Plane Reservations: Business Class vs. Tourist/Coach
Barring rapid advances in the science of teleportation the sad reality of your journey to anywhere distant is that in order to get over there (and back, of course) in a reasonable amount of time requires airline travel. Do on-line searches and be sure to try a list of variables (days of the week, times of the day, different hubs, different routes, etc.), paying attention to any favorable patterns that materialize. Your probable best bet for a cheap ticket is to travel on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday, and a redeye flight will normally have available seats (and better prices).
Secure tickets very early…several months in advance (or right at the last minute if you’re feeling real lucky, in hopes that there has been a cancellation or the plane just hasn’t filled up as they had planned). Not to burst any bubbles, but almost every flight we’ve taken lately has been jam-packed with people. In the old days you could fly coach and stand a real good chance that there would be enough room to lay almost horizontal by folding up the adjoining armrests, allowing catatonic sleep. Those days are gone. You have two realistic seating choices (unless first class won’t bother your budget) at two very different prices.
Take this advice: Sell the kids to unscrupulous sleezeballs for the slave markets; refinance the house (or your Mother’s house if you have power of attorney); prostitute yourself in any way possible, but do whatever it takes to finance business class seats for any flight longer than 8 to 10 hours total flight time. The difference in the quality of the experience, the wear and tear on your body, and your mental well-being are reasons enough to justify the expense.
Business Class
You get to have baggage check-in at the separate, un-crowded counter…the one with no line. Your priority-tagged baggage gets loaded last, so it comes off first. You hang out in the business class lounge with all it has to offer (couches and TV’s, snack and pastry trays, expensive chocolates, ice cold beer and top shelf mix-your-own drinks, good coffee, newspaper racks, huge bathrooms with showers…all the creature comforts) instead of being packed sardine-like with the riff raff masses (although many would argue that the riff raff is in the business class lounge. Interestingly, surveys of flight stewards all agree that the worst/most demanding passengers to deal with on any flight are seated in the business section, not in first or tourist class).
You’re given a soft and gentle, almost apologetic announcement that it’s time to head to the gate, you board before the huddled masses, the greeting smile is wider when you enter and the ratio of steward to passenger is much higher, you get first grab at the rack of newspapers and magazines, your fully reclining chair is barcolounger-big and coated in leather, with so much room it’s difficult for a medium-sized leg stretched-out to even reach the seatback in front, and it has cozy little wings that fold out and pop up to cradle your noggin when you doze blissfully. Even the biggest of butts has room to relax. Some of the newer seating arrangements in business class even recline totally flat.
Meals are served on real plates on tablecloths, in successive courses, selected from actual menus (usually either Western or Host Country cuisine), and the food is surprisingly tolerable…sometimes even superb. On JAL the Japanese meals are like mini kaiseki dinners, with each course composed of a dazzling array of treats in small portions (the bags of roasted natto soy beans are an acquired taste, however). You have a wine and drink list from which to choose, as well as a dessert cart loaded with sweet treats and after dinner drinks.
Note: On domestic flights there is an alarming trend towards airlines dropping food service all together (even in first and business classes), or offering meals at an additional cost. On long-haul and international flights there has been little recent change in food service status.
Business class offers a whole slew of movies, music, and video games on-demand…you select them whenever you like, and start and stop them at will. Business class offers finer accoutrements (slippers, etc.), champagne and chocolates, and bottomless top shelf booze and wines. There’s a much lower ratio of bathroom customers per lavatory (and the facilities are maintained at a much cleaner level). You are swarmed with flight attendants that are genuinely concerned about your comfort level, or at least they are better actors than those in tourist class. You’re first in line off of your plane, and business/first class bags often emerge from the belly of the plane before the coach class bags, which makes you first in line from your plane for customs and immigration, and first in line for the taxi stand. Lastly, your mileage awards accrue at an accelerated level (often, by a factor of 1.25 to 1.5).
Business Class Pricing Strategies
There are always deals out there to be found for affordable pricing on business class travel. Joesentme.com (biztravel.com) is a good resource for many deals that aren’t common knowledge. Travel agents and consolidators are privy to some exclusive deals, and they should be explored as well. If you have secured an American Express Platinum card (about $300 annually for the privilege) there are usually deals offered through their booking service for two business class seats for the price of one full business fare, and there are similar deals with other cards. Many airlines dump their business class fares at ridiculously low rates during the holidays, when most of their business clients are not flying. There are options such as “Y-up” fares that automatically bump you up from full fare tourist class to business class (with some restrictions; upgrade confirmation at the time of booking). Of course, there is always the possibility of using your accrued miles to get an upgrade, but as time marches on and the airlines tighten their belts, there are fewer and fewer opportunities to upgrade for the average (read non-frequent) flyer. If you are an elite status traveler with a particular airline sometimes all it takes is to ask politely (assuming there is room to upgrade your seating assignment).
Upgrading Strategies:
Generally speaking, the less you pay for your original ticket, the more difficult it will be to secure an upgrade using miles. The closer you get to full-fare coach price, the more likely it is you might be considered for an upgrade. If you bought your tickets from the airline’s web site, you stand a slightly better chance of upgrading. Air carrier’s web sites will sometimes have a calendar that shows the black-out dates for upgrades, so be sure and coordinate. It pays to keep checking back with the airlines…as departure date nears, and the flight isn’t filling up as they had anticipated, they might be more generous with upgrades or open up dates that were previously blacked-out. .
In today’s airline economy there is little wiggle room on mileage requirements for an upgrade and the bar has been raised for miles required. If you’re close but don’t have quite enough, consider buying miles: the average price is around $30 per 1000 miles…their true value is considerably less than that, with the value plummeting of late.
There are usually a set number of free seats and upgrades allotted per flight, and these can be established by the airline as many as 330 days before departure (hint: book early….very early). Traveling mid-week and avoiding popular destinations and peak travel times is the best bet….you have to be flexible for freebies.
Assuming there is an upgrade available, it probably won’t be free. Increasingly, the airlines are adding on handling fees, increased taxes, etc. for upgrades. They also occasionally offer upgrades for a combination of a set fee plus a reduced number of miles. The airline’s intent is to make the most money off of each flight, so they can be open to a creative upgrade option where you pay more for the flight you were already booked on.
Be flexible, be congenial, dress professionally, book early, check back after booking, be creative.
Tourist Class/Coach Seating
Admittedly it’s comparatively inexpensive, but you’re herded like cattle into seats that only the Shewolf of the SS would consider cramming a butt as big as mine into, especially on the Asian carriers (which seem to size their tourist class seats for smaller, more petite-sized posteriors). My cheeks started going numb around hour 4 or 5 into my last 20 to 25-hour journey. You have just enough legroom to insure that your knees will be crammed into the bottom of your tray table when it is engaged, and it’s impossible to stretch your legs fully and do the circulatory exercises that are recommended to keep you alive during the flight. God help you if the person in front decides to recline their seat: visibility of your LCD screen (if you have one) is compromised and eating requires contortion.
One approach that works for preventing the person in front of you from reclining succeeds only if your plane has adjustable AC vents and lights. When you first sit down simply open the overhead air vent wide open, and direct it right at your tray table, and then do the same with the reading light. When the interloper in front reclines, he or she will get the cold AC blowing on the top of their head, and the reading light will be in their eyes. It’s not very neighborly, and teeters on the edge of political incorrectness, but your comfort is paramount and you should have the right to subtly defend your personal space. If they don’t recline, your adjustments to your private environment won’t bother them.
You see a lot of zombie-like hiking (and some occasional tai-chi) around the aisles of the tourist section when your fellow cramped travelers have to stretch. You are served food that is just-edible at best and lukewarm if you’re lucky. You suffer constant crowds waiting for the lavatories, which usually look like the person that departed just before you had attempted to shower in the tiny sink (at least you hope that’s where all of that liquid came from). Rest assured there will be a widely-dispersed herd of crying babies that always seem to be synchronized and syncopated in their screaming, and there will be one very near you, if not adjacent. Moms always feel that they need to hold the baby up and walk around to calm the child, ensuring that the entire section will now be disturbed instead of just her immediate seating area.
Movies start suddenly, at the worst possible times and with no introduction. You may or may not have your own screen, depending on the age of the plane you’re on. Occasionally they are un-dubbed foreign films, which is always a hoot, but nevertheless democratic, since a goodly portion of your co-travelers speak something other than English. You’re usually guaranteed to get snippy service, and you’ll learn how to get insulted rudely in foreign languages, but you can’t really blame the flight attendants… they are hopelessly out-numbered, underpaid, and under-staffed. A final affront is that more and more, tighter restrictions are being placed on luggage weight limits in tourist class. Your bags emerge from the plane last, and make it to the carousel last (if they make it at all), which makes for long lines at customs, immigration, and the taxi stand.
I strongly recommend using the Web to look at the seating charts for your flight if you are relegated to tourist class. Seatguru.com is a great site that rates all of the potential seats in a particular airplane body style for comfort, but a simple Google search for “airplane seating charts” will yield several website options.
I will offer this tip: on most 747’s the last three rows of the window/outside sections on both sides have just two seats in them instead of the usual three, in order to accommodate the inward curve of the fuselage near the rear of the plane. On the window seats there is a space that’s almost half as wide as an aisle, which gives the window passenger plenty of extra lateral leg room, as well as extra space to store personal items. Of course you have a fairly constant stream of fellow passengers heading back to the lavatories, and occasionally waiting in line or exercising behind your seat, but the tradeoff for extra room is well worth it. Bulkhead rows have more leg room, but that’s usually where the babies are placed, and movie screen visibility can be an issue.
Of course if the flight isn’t full (and you can check that out with some airlines on the web, or with a phone call beforehand) the center section can sometimes allow you to capitalize on the vacant seats by converting them into a two or three seat couch by raising the armrests. These days of financial crunch in the airline industry help to insure a packed flight, but if you find it isn’t full, as soon as the airplane door closes, just before the flight backs out from the terminal, you have the option of quickly changing seats to grab the best available spot. From a safety viewpoint (if this is a concern, which it shouldn’t be), there is an exit directly behind you.
On 777’s the best seats are the front rows of each bulkhead row (there are two sections of tourist/coach class), and the worst seats are the last row of each seating section. Be warned that the center section of the very last row of British Airways long-haul flights is where the attendants camp out for the flight. They pull a curtain across to enclose those seats, and if you’re in the row in front of them, it rests squarely on your forehead when you recline (if you’re unlucky enough to be there).
On domestic flights try to book a flight on a 767. It’s a wide-body jet with a
Summary
Is business class comfort worth the extra 1000+ dollars? If you ask me that question immediately after landing from a 24-hour flight I’d have to say, “Yes…definitely.” If you’ve never made a flight that long before, seek an independent opinion from someone that has and see what they say…just be sure to ask someone that has made the journey in both business and tourist classes, so that you get an honest comparison.
Intermediate Classes
There is a fairly recent introduction called “intermediate class” seating that’s becoming more and more popular on international flights. It goes by different names with different carriers, but basically it involves a larger than coach seat, in rows spaced slightly wider apart, an increase in mileage rewards, occasionally it will have an upgrade on the media service (movies, etc.)…all this coupled with tourist/coach class meals and service. With some of the carriers the price differential is small enough to justify the added expense, it’s definitely an option to consider, and you should probably investigate this option for long-haul flights.
Miscellaneous Tips
As a general rule, Asian carriers have the best cabin service by far (in all seating classes). They normally have a much higher steward-to-passenger ratio, and the stewards seem to take a genuine interest in your comfort. The food and drink service is better, and the quality of the meals is higher. Remember that the Asian carriers work the trans-Atlantic routes also (and at very competitive rates), so if service is of primary concern, you should definitely explore the Asian carrier option.
When you make your airplane reservations make sure you pay attention to the layover times. Be most careful about any layover/transfer of anything less than one hour (because you stand a good chance of not making your connection if the least little thing goes awry schedule-wise) or one longer than two and a half hours to three (because airports are torture chambers of the first order). A little web research or an email to the airports in question re: estimated security screening times probably wouldn’t be out of order. If it’s an international flight, be sure to allow ample time to get through Customs & Immigration.
To avoid delays it’s best to book nonstop legs, and to depart early in the day. Each leg in a journey presents another chance for something to go wrong, and problems (at an individual airport, or system-wide) can become compounded as the day progresses. Research a flight’s on-time performance rating, and research the weather before your flight.
Most travelers get regular email alerts from their favorite domestic carriers, but few get them from foreign carriers. Keep in mind that many foreign carriers fly the same routes as the domestics, yet they often have cheaper prices, more comfortable seating, better food, higher steward-to-passenger ratios, and better in-flight entertainment systems. An extra email a week might not seem so annoying if it holds the promise of a good deal on travel.
Always travel with your airline’s 800 number jotted down somewhere…if you get bumped or a flight is cancelled unexpectedly, rather than getting in line with the rest of the plane’s passengers at the airline’s ticket desk, immediately call the 800 number for assistance and re-booking.
When you land, it might prove financially beneficial to call the front desk of your hotel to ask what the best rate is for the same class room that you already have reserved. Sometimes if it’s slow, or late, or the hotel isn’t full, they will quote you a price better than the rate at which you reserved; an empty room makes no money, so they’ll do what it takes to fill the room. If the quote is better, grab it and cancel your previous reservation. If the rate’s no improvement, just show up with your reservation as originally planned. If you made a reservation that automatically deducts from your credit card, this trick won’t work (a good reason for never letting them deduct from your card until you actually arrive).
Discount Airline Ticket Searches
There are hundreds of on-line sites that promise the lowest fares, and the savvy shopper will examine many before making a monetary commitment. Even though you may be comfortable with a single company, and may have done business with them exclusively in the past, we recommend that you check with multiple companies and compare rates. Air carriers come and go with frequency, so it would behoove you to stay abreast of the financial dealings of the airlines…you do not want to buy tickets on a carrier that just went Chapter 11. Be thorough in your searches, and try to use a company that prices as many potential carriers as possible (most of the major discount companies price tickets only from selected carriers).
To make sure that you’re covering/pricing all possible competitors for your flying dollar, you might want to locate the web site for the airport at your destination, and then search that airport’s sitemap for a list of all of the airlines that serve that particular airport. Even though they might not be included in the discount site searches, each airline will have a web site where you can check price deals and get quotes. At the least, you’ll know all of the carriers that go where you’re heading.
Comparison pricing factors to examine include: are tax and airport charges included in the quoted price; how complete are the sites searches in pricing the maximum number of airlines serving a particular hub; are the tickets refundable or can they be altered; can you get a direct response on your pricing enquiry, or must you wait for a delayed response; does the company offer e-tickets on-line, or will you pay extra for ticket delivery, etc.
You may find that Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday travel will often have better availability and better prices as well. You might also try varying the departure/arrival times to see if that makes a price difference; late night flights are often sparsely populated. More than ever you need to check different days of the week and different flights times when booking your flight….a few hours difference in departure times can mean several hundreds of dollars in price. Keep in mind prime travel periods for the areas to which you wish to travel, and during those periods you should anticipate crowded planes, higher pricing, and reduced availability.
When booking a flight you should always try to ascertain if you are leaving enough layover time between flights: is one of your flight legs often delayed for one reason or another; are your intended carriers normally on-time; are there weather concerns that should be considered; have you agreed to flights that arrive/leave from different terminals, or worse, from different airports near the same city (i.e., Heathrow & Gatwick in London); is there a history of abnormally long security lines at any of your chosen hubs; is clearance at Immigration and/or Customs shorter or less crowded at one airport versus another; can the airline company add a fuel surcharge after you have booked your flight, is your name similar to one on the No-Fly list, etc. Airlines will often tell you if you are not giving yourself enough time (or not offer you the option of too-closely timed transfers), but discount search sites often don’t consider this potential problem. It’s great to save a little in transit time, but a transfer that cuts it too close can cost you dearly….better safe than sorry.
Don’t forget your local travel agent (or one available on the Web that specializes in your destination). I’ve found that flights booked through an agent can sometimes secure better seating arrangements than when I book tickets myself, even though the ticket price was identical or very similar. They can also know the best carriers and prices when they specialize in a destination.
Lastly, always check the airline’s web site to get their price (or call them directly). With the advent of all of the competition for booking flights, the airlines are promising to be more competitive in their direct pricing. They also might offer limited on-line pricing specials that might not be offered to the low price sites. They could also have a mileage special that makes their flight more appealing. Be wary of the trend towards charging an extra “service fee” for direct booking through the airline…a practice that makes no sense whatsoever and abuses the customer.
Airlines post their fare changes to their web sites shortly after midnight, so checking prices with them late night might get you a limited deal that won’t last long; of course the converse is true…midnight is also when some fare deals expire, so when you find a good price, jump on it. When you book your flight and secure tickets, it can sometimes pay to re-check the price with the airlines shortly before the departure date; sometimes the rate will drop appreciably, and you can then possibly cancel and re-book (for a $75 to $100 penalty).
It pays to spend a little extra time and effort to try to secure the best price, but make sure that when you do, you are comparing apples to apples. Consider the rapid degree of change in this industry as a whole, and keep up to date on the current pricing trends. Here is a list (in alphabetical order, by category) of the top discount airfare web sites; there are hundreds more if you search.
…at orbitz.com. click on the link that says "find low fares for weekends and flexible trips." Then play around with the "Bonus Day" option. That will allow you to search up to three days before and after your preferred departure and return dates. Orbitz then generates a grid of 39 fare options for the six possible travel days. Whether you choose to book your tickets at Orbitz is your business, but the “Bonus Days” feature is the most powerful fare-search tool available right now. (info from Joe Brancatelli’s web site)
http://travelhub.com/airfares/
For prices on low-cost European carriers within the Continent:
Travel Aggregators: these companies promise a more detailed search, covering more airlines
www.farechase.com (affiliated with Yahoo)
www.kayak.com (
www.sidestep.com Sidestep, the Traveler's Search Engine that finds airline tickets, cheap airline tickets, cheap airfare, discount hotels, car rentals, travel deals, hotel reservations from multiple sites.
Bid Sites: you enter a price you are willing to pay, and the intended company either accepts or rejects your bid (you do not get an immediate response and often you have no idea which airline or flight number you’re considering until after the fact)
Consolidators:
www.executivetravelservice.com/
Air sales email announcements:
For one of the most comprehensive and unbiased carrier searches check with:
…they might not have the best price, but they will give you a great idea of which carriers service a destination, and you can proceed from there.
Chronicles worldwide airline listings for free companion travel tickets, helps find a fellow traveler in need of a companion with which to travel on that free ticket.
Business and first class discounters for flights and selected hotels; also RTW tickets in business or first class
A novel approach for cheap long-haul flights is to consider flights that originate in
Note: Before you buy any plane ticket make sure you know which airports are used, how far they are from town, and how you plan on getting to and from those airports. Budget carriers often use more isolated airports that require further shuttling to the hotel.
Tip: Sometimes cleaning up your computer’s cookies can ensure getting the best prices: enabled cookies can prevent some search engines from communication seamlessly.
For hotel booking, most of the major chains now guarantee the best prices through their own websites. Check also these sites while you’re rooting around for a room res:
www.express-res.com for
www.hotelres.com for
www.Hotrooms.com for
Note: Before you book anything travel-related first check with these sites to see if there is a promotional code or coupon code that might apply to what you’re after. These are the on-line equivalent to the shopping coupons printed in your newspaper.
www.edealinfo.com (the most comprehensive of the lot)
There are tabs at the top of the page that allow you to search for a code by category or business name, and users leave feedback about the deals offered and share other unlisted codes. These codes expire and new ones are added daily, so check back frequently or sign up for the mailing list.