Business class or econmy deluxe?

[Scouse123]

Just now, Mike Teavee said:

use matrix.itasoftware.com, it allows you to search for a range of durations (e.g. 14-21 days) over a 1 month period & search nearby airports at the same time. 

 

 

 

Matrix is great and so is Momondo, as well as Google flights.

 

I never bother with Kayak or Cheapo air, perhaps I should.

[Proboscis]

On 2/10/2020 at 5:24 PM, mark5335 said:

Incidentally, does Emirates BC give you access to the Immigration Fast-track service at Suvarnibhumi Airport?

Yes. And I am not sure whether they do now but they certainly used to provide a car service (mercedes benz) to your destination within Bangkok too.

[Scouse123]

1 minute ago, Mike Teavee said:

Same here, lowest price I've seen has been 65,550 (again via matrix.itasoftware.com)

 

Finnair (not as good) were showing 60,350 a few days back but is now at 72,500... 

 

 Finn air are due to open a brand new configured economy premium this year, or so I have read and that could be the clincher for me moving to them. Qatar, unless a prmo is on, is starting to get well above Emirates and Etihad in economy class.

 

Another business cheapo is Oman air but I have heard poor comeback about them.

[Mike Teavee]

1 minute ago, Scouse123 said:

 Finn air are due to open a brand new configured economy premium this year, or so I have read and that could be the clincher for me moving to them. Qatar, unless a prmo is on, is starting to get well above Emirates and Etihad in economy class.

 

Another business cheapo is Oman air but I have heard poor comeback about them.

Good thing with Qatar & Finnair is you can claim your points on either airlines frequent flyer scheme (I put the points from my Qatar flights onto my Finnair account).

 

Lounge in Helsinki is decent as well & once you're a Silver Member you get priority lane access in Helsinki & Manchester (Not sure about Bangkok as I flew in economy from Singapore & Business from BKK but I doubt it knowing how strict they are there with Fast Track access nowadays).

 

If you do fly a lot from Swampy & want Fast Track access, Thailand Longstay Management do a package for 20,000 THB pa you get Fast Track in & out (only covers Swampy), I've been using it for 14 months now & it's been flawless (Met at the gate on arrival & check-in desks on departure). 

 

 

[cornishcarlos]

9 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

Another business cheapo is Oman air but I have heard poor comeback about them.

 

My wife and I flew with Oman, BKK to LHR at Christmas.. No complaints whatsoever and I have just booked with them again for a trip in May.

Quick check in, fast track immigration, nice new lounge at Swampy, great seat layout with aisle access from all, amazing food, comfy sleep, adds up to a stress free trip ????

 

Business fare, return to London @ 72k baht.... That's a good deal

[Scouse123]

5 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Good thing with Qatar & Finnair is you can claim your points on either airlines frequent flyer scheme (I put the points from my Qatar flights onto my Finnair account).

 

Lounge in Helsinki is decent as well & once you're a Silver Member you get priority lane access in Helsinki & Manchester (Not sure about Bangkok as I flew in economy from Singapore & Business from BKK but I doubt it knowing how strict they are there with Fast Track access nowadays).

 

If you do fly a lot from Swampy & want Fast Track access, Thailand Longstay Management do a package for 20,000 THB pa you get Fast Track in & out (only covers Swampy), I've been using it for 14 months now & it's been flawless (Met at the gate on arrival & check-in desks on departure). 

 

 

 

 

I have enough points to upgrade for a Qatar Europe flight but I didn't know that you could switch the points over. between Qatar and Finnair?

 

I have silver Qatar membership but they say any upgrade flights must be taken with Qatar air or so I read? Is that wrong?

 

I will bear in mind what you say about the Swampy programme because if this business deal comes off in the UK for me, it will be well worth it.

[Scouse123]

3 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

My wife and I flew with Oman, BKK to LHR at Christmas.. No complaints whatsoever and I have just booked with them again for a trip in May.

Quick check in, fast track immigration, nice new lounge at Swampy, great seat layout with aisle access from all, amazing food, comfy sleep, adds up to a stress free trip ????

 

Business fare, return to London @ 72k baht.... That's a good deal

 

Thank you,

 

Good to know.

 

As I say mixed reports coming through and I have seen Oman flights to Manchester in Business occasionally at 50,000 baht.

 

 

[bkk6060]

Several false comments regarding premium economy class.  Probably from those that are forced into underachieving economy.

Several of the premium economy now offer white table cloth upgraded meals, booze, better headphones, etc. etc. Much better then economy.  The only difference in this class is the seats will not be reclining to 180 flat.  Several will in fact have very comfortable bigger seats, more leg room that recline past economy. Unless one is obese, they are fine and comfortable.

 

Do your research online there is lots of new premium economy products out there even United has one.

Edited February 12, 2020 by bkk6060

[tf6122]

41 minutes ago, Spaniel said:

How do I find this consolidator?

You can see many listed on the web under Google searches for terms like " fly business for less" or cheap business or low cost business class flights or alpha flight guru. I have probably made this IAD/BKK run 10 times but I still solicit multiple quotes for each trip. Sometimes one comes back with a quote USD 200'under another for same route. Or one may come back with a much better route or reduced layover time. Feel free to PM me for my personal favorite consolidator for this IAD/BKK route, as with most good connections, it is not the company BUT the person who happens to work for that company.

 

Many posts on this thread have mentioned limited carriers but remember that every option requires at least one connection, so many flight options for this route will involve 2 carriers ie  ANA&Thai, ANA&JAL, or similar be it for an Asian route, Middle Eastern route or European route. 

 

 

[cornishcarlos]

21 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

Oman flights to Manchester in Business occasionally at 50,000 baht.

 

I'll keep my eye out for them, thats a steal.... 

 

[tf6122]

On 2/10/2020 at 4:47 PM, Mansell said:

Fly JAL in business as they don’t have first class, but their business as good as first class. Food was excellent and sleeping was great laying down with a sleeping pill and some great sleep. Only way to travel. Only downside was no showers in lounge in Kyoto. But had a twelve. Hour layover and got to see some of the city.

https://upgradedpoints.com/best-international-business-class-airlines-in-the-world/

[midzo]

Depends on the airline. Delta or Lufthansa biz class is <deleted>, not worth the money. 
 

I will spend it on EVA or Cathay Pacific, though. My upcoming EVA biz flight CNX-TPE-SFO is 101,000 baht for the round trip. (Tip: use kayak to find flights, but book them directly with the airline. Savings can be substantial)  

 

Cathay has better lounges, for sure, but EVA has better food and service AND was 31,000 baht cheaper. 
 

I’ve heard good things about Qatar and Singapore Air, too. 
 

ANA has just rolled out fully enclosed biz class suites on some routes. Rave reviews. You might check them out.

[Scouse123]

38 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

I'll keep my eye out for them, thats a steal.... 

 

 

 

I use the Momondo app to get the deals, Actually I think it's owned by Booking.com but they are linked to all the flight shops as well as airlines. They are a search engine as opposed to a booking agent, but I am sure you have heard of them.

 

[Thomas J]

Spainiel

Try this site.  It is the best I have found.  

https://www.skyscanner.com/?previousCultureSource=COOKIE&redirectedFrom=www.skyscanner.co.th

Occasionally has better prices.  Both are just search engines  With Skyscanner you can pick the month you want to travel to and return and it will show you the price to travel outbound for each day.   By selecting it the return prices will show up.  Not necessarily for each day.  The site uses the lowest price found in the last 15 days.   I recently found the attached flight for my daughter. PS. sometimes it is cheaper to book two one way tickets also most of the time the cheapest fares are to LAX or SFO.  I have in the past book to one of those cities and then transferred to a flight on Southwest, or another airline.  Most of the time cheaper than going into the final destination directly from BKK 

https://www.flychina.com/

[Fairynuff]

2 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

had no complaints about the planes whatsoever.

Both my flights in and out of Bkk were ancient 777s. The toilets were filthy and badly maintained, seats torn and dirty and food just about ok. Nothing about the experience was business class, just the fare.

[Fairynuff]

52 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

Spainiel

Try this site.  It is the best I have found.  

https://www.skyscanner.com/?previousCultureSource=COOKIE&redirectedFrom=www.skyscanner.co.th

Occasionally has better prices.  Both are just search engines  With Skyscanner you can pick the month you want to travel to and return and it will show you the price to travel outbound for each day.   By selecting it the return prices will show up.  Not necessarily for each day.  The site uses the lowest price found in the last 15 days.   I recently found the attached flight for my daughter. PS. sometimes it is cheaper to book two one way tickets also most of the time the cheapest fares are to LAX or SFO.  I have in the past book to one of those cities and then transferred to a flight on Southwest, or another airline.  Most of the time cheaper than going into the final destination directly from BKK 

https://www.flychina.com/

I use the Skyscanner app regularly but from my experience the prices are really only a guide and some of the companies on the app are really dodgy when you check their reviews. Some of the prices quoted for Emirates flights appear cheap but they’re cut to the bone, no chauffeur, no air miles and no lounge access which you only discover as you check the details. I use an agent that I talk to, fares are usually as good as anywhere but he does the entire booking, seating, chauffeur etc and he knows my preferred flights.

[kensawadee]

I didn't see anywhere about your Thai Wife (Already) having a visa to get into the USA.....

If she already has her Visa, then no problem.

IF SHE DOESN'T HAVE ---then do that before booking your flights.... Many tickets are Non-Refundable or other cases cancelling will cost a big portion of your ticket cost. The US Embassy can be a nightmare for Thais getting a Visa, in SOME cases.  Don't just assume that because you are married that she can go to the USA, She most likely CAN GO, BUT there may be a few time consuming 'requirements' to 'wade thru'.

I'm just offering this..... 'Just in case'

[Lacessit]

The most important feature of a seat for taller people is leg room. Paying a premium for an exit row seat in economy works for me.

I don't worry too much about food, I can usually buy off the trolley if need be.

[DJ54]

This was on internet search info buy Skyscanner. Suggest do some research on cabin service level it could make or break your happiness... 

 

Avoid if you can Airline  flights that may be coughing, hacking, spitting passengers...they are out there,p,,, a flight long ago was

booked due to the great price..... I went to back of Airplane valley where they prepare food for back of AC drink carts. Sat in one of the little seats that crew sit in... was told a few time I couldn’t 

 

the. I explained I’m 6 ft not skinny frame...in center seat which I never choose when I books. Hacking and spitting on each side..

they lrt me sit back there to time to land... horrible

[The Old Bull]

Go business. Priority check in,lounge access, priority boarding and a flat bed.Not too fussy about the food, I like mine prepared by a cook rather than a fancy chef.EvaAir let's you order ahead so you can most probably find meat,potatoes and a vedge instead of goop.

[khunPer]

On 2/10/2020 at 10:27 AM, Spaniel said:

...thought  we would try business or economy deluxe. 

[ ... ]

Any suggestions appreciated.

You need to check what the airline is actually offering you on Economy Deluxe compared to Business.

 

Some airlines don't offer lounge access, and in some airline the Economy Deluxe is really not worth the sur-price; whilst Business Class always is noticeable better on board. Economy Deluxe might not include access to a lounge – I agree with the poster saying that lounge access is a major benefit – which you might get anyway with certain airline's "frequent flyer" or like bonus card.

 

My personal experience is however for flights between Thailand and Europe, but I presume it's quite like when flying eastbound for the US.

[Fairynuff]

4 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

Another business cheapo is Oman air but I have heard poor comeback about them.

I’ve used Oman Business a couple of times. Excellent service, food of restaurant quality but less frills than Emirates and no chauffeur. Their planes are 787 Dreamliners and the quietest ever. A good alternative when they have a promo fare

[Chivas]

On 2/10/2020 at 9:48 AM, Creasy said:

Business for the flat bed and not getting all cramped up like an accordion in economy. 

Strange because I'm 6 foot 3 but never really have an issue in Economy. Careful seat selection by myself and I'd say in 50/50 of cases I have no one sat next to me. Obviously you're looking at seats right at the back where the window seat is already allocated on aircraft in 333 or 343 configuration. Picking the aisle gives an excellent chance of empty seat on a busy but not full flight and on non busy flights 99% guaranteed

[Scouse123]

10 minutes ago, Chivas said:

Strange because I'm 6 foot 3 but never really have an issue in Economy. Careful seat selection by myself and I'd say in 50/50 of cases I have no one sat next to me. Obviously you're looking at seats right at the back where the window seat is already allocated on aircraft in 333 or 343 configuration. Picking the aisle gives an excellent chance of empty seat on a busy but not full flight and on non busy flights 99% guaranteed

 

Hi,

 

I am 6ft 2" and similarly I am usually OK in economy, but to be honest, I usually manage to bag an exit row seat with Qatar.

[Thingamabob]

First class or economy for me. I avoid business class like the plague. 

[spidermike007]

On EVA right now BKK to LAX premium economy is more than double. It is a step up and more comfortable. But not worth double. Business class is five times the cost of economy. If you are wealthy go for it. I tend to be thrifty these days. 

[Lacessit]

22 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

First class or economy for me. I avoid business class like the plague. 

Reasons?

[Mike Teavee]

5 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

My wife and I flew with Oman, BKK to LHR at Christmas.. No complaints whatsoever and I have just booked with them again for a trip in May.

Quick check in, fast track immigration, nice new lounge at Swampy, great seat layout with aisle access from all, amazing food, comfy sleep, adds up to a stress free trip ????

 

Business fare, return to London @ 72k baht.... That's a good deal

If you have Priority Pass lounge access, you can use the Oman lounge at Swampy.

 

I like it though the food selection isn't great (AF/KLM is much better) but has better wine selection than the other lounges.

[Mike Teavee]

5 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

I have enough points to upgrade for a Qatar Europe flight but I didn't know that you could switch the points over. between Qatar and Finnair?

 

I have silver Qatar membership but they say any upgrade flights must be taken with Qatar air or so I read? Is that wrong?

 

I will bear in mind what you say about the Swampy programme because if this business deal comes off in the UK for me, it will be well worth it.

You can't transfer the points as such, but if you're flying Qatar you can choose to have the accrued points added to your Finnair membership.

 

You should be able to book any of the One World carriers with your Qatar points, here's a link to a guide for how best to go about it... https://upgradedpoints.com/searching-oneworld-award-availability/

 

[windas]

Hi.

Business class on middle eastern and Asian airlines all have lay flat seats and generally good lounges that come with the ticket.

Have found over the past two years that booking direct with the airlines has been cheaper than agents, also with extras thrown in and lots of airmiles that can be traded for hotel rooms.

It may be more expensive but if you dont fly longhaul often, then pamper yourself, you wont regret it.

Word of note, dressing appropriately will give you respect and very fast track at Bangkok airports especially if you have thai wife. Cargo shorts dont go down too well.

 

John N