Article: Is Qantas’ 737 Business Class Worth $200 More than Virgin?

[justinbrett]

I just can’t stand it when businesses do less than half effort jobs. If you want to have a lounge spend some money so it’s not a third world pile of rubbish or don’t have one at all.

Comments like that make me believe you have never traveled outside of the developed world.

A seat, wifi and free beer is more than I could have hoped for at many locations around the world, including western countries. I don’t have to use it but it’s nice to know it is there as an option.

Also it’s good to have a lounge in case of disruptions, I was at OOL earlier in the year when the incoming flight had a bird strike. I missed my connection to LAX and lounge staff arranged for me to be rebooked via SFO.

 

[jase05]

Comments like that make me believe you have never traveled outside of the developed world.

A seat, wifi and free beer is more than I could have hoped for at many locations around the world, including western countries. I don’t have to use it but it’s nice to know it is there as an option.

Also it’s good to have a lounge in case of disruptions, I was at OOL earlier in the year when the incoming flight had a bird strike. I missed my connection to LAX and lounge staff arranged for me to be rebooked via SFO.

I’ve spent a lot of time outside the developed world thank you and I still believe the HBA QF lounge is a disgrace but each to their own.

 

[Forg]

The vast majority of people in lounges are there from status or lounge membership.

If you do elect to pay the extra for business, you’re probably doing it for the inflight benefit, not the lounge, but even then wouldn’t you feel ripped off that there isn’t a lounge at all?

It’s not a great lounge, but it’s good to at least have an option.

I felt pretty ripped-off when my better-half had lounge access, we were at HBA, and that was the lounge available. If I’d had no experience with lounges I maybe would’ve been happy with having access to it, but having looked around a few airports I don’t see value in being allowed in there … it just doesn’t offer anything over the departures terminal outside.

And that’s kinda where I’m at with domestic lounges in Oz in general, unless maybe you’re trying to work and haven’t had the opportunity to charge your laptop beforehand, they just don’t offer anything apart from maybe a feeling of exclusivity. And I don’t see how that feeling doesn’t wear off after a few trips.

And for domestic J there’s really not much of an inflight benefit. Except maybe to WA from the east coast, the extra space is prolly worthwhile for 5 hours.

 

[justinbrett]

And for domestic J there’s really not much of an inflight benefit. Except maybe to WA from the east coast, the extra space is prolly worthwhile for 5 hours.

It’s very different to say there’s no benefit vs the benefits are not worth the price.

Clearly there are benefits - bigger, more comfortable seats, no middle seats, food, alcohol, eating and drinking from crockery and glassware, first off the plane, more points and status credits…

But yes, perfectly fair to say those benefits aren’t worth the price for a one hour trip. And I’d agree. But if you’ve paid to go to LAX in J, it’s nice that you get that you get benefits on your connection too.

I lived in NTL for 12 years and there is no lounge. It’s not that much smaller than HBA. Even as WP half of my domestic trips I only got to use a lounge in one direction. I would have been happy to have the HBA lounge in NTL, as once again, I don’t have to use it but it’s there if I want to.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It’s very different to say there’s no benefit vs the benefits are not worth the price.

Clearly there are benefits - bigger, more comfortable seats, no middle seats, food, alcohol, eating and drinking from crockery and glassware, first off the plane, more points and status credits…

Exactly. No rubbing shoulders, not not fighting over an armrest, never being stuck in a middle seat, not having to worry about your carry on luggage, or space in the overhead, and even thought it’s only an extra six or seven inches of legroom, it’s potentially the difference between a sore back and not.

 

[Leroy87]

For me it's been VA J all the way.

2 x rewards + 2 x paid J on early specials, usually on DSC with family pooling means domestic family holidays leaving from MEL are very nice and go most of the way to retain platinum (or they used to anyway).

No way I'd have gotten the same value forking out dollars for QF seats.

 

[outthere1000]

People actually pay for domestic J?
I just assumed everyone sitting there were just on free upgrades due to having lots of status from international travel!

Yes, some of us do pay for domestic J (though I'd never pay the less-than-seven-days fare), though not all the time. I buy it on (domestic) longer haul whenever DSP comes around; I buy it on my way into and out of the country (I live overseas) as it's more flexible than Y - unless you buy full-fare flex Y, but as that costs more than J, why would one do that? It also buys me intangibles such as much less chance of being hassled about the weight of my carry-on (again, connecting into and out of the country), and it allows me to maintain Gold status (especially with DSP). The Business lounges are much nicer than the regular lounges (though this isn't a reason for buying J), so that's an extra (Adelaide and Canberra especially).