I upgrade to business class

[billroddy]

For my air to Rome HAL charged $567 total plus tax from LAX to Rome and AA from Miami to LAX
I called HAL today and asked for upgrade price to business class to Rome.
It was $1556.
If you book direct with Delta it is $6,401, so I went with HAL
I get better seatng plus Delta states:
On all flights, First and Business Class passengers may check up to three bags up to 70 lbs each at no charge.
Bill
Ancient Mariner

[Krazy Kruizers]

That is great that you got such a great deal when upgraded to business class!!

Congratulations -- you will enjoy the bigger seats on such a long flight.

[MightyQuinn]

No worries now about the horrors of coach on that long red-eye! ;);)
http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/

[Sailkeywest]

Congratulations on nabbing first class tickets (and on such a long flight too)! Have a mimosa for me :)

Good info to share also!

[rkacruiser]

This kind of a price is what I have experienced when I have tried to book Business Class air. Somehow, HAL has the best price that I can find on flights that have satisfactory schedules.

Congratulations and have a wonderful trip!

[debsjc]

That's an excellent price for business class, congratulations.

[Hawaiidan]

To the poster who wrote " first class" business class is to first class as coach is to business.... not even close. International first is a entire other world that cant be immigined till one flys it...Nothing domestic even close.

Check with seat guru.com as to the aircraft type for the specific carrier. Not all business class seats are created equal. You want a aircraft of airline that offers full lie flat ( 180 degree recline... and not at an angle)
It pays to check the seats and the airline very carefully

I wont fly any flight longer than 6 hours in coach.... no way I am 6 ft

$1500 is a good rate for a one way to FCO ( Rome), however the first class price is about $5000 to 8000... 0ne way ( $14000 to 16,000 rt)

You can also check Thomas Cook agncies for discount first and coach.

This is a case for usint an airlines affinity card and building miles so you can get International first for free... like a $18000 to 19000 value. I use this method and rather than paying for an upgrade, I get the top for free.
I never up grade or get free coach tickets as they are a waste of miles...
international first costs 130,000 , miles
I fly united exclusively because as a loyal flyer they now give you and your companion free baggage, free unlimited up grades to first if ther are any seats and if not free economey plus seats.......:rolleyes:

[Sailkeywest]

Thanks for the info, we used ff miles to get 2 first class tix to Vancouver and I could have sworn that they read business/first. The reserved seats are in the first class section (we used seat guru to pick our seats).

As to 'international first,' I have no idea as I have never flown first class when going out of the US. Well I guess we will find out! :)

I do like the extra baggage allowances, that will come in handy. Delta allows up to 3 (70lb) bags for first/business class passengers. That should be more than enough as we intend to stay inebriated, unclothed, and ordering room service from our aft-wrap for the majority of our cruise. That is, weather permitting.

[Typhoon1]

One of the reasons many of us use business class on ANY airline is the inclusive luggage perk. Not to mention, legroom and seats.

[TracieABD]

Congratulations on your great pricing! Enjoy the extras!:)

[Hawaiidan]

means business class passengers fly in domestic first which is glorified coach with almost no difference.

Aitialia and other similiar carriers have a old tired seats that only recline 30 degrees... when other recline 180.... they call it " Business first as they have no first class product... KLM the same. that way then can charge more for inferiour seats... that offer about 20 inches more legroom but not much more recline than a coach seat 15 degrees.

go to "first class flyer" to get seat reviews for any airling by real people who fly their butts off.....

all elite flyers ( 25000 miles or more) get free baggage for themselves and companions even in coach

[Hawaiidan]

:eek: it gets only a 19% approval comments like worst seats and flight in my life are common for coach and their business with awful service, horrible food.... and it gets worse

for a $1500 up grade you are going to get 15 year old seats, in disrepair, and worse in coach.

Please dont jump tilll you read.....ther $1500 for what they provide is a totla rip-off.:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

[Sailkeywest]

Sorry but is Allitalia related to Delta?

[mudscraper]

Sorry but is Allitalia related to Delta?
Codeshare partners along with KLM and Air France I believe.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Thanks for the info, we used ff miles to get 2 first class tix to Vancouver and I could have sworn that they read business/first. The reserved seats are in the first class section (we used seat guru to pick our seats).

As to 'international first,' I have no idea as I have never flown first class when going out of the US. Well I guess we will find out! :)

I do like the extra baggage allowances, that will come in handy. Delta allows up to 3 (70lb) bags for first/business class passengers. That should be more than enough as we intend to stay inebriated, unclothed, and ordering room service from our aft-wrap for the majority of our cruise. That is, weather permitting.

I don't know about domestic flights, but I know that Continental has business/first to Europe. It's a lot better than coach. On the big 747's, many airlines offer 3 levels: economy; business or "premium economy" which is a little better than coach in terms of space; and first class as the very comfy section with the flat beds. On the smaller jets, Continental calls it Business/First and it's nice. They're even putting the fold-flat bed seats on some of their planes for Business/First. And I do like the more generous luggage allowance.

[erewhon]

On the long haul flights, the lie-flat Business class seats are really great, we usually manage to sleep for a few hours.

[GrammieK]

Had a similar experience last month. Booked with Delta for Business/Elite Class - three bags each - hoorray!!!! Delta shares with Air France and they only allow TWO bags each....bummer. The rep on the phone told me - that's right - you can each bring only 2 bags going, but 3 bags coming home. Had to buy lots of souvenirs to fill 2 more bags coming home ..

[3rdGenCunarder]

Had a similar experience last month. Booked with Delta for Business/Elite Class - three bags each - hoorray!!!! Delta shares with Air France and they only allow TWO bags each....bummer. The rep on the phone told me - that's right - you can each bring only 2 bags going, but 3 bags coming home. Had to buy lots of souvenirs to fill 2 more bags coming home ..

Awwww, poor you! ;)

It's a good idea to check allowances both ways. The UK has a very low weight limit on carryon, which we didn't know about until a trip home several years ago. We had to juggle stuff and I had to cram my SLR into my purse in order for the bags to pass weight limit. The woman at the coutner had to know I would put the camera back in the carryon bag. But as long as the weight was under the limit when she stickered it, that seemed to be enough.

[debsjc]

Awwww, poor you! ;)

It's a good idea to check allowances both ways. The UK has a very low weight limit on carryon, which we didn't know about until a trip home several years ago. We had to juggle stuff and I had to cram my SLR into my purse in order for the bags to pass weight limit. The woman at the coutner had to know I would put the camera back in the carryon bag. But as long as the weight was under the limit when she stickered it, that seemed to be enough.

It's changed now, although it does vary from airline to airline. There is no weight limit on handbaggage on BA, just a size limit.

[Typhoon1]

One of the reasons many of us use business class on ANY airline is the inclusive luggage perk. Not to mention, legroom and seats.

How did I forget free alcohol?

[markvk]

My wife and I just came back from Ft lauderdale via Houston back to Vancouver on Continental.
When I checked in I thought I would check for upgrades. To my surprise I could upgrade to First/Business class for an extra $89.00 each (originally paid $403 return per person). It was a no brainer for a 5 hr flight from Houston.
I am tall so the extra legroom was a bonus.
Plus we had 3 bags which on the way down cost $87.00 dollars to check-in. With First/Business Class there were no luggage charges so the way I look at it it cost us only $89.00 for 2 people. A great deal!

[luxurysailer]

In 2009 my wife and I used frequent flyer miles to fly business class from Atlanta to Heathrow. The Delta agent who booked us told me there was no difference between first and business class, and we noticed absolutely no difference. Our seats were large, reclined flat, and we received the same service/amenities as everyone else in that cabin.

Just hope we're accumulating enough miles for business class on our next transoceanic flight. By the way, we have the Delta AmEx card on which we charge virtually everything we purchase. Since 2003 we have flown coach roundtrip from the U.S. to Santiago, Chile and back from Rio; coach roundtrip between U.S. and Venice, Italy; and business roundtrip between the U.S. and Heathrow. I haven't added it up but I'm guessing $15,000 to $20,000 saved on ticket prices all for just a few hundred dollars in taxes and about $75 annually for the card. I think this is a very good deal, if one has the discipline to charge only what they can pay for at the end of every month.

[jetwet1]

I don't know about domestic flights, but I know that Continental has business/first to Europe. It's a lot better than coach. On the big 747's, many airlines offer 3 levels: economy; business or "premium economy" which is a little better than coach in terms of space; and first class as the very comfy section with the flat beds. On the smaller jets, Continental calls it Business/First and it's nice. They're even putting the fold-flat bed seats on some of their planes for Business/First. And I do like the more generous luggage allowance.


CO doesn't have any 747's, the largest plane they fly (until the merger with UA is complete) it the 777. The BF seats just got a very nice upgrade, from a 170 degree flat bed to a 180 flat bed.

In 2009 my wife and I used frequent flyer miles to fly business class from Atlanta to Heathrow. The Delta agent who booked us told me there was no difference between first and business class, and we noticed absolutely no difference. Our seats were large, reclined flat, and we received the same service/amenities as everyone else in that cabin.



The DL agent was talking out of their you know what, of course DL also doesn't offer an international first class, so your options were limited :D

As a poster said earlier, the difference between business and first on an international flight is huge, though both cabins now tend to offer a flat bed, really that is where the common ground stops.

Take a look HERE (http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/164564/?threadid=164564&searchid=174390&s=first#ID174390) for an insight to what real first class is like.

Edit :

While i'm thinking about it, PIA offers a very good fare on their Chicago - Barcelona flight, it's normally around $800 - $1000 for a last generation business class seat with great food and very good service. That price is round trip.

[TracieABD]

Thanks for the link. In a word: WOW!:)

[luxurysailer]

Regardless of the difference between international first class and business class, I was happy with what I got as well as the cost to me. I really can't think of anything else that I would have wanted above what I got in business class.