Tricks to economy long haul

[NZflygirl]

Hey,

I realise people aim to fly premium cabins long haul but, many more fly economy. Just after any 'tricks' to Y long haul. In particular SQ, EY, EK, QR, VA but keen to hear about other airlines also.
- Looking for ability to buy/secure an extra seat
- Cheap upgrades at airport
- Skycouch on airlines that offer them
- bidding online to upgrade


So here's what I know. Air NZ offer a twin seat which you can buy at check-in so you can have that extra space. Admittedly I've never bought one although I did try buying one for a friend but they said flight only 80% full and there was already a middle seat free. Turns out she got the whole row to herself - nice!

Anyway, whether it's cheap at the airport upgrades offered or that extra seat next to you, handy if you're a couple and want the middle seat spare.

Here's what I know of Air NZ:

Buy a Twin Seat at check-in and get twice the space | Air New Zealand – Australia

You don't earn any status points - not at those cheap rates anyway.

You can apparently also ask at check-in if there are any unsold sky couch rows (lie flat economy with the leg rests that pull out) which might be available for a fixed price. (You can also bid for these online)

I haven't seen any discounted upgrades at the airport to PE.



China Airlines:
They do on occasion offer upgrades to PE at the airport and the prices looked lower than buying online.


Qantas:

I think I've read on here you can pay for an extra seat but without the taxes so it's cheaper but you earn status credits for it.

EY:
You can bid online to upgrade and I think receive 10% extra status credits (or whatever the EY currency is)

QR:
Pretty sure it's a fixed upgrade price that goes out to select? economy pax. Take it or leave it. No extra points/status earn.



Any other 'tricks'??

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Those are pretty cheap prices for a twin seat on air NZ! but subject to availability of course.

China Airlines offers skycouches as well as Air NZ, IIRC around $1000 from australia through to europe ($1000 each way, in addition to the regular economy fare).

I got an email the other day, Etihad I think, also offering the opportunity to buy multiple seats. Air Asia offers the same, sent out by email to select passengers.

Otherwise, fly cathay pacific! Even the lowest oneworld status will get you an exit row or bulkhead for free. Use your (full-sized) carry-on bag as a legrest in the exit rows or at bulkheads. With your legs fully horizontal it makes it much easier to sleep.

Keep an eye out for bargains (China Airlines’ $1600 fares in premium economy to usa/europe), or mixed class fares, currently as low as ~2200 flying qantas economy to jakarta, and business class (flat bed) from jakarta to europe.

 

[JohnK]

The trick for me is to fly airlines where I have greater chance of securing a complimentary bulkhead/exit row seat and for the time being that's QF/EK.

I do fly SQ occassionally and I can pay for exit row but also just as happy to bite my tongue.

 

[Forg]

China Airlines offers skycouches

Actually they’ve stopped selling the product; dunno why.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Actually they’ve stopped selling the product; dunno why.

Oh, that’s a shame! It looks really nice too!

Family Couch

 

[NZflygirl]

Air NZ you have to get to the airport early to secure the twin seat. Although it's subject to availability it's still first in first served

I sometimes wonder if I would take a row of 3 economy seats over PE as you get to 'lie flat' but PE you don't. Not too concerned over meals/service in PE.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Air NZ you have to get to the airport early to secure the twin seat. Although it's subject to availability it's still first in first served

I sometimes wonder if I would take a row of 3 economy seats over PE as you get to 'lie flat' but PE you don't. Not too concerned over meals/service in PE.

3 seats in economy is doable for sleep, even for someone tall (have to bend the knees!) Depends on people’s priorities... i can’t sleep sitting, so i’d forego any service for the opportunity to lie flat!

 

[serfty]

VA also sell "comfort seating" at the base fare with SC and Points earn - the call it "Extra Seat Booking":

http://www.virginaustralia.com/cs/g...content/~edisp/extra-seat-policy-apr-2018.pdf

 

[Forg]

3 seats in economy is doable for sleep, even for someone tall (have to bend the knees!) Depends on people’s priorities... i can’t sleep sitting, so i’d forego any service for the opportunity to lie flat!

My better-half had a job in Seoul followed by a last-minute job in Montreal ... and the mob paying complained it was too expensive to cancel the return home from ICN, so her arrival at SYD was followed 5hrs later with a departure for Canada. I met her at SYD with a fresh packed bag, we had brekky together, she swapped from stuff over & went to check-in with AC ... and due to a birdstrike & aircraft change there weren’t enough J seats & she was bumped to Y (she’s only Gold with Star Alliance and I guess anyone doing even only a few regular flights in J between Australia & Canada would be pretty statusy).

Anyhoo, the point of all this is that she was given 4 seats in Y, so she could lie flat. Was good in theory, except she found it really lumpy & there was nowhere nor any way she could lie where some hard piece of seat-edge didn’t jab in & keep her awake. ‘Tis why those “family couch” type seats looked interesting.
I’ve never been on a flight empty enough to try it myself (I’ve never been on an international flight in Y without all nearby seats full!).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Blankets! Use as padding to create a flat surface

 

[snabbu]

Anyhoo, the point of all this is that she was given 4 seats in Y, so she could lie flat. Was good in theory, except she found it really lumpy & there was nowhere nor any way she could lie where some hard piece of seat-edge didn’t jab in & keep her awake. ‘Tis why those “family couch” type seats looked interesting.
I’ve never been on a flight empty enough to try it myself (I’ve never been on an international flight in Y without all nearby seats full!).

I've done this too many times to remember on SYD-LAX vv in either a row of four or row of three. Early on, you need to accumulate as many blankets/pillows from around the cabin (or from the FA's) you can to help with the cushioning.
Sure it's not a J seat lie flat but for a Y seat trans pac it's hard to beat.

 

[serfty]

Another is QF A380 ... If you can get 26F, 26D/E are among the last allocated.

Almost always vacant on QF8.

 

[flychrisfly]

If you buy a comfort seat/twin seat/etc and you have a window seat plus the middle seat how does the aisle person know that they are not entitled to use the empty seat also?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If you buy a comfort seat/twin seat/etc and you have a window seat plus the middle seat how does the aisle person know that they are not entitled to use the empty seat also?

They don’t. You’d have to advise them. The EXST should appear on the boarding pass if you needed proof of your entitlement.

 

[serfty]

They don’t.

AirNZ would put an antimacassar over the headrest having a printed notice the seat was taken.

 

[Straubs]

AirNZ would put an antimacassar over the headrest with a printed notice the seat was taken.

Ooh I think that notice would be essential. I couldn't stand the awkwardness of it otherwise ...

 

[trooper]

The old Economy Flat bed is rarer now that so many (?) airlines have armrests that only go up 45 degrees....

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The old Economy Flat bed is rarer now that so many (?) airlines have armrests that only go up 45 degrees....

Yeah. Why is that?

 

[Ausbt]

how does the aisle person know that they are not entitled to use the empty seat also?

Flying EY Y LHR-AUH-SYD about 12 months back, I was advised by check-in staff that a free seat would be allocated next to me like a shadow, at no charge, and surely enough it was. I presumed this was because I was VA WP. It continued a pattern of pretty good recognition by EY of my VA status over quite a few flights. But anyway, on the AUH-SYD leg that spare seat came in for quite a bit of attention from the lady aisle passenger in our group of three seats. Her adult daughter was seated across the aisle from her, and she wanted her to move over and sit in 'my' free seat. Little bit painful but I just had to spread out into it asap and basically claim 'my' territory. In reality, there'd be nothing I could do had she have chosen to sit there while I used the bathroom.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

As i mentioned in another bread I found myself on TG economy the other day after my original airline was delayed by 10 hours.

I have to agree the most prized thing in economy has got to be the spare seat beside you! There were only a handful of spares on the flight, but not having to fight for armrest and being able to stretch and move made the flight bearable. I was able to sleep for a couple of hours propped up on the seat back beside me with a pillow atop the armrest which is raised just a bit shy of the vertical.

Had there been a seatmate that would of course have been impossible.

He flight was pretty testing... a few families with young children that were quite active. The crew did their best but supplied them with several pack of candies, which made he kids a little hyperactive. I ignored the seat kicking, most of the loud laughter, but when the three year old stood beside my seat and was yelling at her siblings I had to shoot a glance to the father (who told his kids to behave at that point).

To their credit, they listened and settled down. But on landing in Bangkok the three year old had a bit of a meltdown... ‘i didn’t want to go on this trip. I wanted to stay home. I want to go home now’. Poor parents, they had another 12 hours to London.

It’s a tough call for parents to decide if they should break the journey with a stopover. The youngster had had enough, but I’m not sure clearing immigration, collecting bags, driving to the hotel, checking in to the hotel (etc) would have made the situation any better (as opposed to just getting on the next flight and hoping she went to sleep).

Most passengers were pretty well behaved. A few weren’t, refusing to put their seat in the upright position for landing, or grabbing the seat in front of them when they had to get out to the aisle (no excuse to do this when you are travelling with someone you know who can just stand up to let you out).

The food was pretty bad for a lacto-ovo vegetarian... again it was vegan, which means stale wholemeal roll, artificial margarine-like spread. And no cheese or yummy pudding (although the crew did provide me with leftovers).

I dunno why airlines continue to offer variants on vegetarian when he default seems to be the cheap vegan option.

What i liked about long haul economy... you could arrive at the airport an hour before departure and pretty much head straight on to the plane! The meals were served ultra quickly, and on thai they cleared the trays about five minutes after everyone had finished... which was pretty fantastic.

on sitting down I did notice the IFE screens seemed really large... bigger than first class! But then realised it was just that they were really, really... close!