Why doesn't travel in premium cabins excite me as much as it should?

[JohnK]

Take the J seat John. No point going to the grave with x,xx_,xx_ points in the bank mate. Live it up while you can...

Patience is required.

I would love to play golf in the USA, UK and Thailand on the way home once a year as a special treat. The way I see it I may not have many years left of quality golf and I don't want to waste my hard earned points on small things such as a seat on flight for a few hours.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It is all in the mind. Unless you have problems fitting in economy seat.

yes I'm tall and the seat is not particularly comfortable, but aside from the above BA example (where it was actually fun)... I don't live at home fighting with two strangers for an armrest, or sit with a finished meal tray in front of me for an hour, or go to sleep sitting upright in the clothes I've been wearing all day, or queue to get in the front door... or to use a toilet with urine on the floor, or squint at a tiny television screen or drink cheap alcohol and eat food with bits of gristle in it. why would I do that just because i'm on plane?*


*admittedly the chandelier at home doesn't rattle during turbulence and wake me up

 

[anat0l]

yes I'm tall and the seat is not particularly comfortable, but aside from the above BA example (where it was actually fun)... I don't live at home fighting with two strangers for an armrest, or sit with a finished meal tray in front of me for an hour, or go to sleep sitting upright in the clothes I've been wearing all day, or queue to get in the front door... or to use a toilet with urine on the floor, or squint at a tiny television screen or drink cheap alcohol and eat food with bits of gristle in it. why would I do that just because i'm on plane?*


*admittedly the chandelier at home doesn't rattle during turbulence and wake me up

Because some people simply can't afford it.

Also, each of your points can be at least mitigated in Y; you seem like one of the worst Y pax (which explains a lot actually).

I'm sorry, but you don't have a right to belittle, judge or patronise people who can't afford premium travel (or choose to be that economical) because to some of them that is the only way they can at the very least experience - humanely - one of the greatest miracles and inventions of the modern era, which brings people together and makes the world smaller.

You sound like a dictator or the like where the poor are not even recognised for their efforts to get by; instead, they are persecuted and shot.


Probably the only way to ensure a future of air travel which emulates your minimum standard would be to institute what we now know as Business or First class as the new lowest class of travel (i.e. the "new" Economy, as it were). By that time, air travel would likely then emulate pricing we have not seen since the fabled golden age of travel, where it was a premium and a luxury, not the more "commoditised" version we see now. How popular a move like that would be is debatable.......

 

[MEL_Traveller]

anat0l... the post was made in response to johnK's 'it's all in the mind'. (notwithstanding the last sentence of my post somewhat indicated the tongue-in-cheek nature of the response as a whole)

that aside... making a decision to save money is a completely separate issue to whether the benefits of premium travel are all in the mind.

 

[JohnK]

.... why would I do that just because i'm on plane?*

It is not as bad as all of that.

that aside... making a decision to save money is a completely separate issue to whether the benefits of premium travel are all in the mind.

I did not say the benefits of premium travel are all in the mind.

I said anything you want to hate about economy is all in the mind.

Some people travel premium economy because they do not want to travel economy. Some people travel business because they do not want to travel premium economy. Some people only travel first class because they do not want to travel business.

Does that mean there is something wrong with premium economy and business?

Economy is simple. I zone out and I am already at the destination. Play games, watch a movie and the time passes. Sleeping upright is easy but being tired helps.

Patience and tolerance and the money saved is a bonus. I am only choosy when it comes to which carrier I travel. I will avoid some carriers for different reasons.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I said anything you want to hate about economy is all in the mind.

.

maybe I'm just too old, too tired and too grumpy

 

[Isochronous]

It is not as bad as all of that.


I did not say the benefits of premium travel are all in the mind.

I said anything you want to hate about economy is all in the mind.

Some people travel premium economy because they do not want to travel economy. Some people travel business because they do not want to travel premium economy. Some people only travel first class because they do not want to travel business.

Does that mean there is something wrong with premium economy and business?

Economy is simple. I zone out and I am already at the destination. Play games, watch a movie and the time passes. Sleeping upright is easy but being tired helps.

Patience and tolerance and the money saved is a bonus. I am only choosy when it comes to which carrier I travel. I will avoid some carriers for different reasons.

Shall we go through your list of carriers you are averse to? Actually come to think of it I might start a thread on that elsewhere. I think it would be an interesting exercise to hear people's reasons.

 

[opusman]

You sound like a dictator or the like where the poor are not even recognised for their efforts to get by; instead, they are persecuted and shot.

Wow.. perhaps a slight exaggeration?

 

[erkpod]

Someone needs to make a Hitler video:

"Hitler finds out he can't get a seat in J."

 

[JohnK]

Shall we go through your list of carriers you are averse to? Actually come to think of it I might start a thread on that elsewhere. I think it would be an interesting exercise to hear people's reasons.

Economy travel? There aren't that many and most of the carriers on my list would be on a lot of people lists.

My preference of airlines would be QF, VA, SQ, TG, BA, CX, AA, A3.

Jetstar is first and foremost I would avoid.

Carriers from countries where safety is a concern would also be on the list.

I would be quite happy to fly Bangkok Airways, Tiger, Scoot, Air Asia where possible.

 

[boomy]

Jetstar is first and foremost I would avoid.

Carriers from countries where safety is a concern would also be on the list.

I would be quite happy to fly Bangkok Airways, Tiger, Scoot, Air Asia where possible.

I'm not a big fan of Jetstar myself but I have to wonder why you find them to be much worse then the rest of the low cost carriers?

I think their service and safety record must be better then Tiger.

 

[JohnK]

I'm not a big fan of Jetstar myself but I have to wonder why you find them to be much worse then the rest of the low cost carriers?

I think their service and safety record must be better then Tiger.

A matter of principle or is that not a good enough reason? I dont care about missing out on access to first lounge either.

 

[burmans]

I'm not a big fan of Jetstar myself but I have to wonder why you find them to be much worse then the rest of the low cost carriers?

I flew JQ SYD to SGN via DRW a few years ago on a 2:1 deal, cost $750 for a family of 4. And they stuffed up on charging so two of us got exit rows free. While of course I prefer premium cabin, it was fine. Maybe it was the stop in DRW that broke it up (2*4-5 hours flights rather than 1 9 hour) though I must say DRW airport was the lowpoint of that trip.

Of course coming back on the SQ A380, in Y but upstairs with the exit row seats with huge amounts of room was nicer but the fees on the redemption were as much as the flight with JQ.

Have also flown 3K from SIN to Cambodia (after doing SQ SYD - SIN in J), once again not really that much of a hardship.

I also fly NZ in Y to NZ and have flown at various times VA/JQ also, in fact flying Jetstar to Queenstown next Easter since I found point availability one way. They really arent that bad.

In my opinion flying is like many things in life, if you always have the best you get to the point where it loses its excitement/value so its best to mix it up! I dont eat gourmet meals and drink French champagne every meal either.

 

[cove]

I agree with JohnK. We can all be different and we are here to keep our travelling needs satisfied whatever they are.

 

[boomy]

A matter of principle or is that not a good enough reason? I dont care about missing out on access to first lounge either.

I was simply asking why you find J* to be worse then the rest of the low cost airlines like Tiger or Scoot.

It was a serious question and I hoped for a serious answer.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

He cant answer seriously as he has never flown with them

 

[mannej]

I was simply asking why you find J* to be worse then the rest of the low cost airlines like Tiger or Scoot.

It was a serious question and I hoped for a serious answer.

As it was said, it is all in the mind.

JQ serves a purpose. If that purpose isn't for you so be it. However they can have some great details (2 for 1 coming out less than QF/VA all inclusive is a bonus) and they are fine in the air. It is their ground services that may let them
down at times.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

Quite happy to travel budget but am soooo looking forward to my QF F flight SYD LAX next year.

Will get to try out TG and OZ J class next month.

Maybe if you get to travel up the pointy end too often it looses the mystique. I hope to get there

 

[JohnK]

I was simply asking why you find J* to be worse then the rest of the low cost airlines like Tiger or Scoot.

It was a serious question and I hoped for a serious answer.

I am sorry but I wasn't joking. It is a serious answer.

I will not fly Jetstar. I do not agree with the decision Qantas made to create a LCC and move routes to this LCC. Where it suits them Qantas and Jetstar are one but when it does not suit them they are 2 different entities.

So unfortunately I will never get to try Jetstar (unless it was accidental) and at the moment LCC such as Tiger and Scoot, for me, are better.

 

[harvyk]

Just to throw my 2c in,

I absolutely love traveling in the premium classes. I have yet to experience F, but I am certainly no stranger to Y+ and J travel both short and long haul, and believe me I've been super excited every single time I've been at the pointy end.

I also think there are some people on AFF who have lost touch a little with reality. Long haul Y flying is certainly not the most comfortable experience in the world, but it's certainly very valid way of traveling and it's the method which the majority of the worlds flying population travel.

Before you go and tell me about how you have some health (or other) condition which prevents you from flying Y, my 80 year old grandparents still do long haul Y despite health problems, and they have both experience many J and F flights so they know what it's like in-front of the curtain, so don't go telling me about how your dicky knee prevents flying in anything less than J. Also unless you are much taller (and rounder) than me (eg you a basket ball player on the Australian team), been tall (or round) does not prevent Y flying either, I should know...

Now all that said, of course if I get a chance to fly in J (and fingers cross I get that chance next week), I am going to jump at it, and I'll again be super excited at the prospect of flying in comfort rather than just flying.