I have flown 10 hours on transport planes, you do get a seat but no window. I fly coach now but have not done much flying more than 5-6 hours. I have been upgraded a few times to business class. I understand that this happens for two reasons. 1) If you are a frequent flyer with that airline. 2) You have a prestigious credit card ( they want your business ) I would imagine the upgrade will go to people first that qualify on both counts and depending on availability.
Flying first class vs business?
- Thread starter stinkynuts
- Start date
This is true, and I'd add one more point about AC Exec First. I think that combining first and business class into a single class that's a step above business class was a smart move on their part. It's very attractive to international business travellers because if you're only approved to fly business, then AC has one of the best out there. For example, when flying to Germany and you're faced with a choice between AC Exec First, and Lufthansa Business, there is no competition. AC all the way.
Curious, What is a prestigious credit card? How would the airline know what class of credit card was used?
The real rich flies private planes. Heck if you are really rich why travel at all? Just get outcall girls from all over the world come to your door step.
Emirates first class lounge alone is like wow!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNxQ96LMe0
Emirates firs class experience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lRynjkjmLA
Emirates First Class Guide:
http://www.emirates.com/us/english/flying/cabin_features/first_class/first_class.aspx
Evidently, the Emirates experience starts even before arriving at the airport. A chaufurred limo (Mercedes) picks you up from your home to the airport. Next, priority check in, with usually no line. Then you go through a special section for security and immigration, with almost no line. Then to the luxurious lounge. Believe it or not, you board the plane directly from the lounge, with no lines, of course. Then the luxurious Emriates experience, with personal flight attendant, five star meals, wine/champagne, entertainments system, luxurious bathroom, shower, entertainment system, compartment with snacks, drinks, toiletries, etc.
When you deboard, you are escorted to a special immigration line for first class passengers, which has no line. From their website:
We go out of our way to make sure your entire journey is as smooth as possible. Along with our complimentary Chauffeur-drive service and lounge access, our First Class and Business Class customers, as well as Emirates Skywards Platinum and Gold members, will also receive complimentary Fast Track vouchers at check-in and before arrival. Fast Track vouchers are available at most airports around the world, to help speed your way through airport formalities.
This is very interesting - How the rich travel:
http://nypost.com/2014/02/27/latest-airline-perk-blessed-isolation-for-the-1/
Is it fair that rich people get to skip immigration lines? Why do the airports allow this? Do they get compensated by the airlines for allowing their elite passengers to skip lines?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNxQ96LMe0
Emirates firs class experience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lRynjkjmLA
Emirates First Class Guide:
http://www.emirates.com/us/english/flying/cabin_features/first_class/first_class.aspx
Evidently, the Emirates experience starts even before arriving at the airport. A chaufurred limo (Mercedes) picks you up from your home to the airport. Next, priority check in, with usually no line. Then you go through a special section for security and immigration, with almost no line. Then to the luxurious lounge. Believe it or not, you board the plane directly from the lounge, with no lines, of course. Then the luxurious Emriates experience, with personal flight attendant, five star meals, wine/champagne, entertainments system, luxurious bathroom, shower, entertainment system, compartment with snacks, drinks, toiletries, etc.
When you deboard, you are escorted to a special immigration line for first class passengers, which has no line. From their website:
We go out of our way to make sure your entire journey is as smooth as possible. Along with our complimentary Chauffeur-drive service and lounge access, our First Class and Business Class customers, as well as Emirates Skywards Platinum and Gold members, will also receive complimentary Fast Track vouchers at check-in and before arrival. Fast Track vouchers are available at most airports around the world, to help speed your way through airport formalities.
This is very interesting - How the rich travel:
http://nypost.com/2014/02/27/latest-airline-perk-blessed-isolation-for-the-1/
Is it fair that rich people get to skip immigration lines? Why do the airports allow this? Do they get compensated by the airlines for allowing their elite passengers to skip lines?
If your card is black, or made of metal..... odds are it is prestigious.
American Express for example, has special arrangements with some hotels and airlines. You get "as available" upgrades. More perks are available as you move up AE credit card offerings.
I assume the airlines are familiar with the codes used in the card numbers. They seem to be able to tell at lounge access desks when you show your ticket.
I can't elaborate on the details but I imagine there could be more hassles for
a billionaire tycoon to arrange for a private flight from North America to
Asia than booking the entire first class cabin to himself.
Flying first class could turn into an adventure of meeting your
next sugar baby. The gold digging flight attendant or the travelling
courtesan sitting next to you won't mind you putting your hand
up her skirt.
a billionaire tycoon to arrange for a private flight from North America to
Asia than booking the entire first class cabin to himself.
Flying first class could turn into an adventure of meeting your
next sugar baby. The gold digging flight attendant or the travelling
courtesan sitting next to you won't mind you putting your hand
up her skirt.
Actually both just take a single phone call, most likely done by an assistance. The are several companies who provide the service in Toronto. Most will have a limo pick you up and drive you to the FBO and off you go.
Down side is most of the private planes are slower than the large modern commercial planes. So the trips take longer. They do not provide as smooth or as pleasant a ride. The major advantage is when you have multiple people travelling together. You van have meetings in the air. The other key benefit is going to places with no direct service. Who wants to change planes in Kansas? LOL
Many First Class travellers see it as an opportunity to schmooze with their peers from other companies or industries. Touching flight attendants is considered tacky.
I have a whole bunch of credit cards that I never use. The two I use all the time is American Express Gold and My Crappy Tire card. There is probably 1 AmEx Gold card to every 500 Crappy Tire cards. There are hundreds of cards out there, each card tells a story about the owner. AmEx gold is not the most prestigious card out there, but there are some that have an annual fee of $700. The airlines know if you are a frequent flyer by computer records of previous flights and if a FF come in with a prestigious card it will cost them nothing to upgrade that passenger to business class as the seat is empty. This also opens up a seat for a paying customer in coach.
As for my Crappy Tire card, I get points for spending on thing I have to buy anyways and get points to buy things I need. ( At half price or more off on their weekly discount flyer )
Ok, learned something, did not know there were metal cards. Prestigious cards. Would expect these people would be flying first class to begin with.
Was offered some upscale card at the bank the other day, had annual fees and 19% or some crazy interest rates. Did not think it was so prestigious. Maybe people willing to pay those CC fees for a colored card would potentially be more the first class flying target market.
Firstclass in North America - not worth it , they have no clue what first class is. Reserve it for Asia and parts of the middle east on airlines that actually have it. Intra europe also not worth it, flights are generally too short.
Business class - if you need the room and less mental agony - because coach is filled with schelps and small seats.
I would not pay more for Firstclass unless they put out ..kidding...anyway this is 2014, I would gladly give up any first or business class ticket if the plane was 3x faster.
You should actually get something for your money, not just marginally better service and useless perks.
Business class - if you need the room and less mental agony - because coach is filled with schelps and small seats.
I would not pay more for Firstclass unless they put out
..kidding...anyway this is 2014, I would gladly give up any first or business class ticket if the plane was 3x faster.You should actually get something for your money, not just marginally better service and useless perks.
For us mortals, it is not an issue. If you charge more than $250,000 in a year to your American Express card you are eligible to try for a Centurion aka Black Card. Upfront cost and 1 st year fee is about $7,500 depending where you live. But only $1,500 a year after that.
Benefits? If you are trying to get tickets to the Super Bowl, all you have to do is call your concierge. Automatic upgrades on several airlines and hotels to one class better than you pay for. Personal shoppers at several stores. 4 times a year you get matching tickets to bring family and friends with you, for free. Also tax free. and the list goes on and on.
At that $ level you do not tend to get a bill in the mail and pay it. Automatic payments from your bank are the norm. So who cares about 19% ????? By the way, less than 100,000 of them world wide.
No I do not have one LOL
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is more my speed. The were made of metal and I think they still are. Down side, you cannot destroy them so have to send it back to them for disposal
Even though Warren Buffet flies economy, I will bet you he gets comped to business or 1st. Class every time.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/14/bi...ey-personal-finance-thrifty-billionaires.html
http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/14/bi...ey-personal-finance-thrifty-billionaires.html
There are Amex lounges and there are Amex express lines (the same as first class and frequent flyers) to get through security, but there are NO special Amex check in lines.
Air Canada treats it's Super Elite like platinum. You have Super Elite, you will always get upgraded if there is room. However, having an Amex Black card does not get you an upgrade. It just means you can afford to pay Exec class. Airlines do not upgrade you because of your credit card (unless you are using it to pay for the upgrade). Why the heck would they? THIS IS A MYTH THAT SOME FOLKS HERE ARE PERPETUATING.
If you fly international, or longer North American routes, all the time, you wouldn't know that AC has young, hot FAs, but they do. The longer flights are more attractive to FAs because they get a longer break between flights. So what happens is that all the ones with seniority get their pick, and the young ones are relegated to the short haul routes.
Back in the day, Cathay Pacific had attractive FAs, but they were very professional. I haven't flown them recently, so I don't know what they're like today. These days, you can't beat Emirates. They have a crew of young people from all over the world. I damn near fell in love with a blond Australian Emirates FA a couple of years ago. I tried flirting with her, but it was expertly deflected with humour on her part. lol.
Back in the day, Cathay Pacific had attractive FAs, but they were very professional. I haven't flown them recently, so I don't know what they're like today. These days, you can't beat Emirates. They have a crew of young people from all over the world. I damn near fell in love with a blond Australian Emirates FA a couple of years ago. I tried flirting with her, but it was expertly deflected with humour on her part. lol.
Exactly why would he be comped? Unless he has a frequent flyer card he does not get any special treatment on any airline. Why would an airline comp him? He can afford to pay so why should they comp him?
Alison Redford, former premier of Alberta, who carried Buffet-like power, did not get comped. Why should Buffet? Exec seats are there for people to pay for them, not so they are comped. They take up valuable space on a plane.
I did see a TV interview many years ago where Buffett told that he flew economy, I am not so sure that he still does this. If Buffett flew my airline, I would comp him. PR like that money can not buy. Alison Redford is a politician, it would look bad for her to be comped. As I said before, upgrading VIPs and frequent flyers are good for the airline as it cost the airline nothing because the upgrade is only available if there is an empty seat in business or first class and it frees up a seat in economy for a paying customer. So really it makes for happy customers and the airline is out a few drinks.
You might be right. I have no knowledge of Air Canada's relationship to Amex. That is why I did not mention AC.
I do know you get free top tier status and their status cards with specific airlines and/or hotels with some credit cards. Even a lowly peon like I get popped up to top tier with the right credit card. Mind you I am only platinum with one chain, and with the Centurion card you get it on several. Why? Well most Centurion travellers are already Emerald / Super Elite / etc fliers. And they are not the type to book lower costs seats and risk not being upgraded. So there is a huge effort made to get them it try first class seats on any airlines company's metal. Also why would they fly on an airline that did not treat you as a "super-elite" passenger?
Perhaps the confusion exists because the ticket agents do not see the Amex card. I have a credit card. Because I have that brand / level of card I get the top tier card for a hotel chain. When a reservation is made using my information the hotel knows I am a top tier VIP type guest. The probably assume I stay in their hotels a lot. But it is all about my having their VIP card. The card is provided to me because of my tiny little credit card.
I do know that at least in MIA, LHR, NYC, JFK, and HKG if you book through the free concierge service for Centurion card holders you are met by a greeter who walks you through the check in. Not exactly a "special check in line" but why quibble? They come and find you. (I know it was true about 10 years ago, I have not flown with a centurion Card holder since then Applies to the card holder and those travelling with them. I was only a hanger on. But it was nice to see how your CEO travels.
By the way.... back to the Amex / Air Canada links.... Even for a standard Platinum Amex card their web site tells us.....:
1 Bypass the regular check-in line at the airport with access to Air Canada Executive First®*/Executive Class®* Priority Airport Check-in
2 Avoid the line-ups at security by accessing the Pearson Priority Security Lane
3 Breeze through airports lines with Air Canada Executive First®**/ Executive Class®** Priority Check-in
Not bad when you realise the card only requires a $40, 000 a year income and ok credit to get. Not the quarter million spend for the Black Card.
So.... I know that any empty 'better' seats are offered to the Super Elite travellers, then the Elite, etc etc. (ya some ticket type rules apply. I know). I elect to assume my CEO was not lying when he said he was given the super elite and Emerald status by airlines as a perk for having his Centurion card.
. So perhaps you can accept my much shorter statement that you get automatic upgrades Of course you may be right.
