Long Haul Flights....Cheapest or Best Option.

keefg

OK Guys,

Here is a poll to see what peoples views are on long haul flying. Due to the interwebby lot of people now book up their hols with seperate vendors.....flights with such & such, hotels with someone else and car hire with someone else.

When looking at flights do you go for the cheapest possible option with little regard for comfort or arrival times?

Or do/would you pay extra for a nicer flight and civilised arrival times where you don't leave or land at an airport at 3am everytime you fly?


Do/will people pay extra for a bit of luxury nowadays or is it "cheap is best" all the way?



I am not really talking about short haul or chartered flights to Spain etc because paying for business class (or similar) on a short flight isn't worth the money and most chartered flights are part of a cheap package holiday and you don't have any choice there.

minxie

i think people are beginning to tighten their belts a bit, i know several people who have had their holidays already booked in work etc and went online for late deals to spain , etc etc.
me personaly id go for the cheaper option, more funds to spend on the holliers eh.:cool::cool:

spurious

Depends on the holiday really.
A few years ago, I decided anything over 6-8 hours I would fly business class.
It is absolutely worth it and I have never regretted it. Yes, of course it's more expensive, but it does not make travelling seem like a torment.

I have done the double long-haul Australia and New Zealand thing when I was young and 'in my prime' but the thoughts of heading into a 10-12 hour economy class flight now would fill me with dread.

Of course I am old and a miser. I'm not that bothered with high accommodation standards once there, so maybe it evens up in the end, but I don't scrimp on the flight bit.

Xavi6

Cheap as possible for me, especially when you consider it costs $4200 for 2 people to fly home to Ireland and back at an off peak time of the year. Crazy money to be spending, and that's as cheap as it comes. Not a hope of me forking out for business class, hotels etc.

Sure you're pretty fecked after the journey but at least it's over and done with. One of my stopovers on my flight back to Oz will be a half hour in Charles de Gaulle airport! Lol at me leggin it for a connecting flight there in that space of time!

keefg

spurious wrote: »

A few years ago, I decided anything over 6-8 hours I would fly business class.
It is absolutely worth it and I have never regretted it. Yes, of course it's more expensive, but it does not make travelling seem like a torment.

I have done the double long-haul Australia and New Zealand thing when I was young and 'in my prime' but the thoughts of heading into a 10-12 hour economy class flight now would fill me with dread.

Of course I am old and a miser. I'm not that bothered with high accommodation standards once there, so maybe it evens up in the end, but I don't scrimp on the flight bit.

Couldn't agree more.

robinph

Cheapest possible for me. Although I may change my mind on that after heading to New Zealand and back but could not justify paying over twice the price for a couple of extra inches of leg room.

keefg

robinph wrote: »

but could not justify paying over twice the price for a couple of extra inches of leg room.

I can certainly understand people not wanting or able to pay the extra money but if you get the chance to fly business or upper class on a long haul flight you will find that you get much more than a just couple of inches of legroom.

Just having the use of the private lounge is a luxury when the alternative is trying to find a seat in a packed boarding area surrounded by bored/crying kids.

For me personally, when faced with a 8 to 12 hr flight (depending on destination) the holiday starts when I leave my front door so I want the journey to be as comfortable as possible.

robinph

I think I should get enough miles from my trip to NZ inorder to get a "free" upgrade to business on my next trip to the US if there is space so I'll have to do a comparison then.