 so that was an easy decision. We bought our tickets last September.

We also went to India for winter break. $3,500/person in business class, purchased 11 months in advance. Totally worth it as it's about 24 hours of traveling each way including the layover.

We're able to plan really far ahead, and that helps get good deals. For example, if you want to go to Paris next March, it's $2,800 business class on Turkish (really good food and seat) or $2,100 on IcelandAir (recliner seats, not the best).

[Anonymous]

HHI of $1M. We always fly business or first and have done so since around $650k. Worth it to us.

[Anonymous]

Knowing how easy it is to with points and miles, there is no income where I would pay money (instead of points) to fly business/first.

[Anonymous]

We are under 300k HHI, but it is just DH and I. We pay for business class for all long flights -- anything overseas, any red-eye back from CA, etc. But that's because I have a very hard time flying, and can't sleep at all while sitting up. Most domestic flights we fly economy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Assuming that you don’t track airline miles at what income level would you start regularly flying first/ business class for just regular vacation.

Assume 2 adults and 3 kids.

Is your number based on actual experience having reached it or is it a hypothetical question only for you at this point?

Our HHI is $575K and NW is $7.5M. We never fly coach. Not ever. If a particular flight doesn’t have business class or first class (usually small regional flights), we won’t even take it. I’d rather fly at a different time of day or to a nearby city. Our family of five flies about 6 times per year. Half domestic, half international. DH flies for business 1-2 times per month in addition to our personal travel. Always business or first.

Dealing with all the clueless and unprepared people that don’t regularly travel, the overcrowded club lounges, the chaotic boarding processes, the fake service animals, the lying and self-proclaimed disabled and military travelers pushing to the front of the line, the 3+ year-old lap children, the mediocre service, the bulkhead diaper changing, the garbage on-board food, etc…. It’s all too much. The only stress reliever is knowing that at least on-board we’ll have a reasonably elevated and comfortable experience. Couldn’t handle it otherwise.

We have a dedicated divided ETF that generates about $6K per month after taxes to help offset cost differences between coach and first.

lol such a waste of money

My HHI is in the $100 M range we don’t do this

We travel way more than you

Have access to a private jet and still think your post is cringy

But hey free country

DP. The fact that you are trying to bolster your credibility with this HHI "in the $100M range" and "have access to a private jet" stuff is cringy. But hey, free country.

[Anonymous]

300K single. NW ~$5M.
Coach but I'll pay for the upgrades within reason.

I am willing to pay in various ways for status and lounge access. Access to shorter lines, lounges (and more agent help in case of problems), and better seats remove a great deal of the hassle of travel IME.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Knowing how easy it is to with points and miles, there is no income where I would pay money (instead of points) to fly business/first.

Frequent flyer here. It's not that easy with points if you need to get your entire family on the same flight. Most airlines don't offer that many award seats in business class on a given flight, especially during peak periods.

Or they will charge crazy miles. Let's look at going from DC to London in August. On United, the direct flights in business are 150k miles = 300k miles round-trip = 1.2 million miles for a family of 4. Not a good use of miles, if you even have that many.

[Anonymous]

HHI $1M, family of five, have never flown first class. I just can't fathom paying many times the cost to fly on the exact same aircraft to the exact same destination. Also, I wouldn't want to get my children accustomed to it. I'll admit I did look upon the first class section with envy on our trip to Europe last summer...would've been nice to stretch and sleep comfortably on the overnight flight. But I'll take a cramped, uncomfortable experience to save five figures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once we were 60 we started flying first /business to get planes with lie flat seats. Even on 5 hour trips, makes a huge difference getting legs up level.

This. We know we have saved more than enough and now we can spend frivolously and for comfort.

Exactly. It is just DH and I in our early 60s and worth the expense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HHI $1M, family of five, have never flown first class. I just can't fathom paying many times the cost to fly on the exact same aircraft to the exact same destination. Also, I wouldn't want to get my children accustomed to it. I'll admit I did look upon the first class section with envy on our trip to Europe last summer...would've been nice to stretch and sleep comfortably on the overnight flight. But I'll take a cramped, uncomfortable experience to save five figures.

First class for family of five is prohibitive for most.

[Anonymous]

I upgrade if it's $1000 or less at check-in. Off-season, that's pretty do-able. Income is 750K

[Anonymous]

Just here to call BS on the person talking about lap babies who are over age 3. There is zero chance. You have to enter your baby’s birthday when you buy his lap baby ticket and they check birth certificates at check in, you are not allowed to check in via kiosk or online ahead of time. They even check for newborns.

[Anonymous]

When I was a young adult I could take an overseas red eye flight in economy and arrive still ready to charge through the day. Now in my 40s if traveling economy overseas I need a day to recover before being able to enjoy sight seeing or jump back into work upon return, whereas with a lay flat seat I can be good to go.

So basically if the cost to upgrade to business is less than the price of a day’s salary + an extra night hotel cost it’s well worth it to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HHI $1M, family of five, have never flown first class. I just can't fathom paying many times the cost to fly on the exact same aircraft to the exact same destination. Also, I wouldn't want to get my children accustomed to it. I'll admit I did look upon the first class section with envy on our trip to Europe last summer...would've been nice to stretch and sleep comfortably on the overnight flight. But I'll take a cramped, uncomfortable experience to save five figures.

+1000! HHI $2.7M, family of four, have never even flown at all. I just can’t fathom paying many times the cost to fly to a destination that is just as accessible by Greyhound Bus…or even hitchhiking. Same applies to lodging and household measures of extravagance (e,g., groceries). Our family shares a single camping temp deep inside Rock Creek Park and we survive mostly on twigs, berries, and the occasional grilled squirrel. But we’ll also take a cramped, uncomfortable experience to save seven figures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HHI $1M, family of five, have never flown first class. I just can't fathom paying many times the cost to fly on the exact same aircraft to the exact same destination. Also, I wouldn't want to get my children accustomed to it. I'll admit I did look upon the first class section with envy on our trip to Europe last summer...would've been nice to stretch and sleep comfortably on the overnight flight. But I'll take a cramped, uncomfortable experience to save five figures.

With a HHI of $1 million what are you saving those 5 figures for and will the savings really make a difference to you in the long term.

If you’re brand new to that level of income and don’t expect it to last I guess it’s understandable to hoard while you can but otherwise I don’t understand why at that hhi you would deprive yourself of a far more comfortable travel /vacation experience just so that you can die with even more in the bank.