Anonymous
Post 03/12/2025 08:43     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Many of the Middle Eastern airlines (Ethihad, Qatar, Emirates) do a really nice job with their business and first class. WAY better than European carriers. I have heard similar about the likes of Singapore airlines, but haven't had a chance to fly with them. If at all possible, when we travel internationally, we try to fly business on one of the Middle Eastern airlines.

Middle Eastern > Asian > European > America in terms of quality.


Not always true. Lot of variation in product. Emirates business on some of their 777s isn't even lie flat, for example.


In terms of service, consistency, standard accommodations, I will always fly other country airlines before US ones. The exception being foreign airlines who are branded as the low cost Econ ones that you are aware are no frills but often their service is typically better. In those cases I would consider Delta.

Apples to apples I would never choose US though. If you fly enough different airlines you know what I mean
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2025 08:37     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
Y'all who keep saying it's a box flying no matter what need to google first class long haul ME flights. That's not being trapped and all you can do is sleep. You can take a 30 min hot shower. If you only ate the meals you'd come out ahead. Ive stayed in top global hotels that weren't as nice. my question is whether it's cultural to put forth such extravagance? It is nothing like you imagine first class yo bd on a plane, its beyond that.

Its a bucket list item so I can appreciate sentiments OP!
Anonymous
Post 03/12/2025 06:42     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
Definitely can relate. Love business or first class international flights. Enjoy the premium treatments
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2025 22:13     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Many of the Middle Eastern airlines (Ethihad, Qatar, Emirates) do a really nice job with their business and first class. WAY better than European carriers. I have heard similar about the likes of Singapore airlines, but haven't had a chance to fly with them. If at all possible, when we travel internationally, we try to fly business on one of the Middle Eastern airlines.

Middle Eastern > Asian > European > America in terms of quality.


Not always true. Lot of variation in product. Emirates business on some of their 777s isn't even lie flat, for example.

It’s a generalization so of course you have variation within each group but it’s generally accurate. I wouldn’t put Air India and ANA in the same class and even within airlines you’ll have very different configurations.


At this point, in general, I would put the US airlines above the average European airline in terms of international business class quality. Every US carrier pretty much has aisle access in all their long haul planes. BA and Lufthansa do not at all (the 2-4-2 business on the BA A380 is a joke). Air France is better than any of the US airlines, Swiss about the same, Iberia a bit worse, TAP and Aer Lingus definitely worse.

Europe is for sure mixed. The better ones (Air France, FinnAir, Lufthansa/BA with the right configuration) are better than US airlines, but something like TAP is so much worse. Iberia’s new product will be a welcome upgrade.
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2025 21:30     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Many of the Middle Eastern airlines (Ethihad, Qatar, Emirates) do a really nice job with their business and first class. WAY better than European carriers. I have heard similar about the likes of Singapore airlines, but haven't had a chance to fly with them. If at all possible, when we travel internationally, we try to fly business on one of the Middle Eastern airlines.

Middle Eastern > Asian > European > America in terms of quality.


Not always true. Lot of variation in product. Emirates business on some of their 777s isn't even lie flat, for example.

It’s a generalization so of course you have variation within each group but it’s generally accurate. I wouldn’t put Air India and ANA in the same class and even within airlines you’ll have very different configurations.


At this point, in general, I would put the US airlines above the average European airline in terms of international business class quality. Every US carrier pretty much has aisle access in all their long haul planes. BA and Lufthansa do not at all (the 2-4-2 business on the BA A380 is a joke). Air France is better than any of the US airlines, Swiss about the same, Iberia a bit worse, TAP and Aer Lingus definitely worse.
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2025 21:06     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
I dislike like flying just because you're stuck for hours in a chair but I can relate to OP. It's nice to have someone take care of you for once and it's nice not to have any responsibilities.
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2025 20:03     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Many of the Middle Eastern airlines (Ethihad, Qatar, Emirates) do a really nice job with their business and first class. WAY better than European carriers. I have heard similar about the likes of Singapore airlines, but haven't had a chance to fly with them. If at all possible, when we travel internationally, we try to fly business on one of the Middle Eastern airlines.

Middle Eastern > Asian > European > America in terms of quality.


Not always true. Lot of variation in product. Emirates business on some of their 777s isn't even lie flat, for example.

It’s a generalization so of course you have variation within each group but it’s generally accurate. I wouldn’t put Air India and ANA in the same class and even within airlines you’ll have very different configurations.
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2025 19:37     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Many of the Middle Eastern airlines (Ethihad, Qatar, Emirates) do a really nice job with their business and first class. WAY better than European carriers. I have heard similar about the likes of Singapore airlines, but haven't had a chance to fly with them. If at all possible, when we travel internationally, we try to fly business on one of the Middle Eastern airlines.

Middle Eastern > Asian > European > America in terms of quality.


Not always true. Lot of variation in product. Emirates business on some of their 777s isn't even lie flat, for example.
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2025 18:50     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
Anonymous wrote:Many of the Middle Eastern airlines (Ethihad, Qatar, Emirates) do a really nice job with their business and first class. WAY better than European carriers. I have heard similar about the likes of Singapore airlines, but haven't had a chance to fly with them. If at all possible, when we travel internationally, we try to fly business on one of the Middle Eastern airlines.

Middle Eastern > Asian > European > America in terms of quality.
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2025 18:44     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
I really hate flying, so wouldn't look forward to it more than the actual trip.

But I will say the only way I find flying tolerable on an overnight flight at this point is to fly business.
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2025 18:41     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
I don't care how luxurious it is, you're stuck in a small space for hours and hours. Best case scenario you sleep.
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2025 18:37     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
Many of the Middle Eastern airlines (Ethihad, Qatar, Emirates) do a really nice job with their business and first class. WAY better than European carriers. I have heard similar about the likes of Singapore airlines, but haven't had a chance to fly with them. If at all possible, when we travel internationally, we try to fly business on one of the Middle Eastern airlines.
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2025 18:23     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
Anonymous wrote:I kind of think if you enjoy the first or business class that much, it reflects that you don’t stay at very nice places when you’re traveling. A lay-flat seat is soooo much better than economy but seriously!?! It’s still a plane!


I am OMG only an Emirates or Singapore Airlines maybe flight. Never US based airlines which is a joke. You have no idea unless you watch some videos darling. Polaris is a joke in comparison.

I'm the one that wants to holiday in the Emirates flight. We are def not talking about the same first class experience. For the record I got married in Chicago at the Penninsula so it's not like I've never been around I stay at upscale hotels often but Emirates is on another level. They take lux to a level Americans never imagined a flight could be like.
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2025 18:22     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
Anonymous wrote:I kind of think if you enjoy the first or business class that much, it reflects that you don’t stay at very nice places when you’re traveling. A lay-flat seat is soooo much better than economy but seriously!?! It’s still a plane!

That’s very presumptions and, at least for me, incorrect.
Anonymous
Post 03/11/2025 18:14     Subject: Am I Odd? I Look Forward to Business/Domestic First Sometimes More Than the Actual Vacation Destination?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I kind of think if you enjoy the first or business class that much, it reflects that you don’t stay at very nice places when you’re traveling. A lay-flat seat is soooo much better than economy but seriously!?! It’s still a plane!


Here's the thing- the difference between a $200/night hotel in most places and a $750/night is the nice things, maybe quality of the breakfast, service,etc. You still generally get a quiet room with a bed to sleep in. The difference between an economy seat and a business class seat on a 777 is like 5x the amount of space, a fully flat space around 23 inches wide and 6 feet to sleep in, no one physically touching you or within arms reach, lounge access (often really nice with an evening departure, eat dinner in the lounge and go straight to sleep on board), etc. A nice hotel room is still fundamentally the same product type as a middling hotel room.


PP. I think a 750/night hotel room is still kind of average? I was imagining like a 4K a night Four Seasons kind of experience.

Anyway, my family typically stays at hotels that are 3-5K a night but we only fly business or first if we have an overnight international flight. So I guess I don’t see the value in business or first unless you’re sleeping, whereas I do see the value in a high end hotel!