What's a good business class to choose for long flights? Anyone tried the new ANA "The Room"?I flew with ANA last year and I was actually quite disappointed. The lounge at Haneda sucked ass (too small, very few food options and none of them good), the catering on the flight was also way worse than what you'd get on Finnair or even United Polaris. I don't know why people cream themselves over this airline, I guess it's just the cute cabin crew?
>>2654939>The lounge at Haneda sucked assIt's annoying because Narita actually has a fantastic United lounge (accessible to all Star Alliance passengers including ANA) but the good ANA flights fly out of Haneda.
>>2654952I've been to the Star Alliance lounge in Haneda (guess that was the ANA one?) and I thought it was fine? A bit crowded maybe, but the food and drink options were okay IMO. Certainly better than SAS lounges in Scandinavia or the Austrian lounge in Vienna.
>>2654939>look up ANA the room>3/4 of the plane is fucking business classis this why flights are so expensive nowadays? because you faggots need to lie down to sleep? fucks sake
>>2654939qatar airways qsuitevirgin airlinesjust flew JAL and QatarJAL was decent but still felt like an old business class cabin but very spacious and comfortable for sleeping, the food was average, sakura lounge was goodQatar was leagues ahead, QSuite is great (even better for couples as the beds can be connected into one large one), food was excellent, drink choice was good, lounge facilities were fantastic
>>2654962Asia has a shit load of medium distance high passenger volume routes that asked for constant wide body plane usage, then about 15 years ago the super budget train hit Asia(VietJet, HKExpress, AirAsia, Scoot...) and scooped up a huge number of the budget demand and put legacy carrier into a strange position where they have overcrowded A and J and a almost empty P & Y class on classic money maker routes like HND-HKG or SIN-INC.The market split, legacy carrier don't give a fuck about regional Y customers and that's it.Just don't be poor.
>>2654939I usually go with AF/KLM for businessVery middle of the road product but they have discount fares often so I buy them outright without points collectionAlthough the newest AF seats with the door are pretty comfy(picrel), but the service on KLM is better and I NEED those houses. AMS is also a better airport to layover in.
>>2655063AF is nice on the one day of the year when they're not on strike
>>2655063Big fan of Air France. I can almost always find award space at a reasonable price.
>>2655004Interesting. I would like to subscribe to your blog
Finnair for Asia flights, for flights westward Lufthansa's business class sucks, if you book it by all means try to get an upgrade to first, well worth it. Singapore's business is also a solid product with great service. Cathay used to be great but I heard their quality took a nosedive post-covid.
>>2654939>>2655098>Finnairusually people wouldn't recommend European airlines over Asian ones but I'm happy to see Finnair mentioned. their new business class is top notch (even the weird non-reclining seats) and the catering, service etc are all fantastic.I've heard that they had to make some cuts in economy instead (eg you only get basic economy food in premium, from what I understand), but for business they're solid.
>Finnair mentioned
>>2654984>Qatar was leagues ahead, QSuite is greatagreed. i didn't want to get off the plane at the end of the flight>>2655063>I NEED those housesi have a shelf full of those. you can always tell the frequent klm flyers on the plane because they pull out the little leaflet with all their houses ticked off when they bring the trolley round>>2655098it's been a while since i've been on finnair but they used to have the best wine list of any airline i ever travelled on. a few times i arrived at my destination as drunk as a skunk from trying all the wines on the list during the flight
>>2655107>>2655194>>2655215Hello from Finnair business class.
Business class-only flyer on leisure trips here (yes, I'm a wagecuck who's employer has an economy-only policy)The premise of your thread is stupid. All (non-recliner) business classes on any airline are strictly better than anything in economy, and all premium cabins are strictly worse than not being in a plane (i.e. shorter time in plane is better). The implication is that all flights should have minimal duration, and optimized routings, which also mean that there will only 1 or 2 choices in carriers (and business class, if any). That means business classes rarely compete with each other, but compete with the alternatives. If you want a lie-flat seat, you're honestly not going to make a "choice" amongst competitors, it's simply the premium version of what you can get given your routing./thread>>2654962ANA literally has Peach, Vanilla, and now Air Japan (former operating division now LCC) doing scum class duty around the region. Why would they want more Y passengers when you can get playing J ones?
>>2654939In addition to the ones mentioned in the thread already, I like Singapore Airlines for their lobster and Singapore sling.
>>2655077Ever flown La Premiere? I want to try it one day, it's supposed to be amazing. But so expensive.
>>2655215Here's the current wine list. How does it look to you?
>>2655296pretty nice anoni've never heard of finnish dessert wine before. i'd definitely give that a gohave you tried the champagne yet?
>>2655315It's probably more like berry liquor. I will give it a try with dessert. Before dessert I will have the portwine with the cheeses.
>>2655277>all premium cabins are strictly worse than not being in a plane (i.e. shorter time in plane is better)I would gladly pick a longer flight time with a decent airline over a shorter flight time with a shit airline. If I'm flying business I don't even mind adding an extra connection, you just chill in the lounge for an hour and get a nice meal or shower there.
>>2655277>all premium cabins are strictly worse than not being in a plane (i.e. shorter time in plane is better). The implication is that all flights should have minimal duration, and optimized routingsCarriers like Emirates or Qatar operate by providing a higher quality / lower price product and outcompeting other airlines despite more inconvenient routings.
>>2655344If you can say with a straight face you enjoy being stuck in a long metal tube (no matter how gussied up paired with whatever pre-made and warmed up food) or its related docking facility where unpleasant people waste time trapped in small rooms pretending to be served then more power to you.If flying premium cabin on all leisure trips has taught me anything, it's that people of real means fly on their own planes with their own facilities, flying commercial and playing reward program games is like being an upwardly-aspiring sucker who is still fundamentally a (better paid) working stiff.I've tried semi-private planes with lounge facilities in actual hangers and it's life changing experience. Too bad it's above my pay grade to be able to afford to do it regularly.>>2655347If you know anything about the business side of carriers like EK and EY you would know they're geographically advantaged (centrally located to serving yuropoor, African, and some asian markets) and are only financially viable because of state aid. If you like QR's first class just say it, but don't pretend these don't come at a serious trade-off for anyone who simply likes nice things and doesn't have a fetish for suffering inside airports/planes just to pretend they're getting something out of this world (Low-class nouveau riche trait).
its just point a to point b. people make such a fuss about this shit.i've flown it all from being the only passenger on a C-17 to a G550 with two other people to business class and first class on a whole host of airlines. on the other hand I've been crammed into a loud, freezing cold C-130 for 9 hours in an interlocking knee zipper configuration with 40 other people with only a honeybucket in the back for shitting a two urinals in the front for peeing. I did 16 hours ORD-AKL in the middle seat between two lardasses in economy. it just doesn't matter.at the end of the day you just do it. I will always pay as little as possible, and I have zero loyalty. spending money on this shit is for people who are retards, and whenever I walk down the aisle of an airliner past the premium cabins all I can think is>I know for a fact some of these retard paypigs shelled out for this shit out of pocket
>>2655409ok jocko willink
>>2655277>That means business classes rarely compete with each other, but compete with the alternativeIt's not that rare. I live in a country without a major airline hub, so if I want to go to Asia or west coast US or similar it's a guaranteed layover no matter what. A lot of nearby countries are also like that.There's at most 1hr difference in routes, so the business product that gives me the most comfy for my money wins.
>>2655409>and whenever I walk down the aisle of an airliner past the premium cabins all I can think is>>I know for a fact some of these retard paypigs shelled out for this shit out of pocketmeanwhile, we don't think of you at all
>>2655409Well, it's because you are a real man, but it's such a rare thing among americans nowadays. nu/trv/ is full of faggots who buy the latest iphone on release day. No wonder they need a business class for their two movies long flight.
>>2655445There is no nobility in poverty
>>2655098>Cathay used to be great but I heard their quality took a nosedive post-covid.I would agree with that. I'm not flying Cathay business from the west coast of the US after my last trip. Why bother. Mediocre service, they "ran out" of the most popular meal. Why the fuck would anyone pay that much to be treated like shit. Their lounge at HKG is excellent though.
>>2655433kek well you say that but trust me faggot, I will make you think of me every time I walk past you to use your lavatory >inb4 "b...but you can't do that...I'm getting the flight attendant"Trust me lol, I dress better flying in economy than any of the pigs in premium cabins, and I speak the play the role excellently too. I just start saying shit about the Warsaw Convention in an intelligent manner while wearing a bespoke suit and they courteously bow and see me on my way to your bathroom You know what the difference between my suit and charisma and your premium cabin seat is?After our 8+ hours of being in a metal tube come to an end, I get to keep mine
>>2655731jesus christ dude you have a fucking weird vivid imagination
>>2655733Not imagination anon, that's from memory
>>2655409>>2655731you sound genuinely pathetic
>>2655754struck a nerve, eh? Keep on being a good goy consoomer and imagining that your temporary seat for a few hours is any real indicator of superiority. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to go chat up the flight attendants and get free first class drinks and food because I'm a likable person who can connect with others
>>2654939Aren't all business class products very similar nowadays? I just avoid 2-2-2 layouts and then choose whichever airline gives me the shortest flight. I may avoid Chinese carriers I guess.>I don't know why people cream themselves over this airline, I guess it's just the cute cabin crew?Most cabin crew in the west are some temporary workers who don't give a shit about their job or 50-year-old ladies who are effectively unfirable. They are just rude to everyone. When the typical westerner flies on an east Asian airline for the first time, they are awestruck and that's why you see all these posts and raving reviews. But Japanese carriers are not great, they overcharge a lot for an outdated product.
>>2655731Advanced cope
>>2655761>I'm a likable person who can connect with othersthere's quite a lot of evidence here that contradicts that statement
>>2655768>Aren't all business class products very similar nowadays? I just avoid 2-2-2 layouts and then choose whichever airline gives me the shortest flight. I may avoid Chinese carriers I guess.Current trend is moving towards more privacy with doors you can closeBut to be fair that is not that big of a deal, as long as you avoid the 2-2-2 it's all reasonably comfy and private, one thing to watch out for is that some seats will not have enough shoulder room in bed mode if you work out
>>2655768>>2655791One more thing to check would be the length of the seat in lie-flat mode. It's only like 6' on some Asian airlines, so it could be an issue for 4channers since everyone here is a 6'4" chad with 7 figure income
>>2655260I see that's their new cabin with the non-reclining seats, are they actually good?
>>2655613showing off is not wealth either
at the end of the day it comes down to this: if you are so wealthy that you can spend 3-5x the fare for the luxuries of business class then you might as well fly part 135. if you can't afford charter, then you're simply not in the income bracket where spending whole percentages of your yearly income on airplane seats makes any sense.just don't get suckered in by the marketing for these premium cabins.>muh credit cards and loyalty programsmy friends, if this shit was in any way beneficial to you over the long haul the airlines and credit card companies simply would not be offering it. get real.
>>2655832nobody pays for business class out of pocket, you seething cretin
>>2655847wrong.https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/12/business/nail-biting-at-the-gate-for-a-first-class-upgrade.html>In 2011, for example, only 14 percent of Delta Air Lines’ first-class seats were paid for. The rest were given away or remained empty.....>By last year, slightly more than half of Delta’s first-class passengers had paid to be there. By 2018, Delta says it hopes that percentage will grow to 70 percent, which would leave less than a third of the best seats available for free upgrades. Other big airlines, including United and American, cite similar shifts.I know this is first class, but I would imagine these numbers hold similarly true for J. dunno what its looked like after the coof, but if you look at how much credit card spending has exploded since 2021 and how consumers seem to have lost all discipline across all sorts of other conspicuous consumption categories I would imagine that 70% goal has been thoroughly smashed.
>>2655832>caring about how other people spend their moneyYou some kind of s*c*alist?
>>2655809God the old one on the left looks like proper trash
>>2655856ah I forgot that you must be unaware of the concept of a "job". you see, some people work in companies, and these companies will pay for the flights when the people travel for business. hence the name, "business class"! hope this helps
>>2655856The "first" in the article probably means domestic first class, which is not up to regular business class standards unless transcon (insert your own regional bullshit here, like the shameful "blocked-middle seat "business" class [econ seats] of yuropoorland). That is, these are much easier to upgrade into either by virtue of status and availability or instrument-based upgrades. None of this apply today of course and there are never any empty seats because of good optimization and right-sized aircraft.
>>2655277I fly business class between Dubai and Amsterdam regularly and there are two firms offering business class, KLM and Emirates.
>>2655861that class of business traveller has pretty much entirely moved to part 135 now. airlines are now filling their premium cabins with people paying for upgrades out of pocket or just straight up leisure travellers using points/cash.you might get an odd lucky experience, I have on a couple of occasions and I fly for work a **lot**, but usually you get stuck in the back. and so what who cares.
>>2655867>are never any empty seats because of good optimization and right-sized aircraft.does anybody here actually travel at all or is this like...people go on two or three flights a year and make sweeping generalizations about shit they do not understand?
>>2655868(Emirates is the better business class of these two by far, by the way)
>>2655869What do you do for work?
>>2655861If you worked for a living at a large firm of repute, you'll realize just how rare it is that you get real business class seats paid for anymore and how common economy-only policies are at workplaces. Why do you think instant upgrades to J where available when paying full-fare Y, selling all sorts of mile maximizers, etc. exist? Airlines are trying to get road warriors into a higher class of service (even if not real or only partly delivered) like making it look like ancillary fees for economy.Not everyone can work at Apple where the company has an agreement with United to guarantee Polaris seats for SFO <-> TPE and gives employees Global Services status just by virtue of the very rich contract they signed
>>2655869>that class of business traveller has pretty much entirely moved to part 135 now.Perhaps in the US. Not in Europa/Asia. See plenty of bankers/executives flying business class. Know a couple on a personal basis as well.
>>2655875Not all flights are suitable for part 135. Like, for example, I know when a group of business partners/friends go to look at property in Spain together, they charter a flight. But if they go somewhere alone, they would rather fly business class. Overall the idea that business class as the in-between between economy and chartered flights is gone is silly and not accurate.
>>2655871I've been doing revenue management in a different industry for 10 years now and travel for work, if you can't see how all large airlines have revolutionized the old free upgrade paradigm into today's very well run (nearly-)full planes, monetized upgrades, and generally capturing all of the consumer surplus they would only have dreamed about in the years past you're either blind or too stupid to understand economics
some people in this thread seem to be thinking on quite a small scale>>2655869unless you are a member of a royal family or a billionaire ceo or a member of iron maiden you don't charter intercontinentali have shared the cabin with quite a few well known people- athletes, rock stars and so on. even for those people it is not practical>>2655867the seat is only part of the experience. premium classes are about privacy and convenience. on good airlines that extends door to door.
>>2655877That's not what I'm saying. If you make partner in a firm obviously you would fly whatever you like (within justification), I'm saying business class is getting further out of reach for your middle managers and senior analysts if traveling for work. If you're high enough up the ladder it obviously doesn't matter.
>>2655809One of the best I have experienced for being able to sleep. Unlike many other types, you can stretch your legs out and not need to position them in an uncomfortable position.
>>2655875Depends on the distance - mine is anything over six hours is business. Sometimes they try and cheap out, once had to tell a partner that I wasn't flying back and forth to Riyadh multiple times in coach, and he could send someone else if he wanted to save the Saudis some cash.
>>2655875>If you worked for a living at a large firm of repute, you'll realize just how rare it is that you get real business class seats paid for anymore and how common economy-only policies are at workplacesi have worked for several different companies with various different travel policiesexample 1 - uk company, but customers mainly in the usa/europe/asia. pollicy was short haul economy, long haul business, subject to price multiples. usually that meant to get business class it had to be indirect but i don't mind that. travel was organised by an admin person in the company and it paid to be friendly with them so they would be willing to spend more time researching optionsexample 2 - usa company, based in the uk, travelling emea region. policy was economy only, business only if no economy available. but, travel was organised by the individual using a third-party system. in some cases it was possible to game the system- example, you could enter very specific times which on some routes meant that usually only business would be available. but since the flights were usually only short/medium haul, it wasn't a massive issuenow i am a contractor i always book my own flights. i book business as long as the price isn't extreme. for the kind of company i work for, a few hundred extra quid on top of my invoice doesn't make the slightest difference
>>2655881Oh cool, if it's actually comfy then nice. I just assumed it was part of their recent corner cuttings like gutting carryon and lowering status benefits
>>2655894It was ordered before Putin's chimpout forced the corner cutting. Catering sadly has taken a hit and there's no improvement on the horizon.
>>2655899The business class catering was cut too? I thought people were making a fuss because only economy got shafted
>>2655874defense contracting. not mercenary type. aviation, build runways in austere areas, set up RNAV approaches, weather reporting stations, mark out areas blah blah blahpoint is its a lot of money changing hands, a fraction of it winds up in mine. travel is almost always handled by a third party firm, or you hitch a ride on a military airlifter/AMC. if I started getting shuttled around in business more than once every two years I'd be a little puzzled.I fly about a hundred times a year give or take. most of the people in the fancy cabins are clearly not business travellers.
>>2655944when you gonna file your 203 and relax all day?
>>2654939I couldn't even find business availability cause every faggot in the world is instantly taking up the seats. Settled for premium economy because at least I got lounge access with that.
>>2654962Even if I was a multi millionaire I couldn’t justify spending 5x more on a plane ticket to be mildly more comfortable than coach
>>2656224I only splurge when it's no more than 2xBut I researched this after everyone online was saying 4-5x and turns out those are discount fares not all routes get. I wouldn't pay 5x either.
I’ve probably flown business or first between the US and Europe/Asia two dozen times at this point. I’ve never paid out of pocket for the entire flight. The worst I’ve paid is around $600 for round trip taxes or fuel surcharges. If you can’t figure out how to use points you’re missing out.
>>2656325Award availability for first class is usually very poor.
>>2656224>mildly more comfortable than coachIt is a world of difference. That is why people who can afford it will fly business class in long haul.
>>2656535Generally book first class very close in.
>>2655761T. Has autism and sucks cock recreationally
The worst business class long haul I ever flew was TAP. Especially the service was really bad. Everyone I know who has experience with them has expressed a similar opinion.
>>2656946True, but it’s not for the feint of heart because you have to snag an economy return flight and then pray another biz/first award seat opens up. Also telling your boss you’re going to Tokyo for a week in 3 days because you snagged a first class ticket on ANA may not go over well. Mine didn’t mind when I did it (it was during my slow time), but that depends on your boss
>>2655194You can't even tell if she's Finnish or Japanese
>>2658454Alternative is to plan a vacation and just be okay with not knowing where it will. I've done it a few times. Just book whatever flights are available last minute and enjoy.>>2658451TAP is a shit soft and hard product but you can fly it quite cheaply so it can serve a purpose.
>>2654984>>2654984I thought their a380 seats were more comfy but that's because1) lounge to walk around2) i like to sit with my legs up and you can't do that on the qsuite (the 777 at least)Qatar's customer service outside of the plane/airport is horrific though so hope you never have problems.
>>2655832Credit card reward programs are beneficial if you’re smart. They’re banking on 90% of their customers not being smart. I have an entry level basic ass travel card with a $300 annual fee and I get at least $1200 in value out of it yearly while paying it off in full every month. Never paid interest, but almost all CC users keep a running balance and pay 2% or worse interest monthly
>>2656224I am a multi millionaire (8 figs from crypto) and its worth it. But I only donitna few times a year from Europe to Asia. Last ones were AeroMexico, KLM, Emirates
>>2654939I dropped like $5k on first class to Bangkok through Delta and they didn't even let me in the lounge. I wanted to strangle somebody.
