How wealthy do you need to be to buy your own J or F ticket?

[quokka77]

Depends on your other commitments. I wouldn't consider it unless i had a lot of disposable income. Definitely a luxury item. We're paying for 3 return j flights bne-lax in September but hopefully a one off as the points mill and points purchasing machinery starts to gear up. Will also achieve instant platinum for my partner in one trip on VA thanks to family pooling. I'm just her travel agent.

 

[shifty]

I use my points where I can for J or F to Europe once or twice a year.

About 5 years ago I didn't have enough points, so purchased my first J flights for a personal trip. After the wife gave me a serve I started debating the value, however since then she won't fly anything else and also sees the value in paying cash. In fact last year we decided to pay as we wanted particular routs/dates/times etc. even though we had plenty of points to burn.

To give an answer though if you have a double income of let's say $150k with average debt and savings, I would think its do-able and good value at a lets say special J fare of $6k-$7k each.

But it really depends on so many other financial factors for the individual. eg. kids, mortgage etc. so the above is a bit meaningless without full context.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

I dont think there is any wealth requirement or any real link between flying biz/first and your personal income.

People dont in premium cabins because they csn afford it. Money isnt the issue. Its something else thst drives the purchase. ... privacy, experience, family, work.....

 

[mella2007]

Did not J travel up until 3 years by choice and financial. Did all Y and survived because that was the choice.

Depending on travel requirements I often still travel Y domestic and some international short legs. Have used points to book reward seats in J many times both domestic and long haul. Have also paid when I've felt the deal was suitable for my needs.

I am a business owner, everything self funded. Lead a comfortable lifestyle now after years of getting the business to a certain level. But continue to do what is right for our needs, when it suits

 

[Skyring]

I'm trying to find out what our members think is the sort of salary one needs to earn before one can justify spending, say $12000 a year on two J trips to Europe, out of their own pocket?

I'm a pensioner and I went around the world in J last month. My fourth such trip in seven years and although I had a job for most of that time, night cabbies aren't generally regarded as well-paid.

Having said that, I regard the oneworld DONE4 fare as exceptional value, especially when starting out of Africa, where it's about half the price.

People here don't necessarily consult an accountant before booking their flights. If you feel within yourself that you and your wife are worth a bit of a spend on some great holidays, then don't hold back. Everyone has a hobby, often one that involves a lot of money but not their partner. Think of it as a collection of DVDs or a restored Beetle.

 

[cove]

After I had a major heart operation almost 19 years ago everything became possible including better travel. You don't have to leave it that late. The major unknown is how much capital you need in retirement and as soon as you have that figured then travel can start moving up thru premium economy to business to first.

 

[DaveB]

To me the biggest difficulty is when you are addicted to OS travel and have teenage/young adult children you know when they are on a good thing.

 

[harvyk]

If it was just me, and I didn't have a wife, kids and a mortgage, I could easily afford higher class travel, the thing is that whilst I would have no doubt have loads of very comfortable trips OS, I would feel like my life was missing something. How many $$$ would be required for J and F travel always? Well I've know ppl who could seem to afford it on something just above minimum wage. (that or their credit card was being maxxed out)

 

[Blackadder]

On approx $60k a year, and over the course of a year can usually put aside enough for a annual J to the US and back, plus a handful of domestic Y/J trips.
All about budgeting and planning.

 

[elbarto]

I think that your ability to buy F and J tickets largely comes down to how you manage your own finances, your own personal situation and lifestyle choices. I've been able to go on overseas holidays over the past few years when I know people whose household income was probably close to triple what mine was are complaining about making ends meet.

 

[Ewing]

My income hit 6 figures when I was about 24. I'm 29 now, and without saying what I'm earning - if I was to drop to my 24 year old salary it would be quite a pay cut.

I can afford to travel international J, but while I'm young I have other financial priorities focused on setting myself up for my later years. Priorities like focusing on my assets and purchasing a house (which I did at 22).

For that reason I made the choice not to and fly long haul in PE instead where I can still get sufficient sleep (I can do a full day in the office after flying LAX-SYD in PE) and put the money saved elsewhere.

F on the other hand... ask me if I'd pay for it after I've flown it (my upcoming trip to Europe is in F, as my 30th birthday present to myself).

I've seen many people fly international J, but at the same time had to max out their credit cards to do so. There's no way on earth I would do that (while I pay for travel with my credit cards, I don't book travel unless the cash is in my bank account to pay for it immediately).

 

[Edge]

Really interesting discussion. Although myself and SWMBO combine to have what you'd class as a high disposable income, we generally fly in Y. Why? Prefer to spend more money in the destination. While we don't explicitly run a 'budget', generally we'll set aside "an amount" to spend on a holiday. If you're forking out for PE or J then the airfare takes a significantly larger part of the budget. I think we've reached the point now (thanks to AFF) where we'll have enough of a points base to periodically start flying J. Also thanks to this forum, discovering the the subtleties between a standard Y seat and a "good" Y seat (if that's not an oxymoron) has made a big difference to our comfort levels.

Travel is hugely important to us, so we also get by with 1 car, no foxtel, and try to take advantage of sales or deals wherever possible. It's all about maximising the value you can extract out of your income.

 

[OATEK]

We have booked and paid full (discount) fare for J on QF1/QF2 in September. We have been travelling to Europe at least once a year since 2006, and the most we ever paid was about $6K for the two of us, all in Y just under half of this year's. So this year is a step up and represents a combination of special event and finding it very difficult to manage our arthritic joints in Y, and so we are breaking the mould. Income has only changed with inflation over the last 5 years so its not a sudden change in income, although its as high as we have ever earned and I am sure that is a factor.

We keep saying we will be sensible and be back in Y+ next year, but just want this year to be special. The trouble is, will we be able to do that, or will the J experience make that too difficult when the gap between Y+ and J is not all that much bigger than the step up from Y to Y+. I know there a lots of ways to look at using points for JASA bookings and that may work next time, but when you have particular dates driving you, awards don't always fit. But its fair to say that in the next few years, before we stop full time work, the aim is to use J as much as possible, and afterwards - well who knows.

 

[defurax]

We have been travelling to Europe at least once a year since 2016, .

I've been travelling only in F since 2056! :mrgreen:

 

[OATEK]

I've been travelling only in F since 2056! :mrgreen:

And enjoying every minute of it no doubt - hope I am still then, will only be 106.

 

[harvyk]

I've been travelling only in F since 2056! :mrgreen:

I would hope so, if you've got that level of foresight one would also hope you took a peek at what the sharemarket will be doing...

 

[MH_fan]

All my long-haul trips are in J (with the occasional F), which I pay for out of my own pocket. I do on average 3 long-haul trips a year and long-haul means going to Europe or the US. I also do 1 or 2 additional trips to South-East Asia in J. I didn't start travelling in J regularly until about 3 years ago when my income significantly increased AND I had more time to travel.

 

[Skyring]

I didn't start travelling in J regularly until about 3 years ago when my income significantly increased AND I had more time to travel.

I think that it's a bit of a happy circle. The more one travels, the more one travels. Consider that at higher status and class levels, more points are earnt, leading to more travel or upgrades. Think 100% bonus points for Plat, up to 100% more for First. Likewise it's easier to retain status than attain it.

Then there's the benefit of experience - you learn what to do, what not to do. Just hanging around this forum can be a multiplier. Things like credit card bonuses, directing your everyday shopping or fuel purchases, learning about opportunities.

I think, that on an ongoing basis, annual J return tickets to Europe can be had for far less than $12K a year. Even on a modest income, it's just a matter of priorities. If this sort of travel is what you really want, then things like drinks and smokes and coffee might take a back seat. While you take a seat at the front.

 

[tuapekastar]

I agree that there is no 'absolute' salary mark that would dictate what class of fare you bought (within reason - you need to have the dollars). It's more about what you want to spend your money on. I have had people at work quite incredulous at me travelling J or F, saying what a waste of money (though some are quite understanding). I then ask them about the money they spent on their holiday houses, their classic car collections, their obsessions with going to the (Gold Class) cinemas 5 times a week, and remind them that I don't wish to spend my hard-earned on these things, that is their choice, and flying (when I can) in a premium cabin, as opposed to the cheapest fare of the day that they will take, is my choice of how to spend my money.

I was many years strictly a Y flyer, until ~2001, when I redeemed a J journey to NZ. Since then, through a combination of points and discount fares, and allowing that there is not in the context of AFF a huge number of trips involved, only once have I flown flights longer than ~4 hours in a class lower than J (MEL-SYD-HKG-MEL on QF in 2007, and I put in unsuccessfully for a points upgrade for that as well), and also many shorter flights in J. Oh, there was one JQ *class return trip as well, I guess that counts as PE.

Only once in that time have I paid 'full price' for a premium cabin, and that was VA MEL-ADL-MEL, as a specific condition to be comped Platinum.

I won't rule out paying full fare premium in the future, and I won't rule out long-haul Y travel (though I wish I could ), but really, there are many creative ways, as we all know, of travelling in premium cabins without paying full price. And for me, most of that knowledge has been gleaned here on AFF. Sorry if I have drifted a little OT.

Edit: There was a BA PE flight to SIN and back as well that I missed noting above. , so I guess rather than saying 'below J' I should have said 'not Y'.

 

[fdken]

Am I a cheapskate?

I earn mid 300k I guess, this year have made more in my smsf which I can't access for 6/7 years.

Together we have 550k QFF , 380k Asia Miles and 100k Amex points from credit cards spending almost exclusively.

we travel extensively only for leisure 4-5 trips per year. If we can get classic award tickets we would go J or F, generally though we buy cheap special Econ tickets and save the money for another trip. Jetstar is often part of our planning, even have caught Scoot biz to Singapore and then cheap finnair flights to Europe.

I can't imagine us paying for F or J even though we could afford it.

But I do appreciate if you only do it occasionally you would want to make it special. Also if you are tall, you need the extra space on long haul overnight flights. Also if you travel for work and want extra status there is an economic argument. Everyone has their own priorities and good luck to them.

Just not for us. (On the one F return to Lhr flight we took, I found it quite isolating, I preferred to be squashed next to my spouse than not even being able to talk to each other)