Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 12:27     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
Anonymous wrote:Buying economy tickets and upgrading using moleson overseas flights isn't a real possibility, unless you are very high level status- the type of person who flies 100k miles a year.

Most people are probably either:

1. High level elites who have a lot of miles or do the upgrade
2. Rich people
3. Slightly less rich people who buy economy and take a cash upgrade offer- usually cheaper than just buying the business class direct, but not always available.
4. People who use miles from credit cards and bonuses, and spend a good amount of time scoping out reasonably priced award tickets.



I have lifetime status from many many years of this, plus current status from flying 100k+ miles. Even then, it's about 30% of the time my upgrades clear.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 12:27     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
Anonymous wrote:Why in the world would anyone do a connecting flight just to get Business class, instead of just taking a direct flight?

The only reason to mess around with connecting flights, when there are direct flights available, is if you are trying to fly as cheap as possible.
Connecting flights just increases the chance of something going wrong (delayed flight on your first leg and missing the second leg, luggage getting lost, etc.) I avoid them whenever possible. I've even traveled (by car or train) to Newark to get a direct flight instead of connecting flights out of DC.


Scenarios like I'm going to connect to JFK and get a direct flight to Europe in business class with plenty of layover time are not that weird.

People do this because you show up in Europe in a hell of a lot better shape if you flew business, particularly if some members of your family are genuinely tall.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 12:25     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
I got upgraded to Business class to Germany once (work travel points) and meh? It's not bad but I don't think it's worth the price at all.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 12:24     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
Anonymous wrote:Buying economy tickets and upgrading using moleson overseas flights isn't a real possibility, unless you are very high level status- the type of person who flies 100k miles a year.

Most people are probably either:

1. High level elites who have a lot of miles or do the upgrade
2. Rich people
3. Slightly less rich people who buy economy and take a cash upgrade offer- usually cheaper than just buying the business class direct, but not always available.
4. People who use miles from credit cards and bonuses, and spend a good amount of time scoping out reasonably priced award tickets.


I am part of group #3 and that is what we do when traveling business class.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 12:22     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You buy it. We have like 140k in miles and basically they only make miles seats available when all the other seats are sold so business class is the least likely. We tried and ended up just buying business class outright


United is currently 374k miles round-trip in business to Rome in July.


Yeah that's why if you use miles you need a lot, usually from a bunch of signup bonuses, and spend a good amount of time searching, looking at options, etc. And it's much harder to get the lower mileage cost awards for more than 2 people, as stated above. It's not easy or simple.


This. My spouse makes a sport out of it and is good at it. But it takes some time.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 12:09     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
Anonymous wrote:We spent a lot on 5 first class seats to Rome last summer and I have zero regrets. But we didn’t upgrade the trip home and that was also a good decision.


We are flying Premium Economy over and Regular Econ back this coming summer.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 10:04     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We spent a lot on 5 first class seats to Rome last summer and I have zero regrets. But we didn’t upgrade the trip home and that was also a good decision.


This is another pretty good option- business class less valuable IMO in the daytime flight home. The real value is on the overnight on the way over, where the ability to sleep a lot more (not perfect of course) is the primary value of the higher expense.


Usually you don’t get a huge savings doing it this way. Everything is priced based on demand.


Just checked some random dates in late June on United IAD-FCO nonstop. Roundtrip in business is $7100 (!), business outbound and economy return is $4600. I'd call $2500/person pretty big savings- with of course the caveat that these are prices I would never pay out of pocket.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 09:08     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
Why in the world would anyone do a connecting flight just to get Business class, instead of just taking a direct flight?

The only reason to mess around with connecting flights, when there are direct flights available, is if you are trying to fly as cheap as possible.
Connecting flights just increases the chance of something going wrong (delayed flight on your first leg and missing the second leg, luggage getting lost, etc.) I avoid them whenever possible. I've even traveled (by car or train) to Newark to get a direct flight instead of connecting flights out of DC.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 08:52     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We spent a lot on 5 first class seats to Rome last summer and I have zero regrets. But we didn’t upgrade the trip home and that was also a good decision.


This is another pretty good option- business class less valuable IMO in the daytime flight home. The real value is on the overnight on the way over, where the ability to sleep a lot more (not perfect of course) is the primary value of the higher expense.


Usually you don’t get a huge savings doing it this way. Everything is priced based on demand.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 08:47     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
Turkish Airlines recently had an amazing sale. We are flying to Rome in BC for $2500 each. There is a 3 hour layover on the flight over but I heard their lounge is amazing.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 08:44     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
OP, unless you are intermediate/advanced in the world of points/miles (and book 11-12 months in advance) you are never going to find 6 business class seats on the same flight except in cash.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 08:40     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
Anonymous wrote:We spent a lot on 5 first class seats to Rome last summer and I have zero regrets. But we didn’t upgrade the trip home and that was also a good decision.


This is another pretty good option- business class less valuable IMO in the daytime flight home. The real value is on the overnight on the way over, where the ability to sleep a lot more (not perfect of course) is the primary value of the higher expense.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 08:13     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
We spent a lot on 5 first class seats to Rome last summer and I have zero regrets. But we didn’t upgrade the trip home and that was also a good decision.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 08:10     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
If you want 6 lie flat seats, you just have to buy them. The sooner the better. Prices likely won’t go down.
Anonymous
Post 12/23/2024 08:07     Subject: Business class to Rome this summer
But OP has “accumulated a sizable net worth.”

Doesn’t seem to be concerned about the price.

Just buy nonstop tickets with actual money, love, directly from United’s website, and enjoy your privilege.

And please post more about your plans—I love an aspirational travel thread.