Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're opting for the earlier flight for a trip to Spain, knowing that sleep will be basically non existent on either flight. But we're booking a room at the airport hotel so we can go straight to bed when we land, and check out of that hotel at noon having gotten 4-5 hours of higher quality sleep in an actual bed before hitting the ground running.

That’s a great way to prolong jet lag.

+1. Terrible advice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Germany is an 8 hour flight-- we were happy to have premium economy but would have been happier in business

My family has put a hard rule in place. If a flight is longer than five hours, we plan for business class. Economy is only for travelers under 25. Past that age, the body simply doesn’t tolerate long hours in a confined seat, and the medical risks stop being theoretical. They become real exposure points.

Multiple studies make it clear that long-haul economy seating isn’t just uncomfortable. It can be dangerous. The World Health Organization warns that flights over four hours significantly increase the risk of venous thromboembolism because cramped seating suppresses blood flow in the legs. A major case-control study in The Lancet found that remaining immobilized in tight seating for extended periods raises the odds of a deep vein thrombosis two to three times compared with normal daily life.

Ergonomic research paints an equally serious picture. Studies in Applied Ergonomics and the Journal of Travel Medicine show that standard economy seat pitch forces the spine, hips, and neck into stressed positions that heighten the chance of nerve compression, severe muscular strain, circulation impairment, and sleep disruption. These effects compound with age. What a 22-year-old can bounce back from often leaves older travelers stiff, fatigued, swollen, and in some cases unable to fully recover for days.

By your mid-twenties, your circulation slows, tissue resilience drops, and inflammation responses spike under prolonged pressure. That combination makes long-haul economy a genuine health risk. People have ended flights with dangerous leg swelling, impaired mobility, and in rare cases serious clotting events that required immediate medical attention.

If you are over 25, treating long-range economy travel as harmless is its own kind of gamble. The medical issues linked to cramped, extended seating are well-documented and potentially severe. Saving and budgeting for safer seating isn’t luxury. It is risk avoidance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're opting for the earlier flight for a trip to Spain, knowing that sleep will be basically non existent on either flight. But we're booking a room at the airport hotel so we can go straight to bed when we land, and check out of that hotel at noon having gotten 4-5 hours of higher quality sleep in an actual bed before hitting the ground running.

That’s a great way to prolong jet lag.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Germany is an 8 hour flight-- we were happy to have premium economy but would have been happier in business

My family has put a hard rule in place. If a flight is longer than five hours, we plan for business class. Economy is only for travelers under 25. Past that age, the body simply doesn’t tolerate long hours in a confined seat, and the medical risks stop being theoretical. They become real exposure points.

Multiple studies make it clear that long-haul economy seating isn’t just uncomfortable. It can be dangerous. The World Health Organization warns that flights over four hours significantly increase the risk of venous thromboembolism because cramped seating suppresses blood flow in the legs. A major case-control study in The Lancet found that remaining immobilized in tight seating for extended periods raises the odds of a deep vein thrombosis two to three times compared with normal daily life.

Ergonomic research paints an equally serious picture. Studies in Applied Ergonomics and the Journal of Travel Medicine show that standard economy seat pitch forces the spine, hips, and neck into stressed positions that heighten the chance of nerve compression, severe muscular strain, circulation impairment, and sleep disruption. These effects compound with age. What a 22-year-old can bounce back from often leaves older travelers stiff, fatigued, swollen, and in some cases unable to fully recover for days.

By your mid-twenties, your circulation slows, tissue resilience drops, and inflammation responses spike under prolonged pressure. That combination makes long-haul economy a genuine health risk. People have ended flights with dangerous leg swelling, impaired mobility, and in rare cases serious clotting events that required immediate medical attention.

If you are over 25, treating long-range economy travel as harmless is its own kind of gamble. The medical issues linked to cramped, extended seating are well-documented and potentially severe. Saving and budgeting for safer seating isn’t luxury. It is risk avoidance.

Might want to tell your family to exercise a bit so they can "handle" such an arduous task. 25! seriously, maybe 65 or 75

You’re reducing a medical and ergonomic issue to “just exercise,” which is simply wrong. Long-haul economy risks are tied to immobility, restricted seat pitch, and impaired circulation. Fitness does not prevent deep vein thrombosis, nerve compression, or the circulation problems documented by the WHO, The Lancet, and travel-medicine research.

Calling it a toughness problem is uninformed. Physiology changes after the mid-twenties, and prolonged cramped seating creates real, measurable strain regardless of how fit someone is. Pretending this is only a concern for people in their seventies is exactly the kind of myth airlines rely on to sell cheap travel at the expense of passenger health.

Ignoring the evidence isn’t a flex. It’s just taking the bait of budget-travel bravado while dismissing well-established medical risks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Germany is an 8 hour flight-- we were happy to have premium economy but would have been happier in business

My family has put a hard rule in place. If a flight is longer than five hours, we plan for business class. Economy is only for travelers under 25. Past that age, the body simply doesn’t tolerate long hours in a confined seat, and the medical risks stop being theoretical. They become real exposure points.

Multiple studies make it clear that long-haul economy seating isn’t just uncomfortable. It can be dangerous. The World Health Organization warns that flights over four hours significantly increase the risk of venous thromboembolism because cramped seating suppresses blood flow in the legs. A major case-control study in The Lancet found that remaining immobilized in tight seating for extended periods raises the odds of a deep vein thrombosis two to three times compared with normal daily life.

Ergonomic research paints an equally serious picture. Studies in Applied Ergonomics and the Journal of Travel Medicine show that standard economy seat pitch forces the spine, hips, and neck into stressed positions that heighten the chance of nerve compression, severe muscular strain, circulation impairment, and sleep disruption. These effects compound with age. What a 22-year-old can bounce back from often leaves older travelers stiff, fatigued, swollen, and in some cases unable to fully recover for days.

By your mid-twenties, your circulation slows, tissue resilience drops, and inflammation responses spike under prolonged pressure. That combination makes long-haul economy a genuine health risk. People have ended flights with dangerous leg swelling, impaired mobility, and in rare cases serious clotting events that required immediate medical attention.

If you are over 25, treating long-range economy travel as harmless is its own kind of gamble. The medical issues linked to cramped, extended seating are well-documented and potentially severe. Saving and budgeting for safer seating isn’t luxury. It is risk avoidance.

It’s great that you have decided to travel business class as it is much better for your body. But you have a very warped perception of the risks of economy class travel.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Germany is an 8 hour flight-- we were happy to have premium economy but would have been happier in business

My family has put a hard rule in place. If a flight is longer than five hours, we plan for business class. Economy is only for travelers under 25. Past that age, the body simply doesn’t tolerate long hours in a confined seat, and the medical risks stop being theoretical. They become real exposure points.

Multiple studies make it clear that long-haul economy seating isn’t just uncomfortable. It can be dangerous. The World Health Organization warns that flights over four hours significantly increase the risk of venous thromboembolism because cramped seating suppresses blood flow in the legs. A major case-control study in The Lancet found that remaining immobilized in tight seating for extended periods raises the odds of a deep vein thrombosis two to three times compared with normal daily life.

Ergonomic research paints an equally serious picture. Studies in Applied Ergonomics and the Journal of Travel Medicine show that standard economy seat pitch forces the spine, hips, and neck into stressed positions that heighten the chance of nerve compression, severe muscular strain, circulation impairment, and sleep disruption. These effects compound with age. What a 22-year-old can bounce back from often leaves older travelers stiff, fatigued, swollen, and in some cases unable to fully recover for days.

By your mid-twenties, your circulation slows, tissue resilience drops, and inflammation responses spike under prolonged pressure. That combination makes long-haul economy a genuine health risk. People have ended flights with dangerous leg swelling, impaired mobility, and in rare cases serious clotting events that required immediate medical attention.

If you are over 25, treating long-range economy travel as harmless is its own kind of gamble. The medical issues linked to cramped, extended seating are well-documented and potentially severe. Saving and budgeting for safer seating isn’t luxury. It is risk avoidance.

Might want to tell your family to exercise a bit so they can "handle" such an arduous task. 25! seriously, maybe 65 or 75

You’re reducing a medical and ergonomic issue to “just exercise,” which is simply wrong. Long-haul economy risks are tied to immobility, restricted seat pitch, and impaired circulation. Fitness does not prevent deep vein thrombosis, nerve compression, or the circulation problems documented by the WHO, The Lancet, and travel-medicine research.

Calling it a toughness problem is uninformed. Physiology changes after the mid-twenties, and prolonged cramped seating creates real, measurable strain regardless of how fit someone is. Pretending this is only a concern for people in their seventies is exactly the kind of myth airlines rely on to sell cheap travel at the expense of passenger health.

Ignoring the evidence isn’t a flex. It’s just taking the bait of budget-travel bravado while dismissing well-established medical risks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Germany is an 8 hour flight-- we were happy to have premium economy but would have been happier in business

My family has put a hard rule in place. If a flight is longer than five hours, we plan for business class. Economy is only for travelers under 25. Past that age, the body simply doesn’t tolerate long hours in a confined seat, and the medical risks stop being theoretical. They become real exposure points.

Multiple studies make it clear that long-haul economy seating isn’t just uncomfortable. It can be dangerous. The World Health Organization warns that flights over four hours significantly increase the risk of venous thromboembolism because cramped seating suppresses blood flow in the legs. A major case-control study in The Lancet found that remaining immobilized in tight seating for extended periods raises the odds of a deep vein thrombosis two to three times compared with normal daily life.

Ergonomic research paints an equally serious picture. Studies in Applied Ergonomics and the Journal of Travel Medicine show that standard economy seat pitch forces the spine, hips, and neck into stressed positions that heighten the chance of nerve compression, severe muscular strain, circulation impairment, and sleep disruption. These effects compound with age. What a 22-year-old can bounce back from often leaves older travelers stiff, fatigued, swollen, and in some cases unable to fully recover for days.

By your mid-twenties, your circulation slows, tissue resilience drops, and inflammation responses spike under prolonged pressure. That combination makes long-haul economy a genuine health risk. People have ended flights with dangerous leg swelling, impaired mobility, and in rare cases serious clotting events that required immediate medical attention.

If you are over 25, treating long-range economy travel as harmless is its own kind of gamble. The medical issues linked to cramped, extended seating are well-documented and potentially severe. Saving and budgeting for safer seating isn’t luxury. It is risk avoidance.

Might want to tell your family to exercise a bit so they can "handle" such an arduous task. 25! seriously, maybe 65 or 75

You’re reducing a medical and ergonomic issue to “just exercise,” which is simply wrong. Long-haul economy risks are tied to immobility, restricted seat pitch, and impaired circulation. Fitness does not prevent deep vein thrombosis, nerve compression, or the circulation problems documented by the WHO, The Lancet, and travel-medicine research.

Calling it a toughness problem is uninformed. Physiology changes after the mid-twenties, and prolonged cramped seating creates real, measurable strain regardless of how fit someone is. Pretending this is only a concern for people in their seventies is exactly the kind of myth airlines rely on to sell cheap travel at the expense of passenger health.

Ignoring the evidence isn’t a flex. It’s just taking the bait of budget-travel bravado while dismissing well-established medical risks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Germany is an 8 hour flight-- we were happy to have premium economy but would have been happier in business

My family has put a hard rule in place. If a flight is longer than five hours, we plan for business class. Economy is only for travelers under 25. Past that age, the body simply doesn’t tolerate long hours in a confined seat, and the medical risks stop being theoretical. They become real exposure points.

Multiple studies make it clear that long-haul economy seating isn’t just uncomfortable. It can be dangerous. The World Health Organization warns that flights over four hours significantly increase the risk of venous thromboembolism because cramped seating suppresses blood flow in the legs. A major case-control study in The Lancet found that remaining immobilized in tight seating for extended periods raises the odds of a deep vein thrombosis two to three times compared with normal daily life.

Ergonomic research paints an equally serious picture. Studies in Applied Ergonomics and the Journal of Travel Medicine show that standard economy seat pitch forces the spine, hips, and neck into stressed positions that heighten the chance of nerve compression, severe muscular strain, circulation impairment, and sleep disruption. These effects compound with age. What a 22-year-old can bounce back from often leaves older travelers stiff, fatigued, swollen, and in some cases unable to fully recover for days.

By your mid-twenties, your circulation slows, tissue resilience drops, and inflammation responses spike under prolonged pressure. That combination makes long-haul economy a genuine health risk. People have ended flights with dangerous leg swelling, impaired mobility, and in rare cases serious clotting events that required immediate medical attention.

If you are over 25, treating long-range economy travel as harmless is its own kind of gamble. The medical issues linked to cramped, extended seating are well-documented and potentially severe. Saving and budgeting for safer seating isn’t luxury. It is risk avoidance.

Might want to tell your family to exercise a bit so they can "handle" such an arduous task. 25! seriously, maybe 65 or 75

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the later flight because the Polaris lounge is usually mostly empty and I can eat dinner and be in bed on the aircraft within 15 minutes of departure. It's a very short flight so want to get as much sleep as possible.

This is the most DCUM response ever.

What? Any flight over 5 hours you should consider business class for health reasons

Well biz class seats overseas average about $5,000…sure that’s attainable for the average family! So DCUM. I have dabbled in the miles game. [b]For overseas flights, you’re talking over a million miles for a family to sit in biz class.

Yes that's the case if you go business both ways, and aren't able to find "saver" awards, which are admittedly hard to get in overseas business class. But we flew business to Europe and economy back (daytime flight so less need for the lie flat bed, etc) for 480k miles for a family of 4 (90k outbound in business, 30k return in economy).

480k points plus close to a thousand dollars per ticket in taxes and fees. That is how it works on most airlines. So you still paid more for the seat than an economy ticket. And you probably flew in February.

August actually- but yes its tough to get business class saver awards, and 90k one way is still not a "true" saver award. For that award had to book almost 12 months in advance. And the taxes/fees roundtrip were $430/person. The fee levels you are talking about are pretty common on BA and Virgin Atlantic.

480k points can typically be cashed out at $4800. $1720 in taxes and fees + $4800 means the real cost of your tickets is $6520. I can buy economy tickets to Paris even in August for $3-$4k for four. Up to you whether the extra 2-3k is worth it. It isn't to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Germany is an 8 hour flight-- we were happy to have premium economy but would have been happier in business

My family has put a hard rule in place. If a flight is longer than five hours, we plan for business class. Economy is only for travelers under 25. Past that age, the body simply doesn’t tolerate long hours in a confined seat, and the medical risks stop being theoretical. They become real exposure points.

Multiple studies make it clear that long-haul economy seating isn’t just uncomfortable. It can be dangerous. The World Health Organization warns that flights over four hours significantly increase the risk of venous thromboembolism because cramped seating suppresses blood flow in the legs. A major case-control study in The Lancet found that remaining immobilized in tight seating for extended periods raises the odds of a deep vein thrombosis two to three times compared with normal daily life.

Ergonomic research paints an equally serious picture. Studies in Applied Ergonomics and the Journal of Travel Medicine show that standard economy seat pitch forces the spine, hips, and neck into stressed positions that heighten the chance of nerve compression, severe muscular strain, circulation impairment, and sleep disruption. These effects compound with age. What a 22-year-old can bounce back from often leaves older travelers stiff, fatigued, swollen, and in some cases unable to fully recover for days.

By your mid-twenties, your circulation slows, tissue resilience drops, and inflammation responses spike under prolonged pressure. That combination makes long-haul economy a genuine health risk. People have ended flights with dangerous leg swelling, impaired mobility, and in rare cases serious clotting events that required immediate medical attention.

If you are over 25, treating long-range economy travel as harmless is its own kind of gamble. The medical issues linked to cramped, extended seating are well-documented and potentially severe. Saving and budgeting for safer seating isn’t luxury. It is risk avoidance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Germany is an 8 hour flight-- we were happy to have premium economy but would have been happier in business

My family has put a hard rule in place. If a flight is longer than five hours, we plan for business class. Economy is only for travelers under 25. Past that age, the body simply doesn’t tolerate long hours in a confined seat, and the medical risks stop being theoretical. They become real exposure points.

Multiple studies make it clear that long-haul economy seating isn’t just uncomfortable. It can be dangerous. The World Health Organization warns that flights over four hours significantly increase the risk of venous thromboembolism because cramped seating suppresses blood flow in the legs. A major case-control study in The Lancet found that remaining immobilized in tight seating for extended periods raises the odds of a deep vein thrombosis two to three times compared with normal daily life.

Ergonomic research paints an equally serious picture. Studies in Applied Ergonomics and the Journal of Travel Medicine show that standard economy seat pitch forces the spine, hips, and neck into stressed positions that heighten the chance of nerve compression, severe muscular strain, circulation impairment, and sleep disruption. These effects compound with age. What a 22-year-old can bounce back from often leaves older travelers stiff, fatigued, swollen, and in some cases unable to fully recover for days.

By your mid-twenties, your circulation slows, tissue resilience drops, and inflammation responses spike under prolonged pressure. That combination makes long-haul economy a genuine health risk. People have ended flights with dangerous leg swelling, impaired mobility, and in rare cases serious clotting events that required immediate medical attention.

If you are over 25, treating long-range economy travel as harmless is its own kind of gamble. The medical issues linked to cramped, extended seating are well-documented and potentially severe. Saving and budgeting for safer seating isn’t luxury. It is risk avoidance.

Anonymous wrote:Germany is an 8 hour flight-- we were happy to have premium economy but would have been happier in business

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the later flight because the Polaris lounge is usually mostly empty and I can eat dinner and be in bed on the aircraft within 15 minutes of departure. It's a very short flight so want to get as much sleep as possible.

This is the most DCUM response ever.

What? Any flight over 5 hours you should consider business class for health reasons

Well biz class seats overseas average about $5,000…sure that’s attainable for the average family! So DCUM. I have dabbled in the miles game. [b]For overseas flights, you’re talking over a million miles for a family to sit in biz class.

Yes that's the case if you go business both ways, and aren't able to find "saver" awards, which are admittedly hard to get in overseas business class. But we flew business to Europe and economy back (daytime flight so less need for the lie flat bed, etc) for 480k miles for a family of 4 (90k outbound in business, 30k return in economy).

480k points plus close to a thousand dollars per ticket in taxes and fees. That is how it works on most airlines. So you still paid more for the seat than an economy ticket. And you probably flew in February.

August actually- but yes its tough to get business class saver awards, and 90k one way is still not a "true" saver award. For that award had to book almost 12 months in advance. And the taxes/fees roundtrip were $430/person. The fee levels you are talking about are pretty common on BA and Virgin Atlantic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the later flight because the Polaris lounge is usually mostly empty and I can eat dinner and be in bed on the aircraft within 15 minutes of departure. It's a very short flight so want to get as much sleep as possible.

This is the most DCUM response ever.

What? Any flight over 5 hours you should consider business class for health reasons

Well biz class seats overseas average about $5,000…sure that’s attainable for the average family! So DCUM. I have dabbled in the miles game. [b]For overseas flights, you’re talking over a million miles for a family to sit in biz class.

Yes that's the case if you go business both ways, and aren't able to find "saver" awards, which are admittedly hard to get in overseas business class. But we flew business to Europe and economy back (daytime flight so less need for the lie flat bed, etc) for 480k miles for a family of 4 (90k outbound in business, 30k return in economy).

480k points plus close to a thousand dollars per ticket in taxes and fees. That is how it works on most airlines. So you still paid more for the seat than an economy ticket. And you probably flew in February.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the later flight because the Polaris lounge is usually mostly empty and I can eat dinner and be in bed on the aircraft within 15 minutes of departure. It's a very short flight so want to get as much sleep as possible.

This is the most DCUM response ever.

What? Any flight over 5 hours you should consider business class for health reasons

Well biz class seats overseas average about $5,000…sure that’s attainable for the average family! So DCUM. I have dabbled in the miles game. [b]For overseas flights, you’re talking over a million miles for a family to sit in biz class.

Yes that's the case if you go business both ways, and aren't able to find "saver" awards, which are admittedly hard to get in overseas business class. But we flew business to Europe and economy back (daytime flight so less need for the lie flat bed, etc) for 480k miles for a family of 4 (90k outbound in business, 30k return in economy).

480k points plus close to a thousand dollars per ticket in taxes and fees. That is how it works on most airlines. So you still paid more for the seat than an economy ticket. And you probably flew in February.