Who can afford First Class prices?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most are definitely NOT 12k. Just searched for a 10 day trip Dulles to Rome late September. $3600 roundtrip business on Swiss Air.

Still a lot, admittedly, especially for say 4 people, but not even close to 12k/person.

Wrong, I just looked, it is $12,800 per person from DCA all the way through 2026

Oh okay I guess Google Flights was wrong that every airline was under $5k.

I think you may only be looking at First Class? On international flights that's very similar to business class, and only a few airlines now even have a separate first class internationally.

Post dates and start- finish cities in Google Flights.

It obviously can vary by airline, but I just flew business class to the UK and it was not even close to first class. It was a more like economy with slightly more space to lean your seat back. First class had separate pods and lay flat seats (and this was a US carrier, not one of the airlines that is known for a fancy first class).

I find this hard to believe every airline I know that flies to the UK (Virgin Atlantic, BA, United, Delta, American) has lie flat beds in business. Were you flying some weird budget airline??

Delta to London. There are four categories — Delta One (first class) has separate pods and lie flat seats. The others — Premium Select, Comfort+, and Main, do not.

Then you weren’t flying business…

+1. PP was flying premium economy. Delta One sounds like international business class.

[Anonymous]

I only fly coach, but I don’t have any medical issues and I am only 5‘4“. I’m also fortunate that I can fall asleep anywhere, on trains, buses, or planes. So doesn’t really matter to me where I am. Also want kids to know that flying coach is just fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Business travel where my company pays.

And then I use the accrued points to upgrade me and my family. Or, I buy economy via points and then upgrade via cash but that can be tricky.

This means you have to use the same airline for work and personal travel.

Can’t remember the last time I paid for checked luggage.

+ 1 . My husband accrues miles on his (company paid for business class) work trips. We then use these miles to upgrade our family economy flights. We live overseas and husband travels a lot, so it’s easy for the miles to add up if you stay loyal to a single airline. I’ve never paid full price for business class, but fly it exclusively for long haul flights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most business class people use points now a days.

We went to Japan recently and paid cash about $10,000 per person. Too long a flight for us old people to do premium economy.

Any flight over 5 hours we pay or use points for flying business or first class. But luckily we can easily afford to do that. Do I think it is a waste yes. Business isn't always fabulous it's mostly about lay flat seats and getting some rest.

My sister has traveled all over the world in economy her thought is the plane still gets her there just like me.

Just a personal preference.

Trump will make these costs rise exponentially by next spring.

Whew man, the idea of paying enough money that could get me a car for 24 hours of time is just, hard pill to swallow!

+1. Just fly economy plus and book your lodging from the night before so you can crash on arrival. It’s a far better value. Smart rich folks don’t set fire to their money.

[Anonymous]

*shrugs* We can. Sometimes it's the same price to fly private, depending on the to/from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:*shrugs* We can. Sometimes it's the same price to fly private, depending on the to/from.

Can you give an example of a destination where you found similar prices to take a private jet? With approximate prices?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most business class people use points now a days.

We went to Japan recently and paid cash about $10,000 per person. Too long a flight for us old people to do premium economy.

Any flight over 5 hours we pay or use points for flying business or first class. But luckily we can easily afford to do that. Do I think it is a waste yes. Business isn't always fabulous it's mostly about lay flat seats and getting some rest.

My sister has traveled all over the world in economy her thought is the plane still gets her there just like me.

Just a personal preference.

Trump will make these costs rise exponentially by next spring.

Whew man, the idea of paying enough money that could get me a car for 24 hours of time is just, hard pill to swallow!

+1. Just fly economy plus and book your lodging from the night before so you can crash on arrival. It’s a far better value. Smart rich folks don’t set fire to their money.

You don’t know any smart rich folks. Their time is worth a lot more than a few thousand dollars to buy business class instead of economy.

[Anonymous]

Wasn't it in the NYT that there are 650k households worth 20M+? If true, then consider how many more households worth 10M+.

A lot of weathy people. Paying for business is no different to them than paying for economy is to most. Actually, even less. I completely understand why. You have the money and it is more comfortable, especially for overnight flights. I've flown business on 10+ hour overnight flights and it is a game changer. Wish I could do it more often!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:*shrugs* We can. Sometimes it's the same price to fly private, depending on the to/from.

Can you give an example of a destination where you found similar prices to take a private jet? With approximate prices?

DP here. Private jets within the US (small ones for 4 peopel) come to about $2,000/hour. This can work out mainly when you are going somewhere less than 2 hours away _and_ there is no direct flight, so it becomes a 5+ hour flight with connections. There are places in WV, VA, NC/SC, and OH where this comes up.

For trans-atlantic, it generally does not work out as you need a bigger jet to do it non-stop, and that's $5-7k/hour.

For example, the middle eastern airlines offer really high-end first class service to London, at $10-20k per seat (for example Etihad's the Residence, though they are scaling this back). Why do people pay? Because it's actually better than flying private, and cheaper, as long as the scheudle works. You get a big plane with a room or two, sometimes a shower, and great food service. Things you can't offer on a mid-size private jet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most are definitely NOT 12k. Just searched for a 10 day trip Dulles to Rome late September. $3600 roundtrip business on Swiss Air.

Still a lot, admittedly, especially for say 4 people, but not even close to 12k/person.

Wrong, I just looked, it is $12,800 per person from DCA all the way through 2026

Oh okay I guess Google Flights was wrong that every airline was under $5k.

I think you may only be looking at First Class? On international flights that's very similar to business class, and only a few airlines now even have a separate first class internationally.

Post dates and start- finish cities in Google Flights.

It obviously can vary by airline, but I just flew business class to the UK and it was not even close to first class. It was a more like economy with slightly more space to lean your seat back. First class had separate pods and lay flat seats (and this was a US carrier, not one of the airlines that is known for a fancy first class).

I find this hard to believe every airline I know that flies to the UK (Virgin Atlantic, BA, United, Delta, American) has lie flat beds in business. Were you flying some weird budget airline??

Delta to London. There are four categories — Delta One (first class) has separate pods and lie flat seats. The others — Premium Select, Comfort+, and Main, do not.

Then you weren’t flying business…

+1. PP was flying premium economy. Delta One sounds like international business class.

Delta One is business class. PP was flying premium economy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:*shrugs* We can. Sometimes it's the same price to fly private, depending on the to/from.

Can you give an example of a destination where you found similar prices to take a private jet? With approximate prices?

DP here. Private jets within the US (small ones for 4 peopel) come to about $2,000/hour. This can work out mainly when you are going somewhere less than 2 hours away _and_ there is no direct flight, so it becomes a 5+ hour flight with connections. There are places in WV, VA, NC/SC, and OH where this comes up.

For trans-atlantic, it generally does not work out as you need a bigger jet to do it non-stop, and that's $5-7k/hour.

For example, the middle eastern airlines offer really high-end first class service to London, at $10-20k per seat (for example Etihad's the Residence, though they are scaling this back). Why do people pay? Because it's actually better than flying private, and cheaper, as long as the scheudle works. You get a big plane with a room or two, sometimes a shower, and great food service. Things you can't offer on a mid-size private jet.

This pricing info is incorrect. Transatlantic is minimum $100K 1 way if you use a broker. $5-7K per hour is what a nice King Air or very small jet goes for now domestically. The $2K an hour is for a Cessna. No thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:*shrugs* We can. Sometimes it's the same price to fly private, depending on the to/from.

Can you give an example of a destination where you found similar prices to take a private jet? With approximate prices?

DP here. Private jets within the US (small ones for 4 peopel) come to about $2,000/hour. This can work out mainly when you are going somewhere less than 2 hours away _and_ there is no direct flight, so it becomes a 5+ hour flight with connections. There are places in WV, VA, NC/SC, and OH where this comes up.

For trans-atlantic, it generally does not work out as you need a bigger jet to do it non-stop, and that's $5-7k/hour.

For example, the middle eastern airlines offer really high-end first class service to London, at $10-20k per seat (for example Etihad's the Residence, though they are scaling this back). Why do people pay? Because it's actually better than flying private, and cheaper, as long as the scheudle works. You get a big plane with a room or two, sometimes a shower, and great food service. Things you can't offer on a mid-size private jet.

So it's not cheaper, because that would be $8k for a roundtrip, and I doubt you are paying $2k/person for a business class ticket to small town deep southwest Virginia. The original statement was "Sometimes it's the same price to fly private".

It's faster and more convenient.

[Anonymous]

I can't. I am scared of the economic uncertainity in the world and I feel that I can afford nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most business class people use points now a days.

We went to Japan recently and paid cash about $10,000 per person. Too long a flight for us old people to do premium economy.

Any flight over 5 hours we pay or use points for flying business or first class. But luckily we can easily afford to do that. Do I think it is a waste yes. Business isn't always fabulous it's mostly about lay flat seats and getting some rest.

My sister has traveled all over the world in economy her thought is the plane still gets her there just like me.

Just a personal preference.

Trump will make these costs rise exponentially by next spring.

Whew man, the idea of paying enough money that could get me a car for 24 hours of time is just, hard pill to swallow!

+1. Just fly economy plus and book your lodging from the night before so you can crash on arrival. It’s a far better value. Smart rich folks don’t set fire to their money.

You don’t know any smart rich folks. Their time is worth a lot more than a few thousand dollars to buy business class instead of economy.

Neither do you. Smart rich folks aren’t buying business class seats. Their companies are. Or they are using miles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:*shrugs* We can. Sometimes it's the same price to fly private, depending on the to/from.

Can you give an example of a destination where you found similar prices to take a private jet? With approximate prices?

DP here. Private jets within the US (small ones for 4 peopel) come to about $2,000/hour. This can work out mainly when you are going somewhere less than 2 hours away _and_ there is no direct flight, so it becomes a 5+ hour flight with connections. There are places in WV, VA, NC/SC, and OH where this comes up.

For trans-atlantic, it generally does not work out as you need a bigger jet to do it non-stop, and that's $5-7k/hour.

For example, the middle eastern airlines offer really high-end first class service to London, at $10-20k per seat (for example Etihad's the Residence, though they are scaling this back). Why do people pay? Because it's actually better than flying private, and cheaper, as long as the scheudle works. You get a big plane with a room or two, sometimes a shower, and great food service. Things you can't offer on a mid-size private jet.

So it's not cheaper, because that would be $8k for a roundtrip, and I doubt you are paying $2k/person for a business class ticket to small town deep southwest Virginia. The original statement was "Sometimes it's the same price to fly private".

It's faster and more convenient.

Also, can you give an example of airports you are talking about? United and AA have a pretty extensive nonstop network out of IAD and DCA to mid-size airports in those states.