Article: Flying first class: How can anyone afford it?

[coyote25]

Another way to look at this is the fact that the majority are clueless that when you take your J class flights, that these are in fact mostly due to being savvy, not rich. In fact I was once that majority, wondering how people did it and why I can't. I still can't believe it took me so long to catch on.
But with some great advice and a little homework I am just about to take my 4th Long Haul J flight in 12 months and haven't paid for any of them out right. Gotta love that!

I think that’s the thing it’s possible for a lot more than then the general public think if you know how and have the right strategies like a lot of people on AFF. The author of the article starts realising this.

However luckily for those who understand how to play the points and redemption game not everyone does meaning more PE, J and F awards for us

 

[TheRealTMA]

Haven’t flown anything but F for the last 6 years, two thirds paid, one third QFF points.

 

[ALH]

You mean, people actually pay for F?

I have. Trans Tasman a few times. Great sale fares and bonus SCs

 

[tgh]

I plan to splurge on long haul F sometime, but struggle to see the value over J as a regular exercise.

 

[Melburnian1]

It helps when occasionally - very occasionally - there are true bargains such as A$1210 return to 'beyond MNL' on PR (ex MEL or SYD for the better aircraft), A333 with 1-2-1 in J) as was the case for a very limited period in 2017.

Thanks to another AFF member for spotting that one.

These second tier airlines like PR or VN can often have very competitive fares and increasingly (though with some gradually) have 'modern' business class on some of their medium haul fleets, not the 2-2-2 that is still common with the mainland Chinese airlines.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Yep they do.
They also buy Rolls Royce’s, Ferrari’s and large boats ........

OK I am going to bite . We pay to fly first and started doing so in 1989 for the first time. We had a bit in the middle when we were paying for 5 airfares and dropped to J, because we couldn’t afford that much money.

We aren’t in the league of being able to afford boats or fancy cars . Travel is probably our one big extravagance. I don’t drive and Mr FM isn’t into fancy cars (never has been). We don’t smoke, drink very moderately and while we like to eat out with friends, it also doesn’t happen all that often.

Neither of us are much into clothes either (gosh we are boring ).

We have a comfortable level of income from our SMSF and pretty much do one trip a year and we pay for First for that. We have a number of friends who do the same and are at the same sort of income level we are. We also have other friends who travel economy and who do 3 or 4 trips a year. Each to their own. We have given the kids a good start in life and see no reason to leave them any money, so we feel it’s ours to waste on F fares I do try to buy discount F as much as possible, although it’s not always that easy to get - I spent months waiting for a sale to Nairobi with Emirates but it never really happened.

I don’t fly F with Qantas anymore as it is a substandard product, but charges the same and I don’t like wasting money....

 

[Deleted member 29185]

My business of 30+ years was/is in the realm of the large luxury motor yacht industry. Many clients were "would be's if they could be", just spending other peoples money and they were as tight as fishes backsides, however the genuinely wealthy clients, although very canny with their spending and negotiations, would not even consider airline class. Their PA's would know where they needed to be and would book long haul F as a matter of course without even asking. Points/SC's would not be even remotely considered.

 

[Strategic Aviation]

I know of a couple (blessed with no kids) who fly paid F. Even in SE Asia destinations they can apparently sink 20 grand on a 1-2 week holiday.

 

[cove]

We just use points and miles. I did do a 4 person F paid trip using an Amex Platinum two for one offer but that was years ago.

 

[harvyk]

In fairness to the author, whilst there are many ways to get those seats up front / up stairs without paying the earth for them, how much time do we here spend researching and discussing points and flying?

Now don't get me wrong, I love discussing and researching all aspects of flying, but if I was to instead put that time into billable hours I could easily afford paid J/F for all my flights. I invest a lot of time into researching things that it could almost be considered another job.

So whilst we travel up front a fair bit, let's not kid ourselves that it is cheap or even free. Its just that is where we've chosen to invest our time.

 

[CaptJCool]

In fairnes

So whilst we travel up front a fair bit, let's not kid ourselves that it is cheap or even free. Its just that is where we've chosen to invest our time.

And The finest spend is other people's money....

I marvel at some of the innovative ways I read about on here, but seriously struggle to Find good spend:earn ratios. Sadly child Support doesn't score FF points, and neither does my mortgage (you gotta live somewhere but apparently some rent systems do earn FF points) and neither Do my tax & super payments (payday garnishee).

even a card churn needs $3,000 a time period (month or quarter) of course if you are spending that kinda cash, then take advantage of the opportunity it brings (or the 1cent woolies items haha) and redemptions aren't completely free but differ significantly. And of course, my 3 big non-earning items will come to an end within 1, 2 and 5 & 7 years so that frees an an enormous body of cash to splurge...on the basis that it earns sufficient points to buy one, get one free, or something like that.

Just remember, the finest spend is other people's money....(buy none, get them all free)

 

[amaroo]

We'll pay with deals like pay J fly F. Have booked quite a few family trips to the UK, and it works well. We have that many points stashed that burning them on F hardly makes a dent. Good problem to have, I suppose.

Pretty soon the kids will be leaving the nest and starting their own adventure and we'll drop back to a travelling pack of two .... can easily see us flying paid F when we're only paying for two. Will probably work out cheaper!

 

[TheRealTMA]

We'll pay with deals like pay J fly F. Have booked quite a few family trips to the UK, and it works well. We have that many points stashed that burning them on F hardly makes a dent. Good problem to have, I suppose.

Pretty soon the kids will be leaving the nest and starting their own adventure and we'll drop back to a travelling pack of two .... can easily see us flying paid F when we're only paying for two. Will probably work out cheaper!

BA have such a deal on at the moment. Pay J fly F one way and also have access to F lounges in UK and SIN.
But then flying BA F is like J on other airlines.

Deal: British Airways Sydney-London in business and first for $7,238

 

[kookaburra75]

Another way to look at this is the fact that the majority are clueless that when you take your J class flights, that these are in fact mostly due to being savvy, not rich. In fact I was once that majority, wondering how people did it and why I can't. I still can't believe it took me so long to catch on.
But with some great advice and a little homework I am just about to take my 4th Long Haul J flight in 12 months and haven't paid for any of them out right. Gotta love that!

Quite true. I have to do 2-3 trips a year to the UK for work, and another 1-2 to the US, with a parent company that allows Premium Economy - although discount fares. I go with Flex Y, and claim from our Qantas Business pool of points to upgrade to J - which has always come through as I'm WP. Given the points to upgrade from Discount PE to J is the same for Flex Y to J, I get the flexibility to change and cancel flights if I need, end up in J and the company saves money - plus I look like a martyr, booking in Y, when I'm being quite mercenary about it. A win-win-win. Mind you, I roll the dice each time that I might end up in Y, but on the upper deck of the A380's it's as good as PE, if not better.

 

[CaptJCool]

Mind you, I roll the dice each time that I might end up in Y, but on the upper deck of the A380's it's as good as PE, if not better.

Havin been in both on an A380, I would place PE rather ahead for sleep capacity and space.....

That said, for the extra price above Y, I don't find it worth the extra cash spend.....perhaps when the cargo cult starts, it'll be worth the spend to lie flat in capsule class

 

[Saltywings]

Haven’t flown anything but F for the last 6 years, two thirds paid, one third QFF points.

Man, how'd you manage the east coast triangle hops without F? Or any other route without F for that matter which is most routes... (half joke half serious - assuming I'm to take your statement literally)

 

[TheRealTMA]

Man, how'd you manage the east coast triangle hops without F? Or any other route without F for that matter which is most routes... (half joke half serious - assuming I'm to take your statement literally)

Long haul F, Bru. Domestic J or whY in extremis.