4 ms·

Business class is absolutely worth paying for. It’s certainly not for the luxurious appeal of it, but if you’re going to splurge on one thing, air travel is not

by GuiA 8y ago

Business class is absolutely worth paying for. It’s certainly not for the luxurious appeal of it, but if you’re going to splurge on one thing, air travel is not a bad one to pick. I travel between the US, Europe, and Asia a couple times a year to visit close ones. I can pay $800 for a lengthy multi leg journey in a very cramped seat (I am quite tall), which will result in me being utterly miserable for 24-48 hours at the very least. Or I can pay a few times that (usually 3-5x), and take a single leg trip on a plane that will take less than 12 hours, all in utter comfort. I can lie down with a pillow and a blanket! Now, as a student I had no choice but to save up for months to afford the cheapest, most inconvenient tickets. But now I am at a stage of my life where I can afford business class a couple times a year, and it is a no brainer. I can’t think of any other service where paying more changes the quality of the service this drastically. A $30 meal can feed you just as well as a $150 one. A $20k car will get you to work as safely and efficiently as a $100k one. But a $800 SF-Tokyo will make you hate everything for a day or two, while a $4000 SF-Tokyo will be something you actually look forward to. You typically get to skip through security, get treated better by the staff, get to board faster, you don’t have to worry about where to put your bag, etc. So many quality of life improvements. (Standard disclaimer that I realize how privileged I am to be in the position that I am in - but I don’t think it’s too out of the norm on HN)

spectramax 8y ago
I think you’re an outlier even for HN. Not many people would pay $3200 extra for a 9 hour flight but I see your point. I travel extensively and always in Business class which usually gets upgraded to first class. But, even though I am hyper aware of the benefits, I personally cannot afford business class unless my company is covering it. For $3200, I can stay at a 5 star hotel in Tokyo for a week. However, if I can afford Business class - I would get it. My point wasn’t so much about Business class per se, it was venting out what people say about Business class as “absolute luxury”.
dbmikus 8y ago
I prefer paying extra to book a non-stop flight and then I just don't sleep the night beforehand and enter the plane, squeeze into my garbage economy seat and enter a semi-asleep fugue state for the duration of the flight. After 7 hours I basically lose track of time. 3x the price of a cross-pacific airline ticket to upgrade is a good amount of money that I'd rather just pocket. I'm 6'4", so I recognize how cramped economy is, and I have also been bumped up to business class once cause of a massive flight delay from Alaska back to the east coast, so I know what I'm missing. I won't knock anyone for flying in better comfort, but I think the suffering isn't too bad. Jet lag is going to get you anyways.
- tzs 8y ago
  We need a travel service where the night before you need to be at your destination, you get packed, then take some drug that will cause a deep sleep and go to bed. The service comes to your house, transfers you (still asleep) to a vehicle and takes you and your luggage to the airport. There you are loaded onto a plane (still asleep!) and flown to your destination. At the destination, they take you to your hotel, and put you (still asleep!) into bed, and optionally even unpack your luggage and set your alarm for you. Then they administer something to counteract the sleeping drug and leave. From your point of view, you just go to sleep and the next morning you wake up in your hotel, ready to start the day at your destination.
  - prmph 8y ago
    > ...you just go to sleep and the next morning you wake up in your hotel... Or you don't because the plane crashed; still better to die in your sleep anyway. But what happens if there is an emergency in the air that requires you to put on the oxygen mask, climb out to safety, or something like that?
dang 8y ago
It's way far out of the norm on HN. (Not a comment on the rest of your post.)
- GuiA 8y ago
  Being able to allocate a few thousands dollars a year out of a budget for splurging is "way far out of the norm" on HN? On a message board that frequently discusses 6 figures salaries, Tesla cars, etc, I find that a bit hard to believe :)

by GuiA 8y ago

spectramax 8y ago

I think you’re an outlier even for HN. Not many people would pay $3200 extra for a 9 hour flight but I see your point. I travel extensively and always in Business class which usually gets upgraded to first class. But, even though I am hyper aware of the benefits, I personally cannot afford business class unless my company is covering it. For $3200, I can stay at a 5 star hotel in Tokyo for a week. However, if I can afford Business class - I would get it. My point wasn’t so much about Business class per se, it was venting out what people say about Business class as “absolute luxury”.

dbmikus 8y ago

I prefer paying extra to book a non-stop flight and then I just don't sleep the night beforehand and enter the plane, squeeze into my garbage economy seat and enter a semi-asleep fugue state for the duration of the flight. After 7 hours I basically lose track of time. 3x the price of a cross-pacific airline ticket to upgrade is a good amount of money that I'd rather just pocket. I'm 6'4", so I recognize how cramped economy is, and I have also been bumped up to business class once cause of a massive flight delay from Alaska back to the east coast, so I know what I'm missing. I won't knock anyone for flying in better comfort, but I think the suffering isn't too bad. Jet lag is going to get you anyways.

tzs 8y ago
We need a travel service where the night before you need to be at your destination, you get packed, then take some drug that will cause a deep sleep and go to bed. The service comes to your house, transfers you (still asleep) to a vehicle and takes you and your luggage to the airport. There you are loaded onto a plane (still asleep!) and flown to your destination. At the destination, they take you to your hotel, and put you (still asleep!) into bed, and optionally even unpack your luggage and set your alarm for you. Then they administer something to counteract the sleeping drug and leave. From your point of view, you just go to sleep and the next morning you wake up in your hotel, ready to start the day at your destination.
- prmph 8y ago
  > ...you just go to sleep and the next morning you wake up in your hotel... Or you don't because the plane crashed; still better to die in your sleep anyway. But what happens if there is an emergency in the air that requires you to put on the oxygen mask, climb out to safety, or something like that?

dang 8y ago

It's way far out of the norm on HN. (Not a comment on the rest of your post.)

GuiA 8y ago
Being able to allocate a few thousands dollars a year out of a budget for splurging is "way far out of the norm" on HN? On a message board that frequently discusses 6 figures salaries, Tesla cars, etc, I find that a bit hard to believe :)