Do you fly first class?

Do you fly first class on the airlines?

  • yes, if it's available I book it.

    Votes: 14 12.5%

  • I don't book it but I usually get upgraded due to my status/miles/good looks

    Votes: 22 19.6%

  • I book main cabin and try for an upgrade even though I don't have "status"

    Votes: 22 19.6%

  • never. Always coach. I like to sit next to screaming kids and the like.

    Votes: 54 48.2%
  • Total voters
    112
Z

Z06_Mir

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Radna
when you must resort to the airlines, do you pay the extra for comfort and peace and quiet ? Or do you book main cabin and hope you can upgrade at the gate?
 
I'd rather walk than fly coach.
 
None of the above
 
Recently booked a round trip flight for two from Seattle to Edinburgh, Scotland. The difference between first class and coach was about as much as we spent on a master bathroom remodel. True, we didn't have to decide on tile color (which would have made buying a first class ticket slightly less arduous,) but while your poll choices are amusing, we aren't as loose with our money as Donald Trump.
 
If there is a seat up front I usually get it (non rev perks!) but it all depends on the gate agent.
 
The airline I normally fly on doesn't have a first class. I wouldn't be inclined to pay extra for first class anyway. It's only a bus.
 
Probably 80% of the time for domestic travel, I buy a first class ticket. For international, the price difference between coach and business has to be less than $2,000 for me to consider it. Most of my international travel is work which means it's both tax deductible and it's a short turn around where sleep is a weapon. However depending on the flight, it's not uncommon to have a $10k delta between coach and business and then I'd rather suffer.
 
Jim Logajan said:
Recently booked a round trip flight for two from Seattle to Edinburgh, Scotland. The difference between first class and coach was about as much as we spent on a master bathroom remodel. True, we didn't have to decide on tile color (which would have made buying a first class ticket slightly less arduous,) but while your poll choices are amusing, we aren't as loose with our money as Donald Trump.
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I can say with certainty that booking Delta One on our way home from Europe made an amazing vacation that much better without being jammed into the masses for eight hours. I personally don't travel unless I can do it right and enjoy the experience.
 
Z06_Mir said:
I can say with certainty that booking Delta One on our way home from Europe made an amazing vacation that much better without being jammed into the masses for eight hours. I personally don't travel unless I can do it right and enjoy the experience.
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We'll be flying British Airways via Heathrow. 9:15 to London, then another 1:20 scheduled to Scotland. This will be our second trip to the UK. We survived the first time in the cattle section there and back, so I think we should survive again. I think.
 
I am utterly enamored with aviation. I would sit on the wing if it was the only thing available.
 
I get upgraded about half the time. Otherwise I get preferred seating in back. I'm not afraid to spend money on things I want but I'll never pay the premium to fly first class.
 
I usually get upgraded domestically, and often book business or first when going overseas. Especially to places where getting decent sleep on the ride means we can hit the ground running the next day.
 
Sometimes in the back, sometimes in the front, sometimes in the very front, wherever the free seat happens to be.
 
I can't afford first class, but how does one go about asking to upgrade? I only ever fly with Delta, I use a Delta Amex for almost all of my purchases and fly with them a few times a year.
 
I have been in the top tier of initially USAir and now AA for the past 15 years. This results in about a 95% upgrade rate. I know it may sound snobby or somehow elitist. It really isn't about that. Flying so many weeks out of the year, I really prefer first to coach. I am also able to actually get work done with sufficient room to open a laptop and use it.

Carl
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I am utterly enamored with aviation. I would sit on the wing if it was the only thing available.
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Yup. I pick our spring break itinerary based on what planes we can get... Got a domestic (SFO-ORD) 777 on United instead of an A320 once. That was awesome.
 
Window seat coach. I try to board early, grab the seat, settle in, put ear plugs in and am usually asleep before engine start.
 
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oregonboy109 said:
Yup. I pick our spring break itinerary based on what planes we can get... Got a domestic (SFO-ORD) 777 on United instead of an A320 once. That was awesome.
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Rode a 777 from Miami to Dallas once....didn't matter, AA still lost my luggage...

at it's best it is still just a bus ride
 
Everskyward said:
The airline I normally fly on doesn't have a first class. I wouldn't be inclined to pay extra for first class anyway. It's only a bus.
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I suspect that you fit into a coach seat better than I.
And I don't know what your tolerance for kids and rude people are,
BUT THEY CAN ALL GET THE HELL OFF MY LAWN!
 
JOhnH said:
I suspect that you fit into a coach seat better than I.
And I don't know what your tolerance for kids and rude people are,
BUT THEY CAN ALL GET THE HELL OFF MY LAWN!
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I haven't seen a picture of you but I suspect you are correct about our relative sizes. I'm fine with kids which is fortunate since parents with kids seem to often choose seats next to me. I guess I look relatively harmless. I'm not fond of rude people but I can't remember being seated next to one. I put on headphones and usually fall asleep while listening to podcasts or audiobooks. Maybe I'm the one who is rude by not being social.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I am utterly enamored with aviation. I would sit on the wing if it was the only thing available.
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I hear the wheel well trick is pretty a common place, albeit less comfortable than coach and the attendants rarely bring the dunk cart by. But. For the price, it's not too bad, or so I hear.
 
When flying commercial (if I must), i usually fly the carrier without first class seats (but they're better in many other ways. Nothing close to enough status on any carrier to score upgrades, but I will, on occasion, just buy a ticket in F - sometimes, it's a better deal, and sometimes, the upgrade cost is way less than the work I can get done (billable work) while en route, because I had room to work in F.
 
Domestically, when I have status and get the complimentary upgrade.

When I cross an ocean, at least business class, and not on a US carrier.

--Carlos V.
 
If I'm lucky and there's an open first class seat on my commute! unfortunately usually doesn't happen, but hey a seat is a seat!
 
I deal with coach domestically and save up all my miles to upgrade to business class internationally. It really does make a huge difference in fatigue levels once you get to your destination.

Just got to fly the new Aer Lingus business class layout last month. They have a great yet affordable business class product.
 
If it's slightly more then coach and it's longer then a few hours I'll book the first class option. I don't mind coach but it is nice every few years to sit in first.

My non-rev benefits don't allow upgrades, I believe, so if I get any seat I'm happy.
 
Seanaldinho said:
I can't afford first class, but how does one go about asking to upgrade? I only ever fly with Delta, I use a Delta Amex for almost all of my purchases and fly with them a few times a year.
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Depends on your status. I've just started traveling commercially a lot more (a couple times a month, not as often as some) and accumulating Delta miles via traveling and my Amex. Often you can upgrade online using your miles or when you check in at the airport just ask. They can put you on the list and give you the cost. A lot depends on your status which is why I've become Delta loyal.
 
FWIW I wouldn't book first (Delta One, for our international stuff) if I was able to go where I needed to on Southwest. But alas, no WN for KRAP and absolutely no Allegiant for Mir.
 
Z06_Mir said:
Depends on your status. I've just started traveling commercially a lot more (a couple times a month, not as often as some) and accumulating Delta miles via traveling and my Amex. Often you can upgrade online using your miles or when you check in at the airport just ask. They can put you on the list and give you the cost. A lot depends on your status which is why I've become Delta loyal.
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I used to have status on US Air, then Midwest, then Republic, then Frontier. When I could transfer my miles to Delta, I did, but realized that it seems like 90% of Delta pax have some sort of status. I could never get another upgrade, but then I stopped being a FF (thank God) and stopped accumulating miles.
 
Domestic travel, no. For international travel yes I will always book business class. Not first class not worth the extra expense over business.
 
I'm in first 90% of the time. ExPlat on American works pretty well. Of course I also fly about 60 round round trips most years, so I "pay" with meat in the seat instead of cash.

Agree that you have to be at least Business for international flights. If it's work they should just buy it, if it's in personal use the SystemWide upgrades. Best = work pay for business and throw Systemwide on top for First.

Another thread can be about companies that send people international coach... bastards.
 
If I had the money some of you guys have I would burn mine. :eek:)

I have flown first class a few times back in the day when I traveled a lot for work and could get the free upgrade. Wouldn't pay for it. I don't drink. I have a weird no carb or sugar diet so it just boils down to the bigger seat which is nice but not a must have.

Admittedly when I weighed closer to 350 than 250 coach was more of an exercise of not flowing into the other guys space which made long flights very uncomfortable. How they manage to put the two or three fattest guys in the same row EVERY time I don't know. I never seemed to get a seat next to the petite girl.

I will admit at least in this respect I am a bit like SPC I love to fly I don't really care what it is on. Give me a window and the rest doesn't matter much.
 
Since owning an airplane, I don't fly commercial enough to get upgrades.

I'm always in coach when flying on the government dime.

I will occasionally book First Class when flying one way out to pick up/move an airplane. The price difference for the one-way trips usually isn't too bad.
 
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