The camaraderie of economy? How I stopped worrying and learned to love the Y

[Renato1]

I'll never forget that SQ flight where I asked for Coke Light and she brought back half a cup. I was thirsty bordering on dehydrated. I eventually got her to bring me cans of Coke Light throughout the flight but she made me feel like it was coming out of her pay. Poor service.

Poor service - but at at least you got half a cup and subsequent cans!

On my last Emirates flight three years ago - after being roasted in a half hour bus trip to the plane (which I've described here before), and complaining about the defective seat and defective entertainment screen control unit - I didn't even get the can of Coke Zero I asked for.

And that was indeed to be my last trip with Emirates. The 5000 points (worth $50) they ultimately gave me as compensation wasn't in any way sufficient for the miserable trip.
Regards,
Renato

 

[daft009]

my dad (mid 60s now) was also in the same boat.
Loved Y because of the chatter/banter with his fellow passenger.

Loathed J the first few times I sent him last couple of years. Said the flight felt longer as he had no one to talk to as "everyone is seated so far away" and it was a waste.

Now he is finally coming around to it (after a 4-5 trips) and enjoying it as he is making up for the on board banter in the J lounges lol

 

[Warks]

Really can't afford anything else so I'm stuck with Y anyway. Loved J when I had an employer paying for it but my word it's expensive for what it is. If you can secure flights no more than 2/3 full you'll have a much better time but there's no guarantee of the loading of course. If the person behind me can't get out of their seat without pulling my seat down then they'll get the same treatment as for seat recliners mentioned earlier.

 

[Melburnian1]

I don't always travel in Y but on a recent international flight on a B738 (yes, yuk!) I had three seats to myself and slept, unlike those in J who I suggest would not have much sleep due to the lack of recline and other poor design.

That can be another occasional advantage of Y, although naturally on many flights there won't be three seats together that are vacant.

 

[Bazzi]

Thanks for a great read Scott K - and I’m with you 100% on the thongs!

We’ve done a bit of J/F travelling but only on points - I really don’t think I would stump up the $$ and it really isn’t a financial option for us anyway. We travel in the premium cabins only for flights over 6 hours as my partner is a really bad traveller - airsickness, jumpy legs, blocked sinuses - not pretty but the extra space and air does help. Mind you we are still limited to 9 hour trips and only do day flights - 3 days to Europe!

I recently did a very cheap tour of China on my own, flights with QF and in economy. Outbound was a day flight, inbound a midnight departure so thought I would use some QF points to upgrade - computer says no - told me my flight was toooooooo cheap and so upgrading was not permitted. I spent $134 for exit row window seats for both flights. My seat companions on the flights were chatty and very interesting which helped the time fly. Both were travelling for work and no J cabin for them (small business and a university) ever. Not usually a fan of QF but could not fault the crew, the service or the food. Toilets were regularly cleaned and rubbish regularly collected. I’m fortunate that I actually sleep better in a sitting position and managed to get about 4 hours on the night flight. I had QF lounge access at SYD thanks to a generous Affer.

I don’t think I would do SYD LHR straight through in Y but would certainly consider it with a stopover for a good night sleep en route. I also think travelling during the day would be preferable to an overnight flight - which I’m not keen on in any cabin class.

 

[Jo145]

Great post Scott K, including the thongs. I've done F & J and won't lie, I loved it!! I'm short so leg space isn't an issue, I just like a bit more "me" space. Flew PE for the first time with AirNZ this year and that is really the happy medium. Within reach economically and being just on 5' tall, I had all the leg space of J class. And let's face it, the puddles in the toilets happen in all classes ...

 

[gnhansen29]

Interesting article. I realise that flying in Y or even a budget airline is a privilege that many people don't get to experience.

 

[SOPOOR]

Just wait until you are sandwiched between two smelly overweight people

or have an aisle seat with the window passenger wanting to climb over you every 30 mins

 

[lastrow]

But please, gentlemen or ladies, if you find yourself sitting next to me and you are wearing rubber thongs, know that I am judging you and your disgusting feet. Wear some 5&$@1*# shoes.

Are thongs allowed? Any way be assured that J feet smell just as bad as Y feet. Slipping your shoes off early in the flight is a great comfort booster, and come to think of it a pair of thongs for the toilet run is not so dumb, especially if you can conceal them before you get off.
I agree that reclining seats in economy is agony for the poor sole behind whose purchased allocation of space is suddenly reduced from minimum to minuscule. The answer clearly is for all seats to recline in unison so that everyone in Y shares the discomfort equally.

 

[Forg]

^ Reclining in Y to match the Recliner in front of you doesn’t work if you’re normal & can’t sleep half-sitting-up & with your knees wedged into the badk of the seat in fromt of you ... what little you can do is to use the IFE or watch your BYO entertainment or read a book, and none of that’s possible when the person in front reclines.

 

[SOPOOR]

Ive never e understood or compreheneded why or how youd get into a fight over the reclining .

Obviously if its a kid who just deliberately reclining back and fwd, thats annoying, and id probably punch him,

but for the other parts, cant see why youd get annoyed,
sure if the person in front reclines back, you lose maybe 10cm of room in front of you, but if you recline yours you essentially gain it back,
also its cramped anyway, with or without recline, I can still eat, read, watch tv, and other stuff,

never understood how people get worked up

 

[juddles]

never understood how people get worked up

You do not understand basic human traits then. Travel is unnatural. Being forced to be in a seat surrounded by strangers in a thin metal tube is even more so. Many people react badly to such stress.

 

[Denali]

Theres no camaraderie in Y, its just everyone surviving the worse case situation which is sitting as best you can in a confined space. literally rubbing shoulders with randoms, wondering when the next meal or drink is coming and trying to hold in a fart for hours and hoping no one hears when you silently let it go.

Im betting 99% of anyone in Y would jump over their fellow cabin mates if offered J or F in a heartbeat, leaving behind their cohorts without a backward glace other than to be smug and give a thumbs up that one of them made it out.

A friend took his first J seat yesterday afternoon - now he gets it. He. Gets. It. He will be the guy crying in his half filled plastic sippy cup of water in 36F if he doesnt get his paid-for upgrade next week.

 

[Forg]

sure if the person in front reclines back, you lose maybe 10cm of room in front of you, but if you recline yours you essentially gain it back, also its cramped anyway, with or without recline, I can still eat, read, watch tv, and other stuff

Is this in Y+ or domestic J?
10cm?!
In Y there's no way I can read or watch TV, there's the physical space for it but the angles you're forced to view at don't work. Maybe if I could remove my eyeballs. Eating is possible but not exactly great, you can't lean over the little foil thingy while eating because that's where the seat in front is, so you either hold the foil thingy up to your chin or run the risk of drips/crumbs down your shirt (singlet if flying JQ).
Reclining also cuts into already-at-a-premium knee room, and then me reclining just pushes my knees further forward. They're already lightly wedged into the seatback in front, now the wedging has more force. And I'm only 6'2", getting close to average these days.

Maybe things are better on more modern international-spec aircraft these days? I've not been in Y long-haul for a decade now, my recent Y experiences have been QF A330-200 to Singapore (old interior) & domestic configuration (BA SN VA JQ QF domestic flights & QF to NZ).

 

[SOPOOR]

Is this in Y+ or domestic J?
10cm?!
In Y there's no way I can read or watch TV, there's the physical space for it but the angles you're forced to view at don't work. Maybe if I could remove my eyeballs. Eating is possible but not exactly great, you can't lean over the little foil thingy while eating because that's where the seat in front is, so you either hold the foil thingy up to your chin or run the risk of drips/crumbs down your shirt (singlet if flying JQ).
Reclining also cuts into already-at-a-premium knee room, and then me reclining just pushes my knees further forward. They're already lightly wedged into the seatback in front, now the wedging has more force. And I'm only 6'2", getting close to average these days.

Maybe things are better on more modern international-spec aircraft these days? I've not been in Y long-haul for a decade now, my recent Y experiences have been QF A330-200 to Singapore (old interior) & domestic configuration (domestic flights or to NZ).

well im certainly not 6 ft 2, however, when someone reclines in front of me , I do notice that I am much tighetr, so I do recline back and it seems to make it less cramped for me personally, Overall its just generally cramped so I just read a book, watch a movie, eat food and get by

I am far more affected by someone trying to climb over me repeatedly, or when im sleeping.
I had one trip in 7 hours where the person asked me to jump out about 5-6 times, whether it was bowel problems or not, god that was bad, obviously I couldnt sleep

 

[Forg]

when someone reclines in front of me , I do notice that I am much tighetr, so I do recline back and it seems to make it less cramped for me personally, Overall its just generally cramped so I just read a book, watch a movie, eat food and get by

When you can't sleep, can't read, can't watch the IFE & can't watch any BYO entertainment you may have brought - it's annoying.
Last trip home from Singapore I resorted to onboard music and regular G&T's which of course meant regular trips to the potty, at least it was something to do.
Although I hadn't been informed by AFF that the aisle-side armrest sometimes folds down, so there was regular comedy involved in limbo'ing out of the seat while getting all tangled-up in headphone cords each time. [why oh why didn't I just pay the extra $50 or so for the wireless version!]

 

[Pierre_a]

Theres no camaraderie in Y, its just everyone surviving the worse case situation which is sitting as best you can in a confined space. literally rubbing shoulders with randoms, wondering when the next meal or drink is coming and trying to hold in a fart for hours and hoping no one hears when you silently let it go.

I never try to hold a fart in when in Y. In fact I enjoy letting them go, safe in the knowledge that its largely just excess gas from the change in cabin pressure, and if it does have an odor... no one will ever know it was me! But then the inner child is strong in me.

With regard to reclining - any one frequenting this forum is likely to be a savvy experienced traveler who I would expect to take appropriate steps to minimize their discomfort. When flying economy I only book airlines where I have the ability to purchase an extra leg room seat of some sort in advance and remove the issue for myself. That means I avoid economy in EK who won't let me reserve these in advance or QF whose charges are extortionate (and in any case often restrict availability to high status passengers). If passengers are not willing to spend the extra money or time to avoid something they know will cause them discomfort then I have little sympathy - don't make your poor planning anyone elses problem.

 

[Forg]

It's OK, when I stab Recliners in the eye with the plastic spork, it's entirely planned.

 

[dajop]

On the conversation piece ... no. I like to get into my zone and not speak to people around me. Maybe it’s because I’m more introverted than extroverted, or just that I’ve had more than enough flights that it is no longer a novelty. In any event mostly travelling around Asia, I’ve noticed people tend to not engage in conversation anyway. Unless you’re somewhere where English is not common and someone wants to practice their English with you.

 

[JohnK]

.... never understood how people get worked up

It's not so much worked up but some people are uncomfortable in a recline position. It's torture on my lower back so I do everything possible to secure bulkhead/exit row so that I'm not stuck behind a recliner for 9 hours.

P.S. Those newer coaches with the fixed recline are extremely uncomfortable.