Differences between airfares and
service classes: Coach / Economy vs Business / First
class
Many travelers do not know much about
differences between coach and business class. Travelers want to find
inexpensive airline tickets in either economy or business class, but really not
sure what is difference is. Prices and rules are the major differences, though
service and quality can also play a big role in a flight option you choose.
Is it really worth flying business or
first class? The answer is Yes and No.
All depends on your destination and
the plane/ aircraft and your budget. I would not recommend spending money for
business class on the US domestic or European domestic flights. Besides the “better” and
not “outstanding” service you will not really feel the difference worth the
money. You will have plane seats that are about an inch wider and will have a
different meal menu to choose from.
There is quite a different picture
when you get onto the international, especially transatlantic flights. If you look
for plane tickets to Europe, a flight ticket might cost you $10k, but you can get plane
seats that recline into a bed with blankets and nice pillows. You will be greeted on board with a glass of champagne.
The service would be outstanding. There will be several hot or cold
meals to choose from to include unlimited wide variety of alcohol. You would
also get metal silverware instead of plastic wrapped utensils with your meal. I
could go on and on about the pros of business or first class.
Are there any cons of business and
first class? Yes, there are. Similarly as with domestic flights, there are
certain circumstances when it is not worth spending money on business class
plane tickets to Europe or other international or transatlantic flights. The major
criterion is the aircraft. Older aircrafts do not have as much space as newer
and some aircraft types either (e.g. Boeing 747 on some destinations). There is
really not that much difference between a coach and business class seat. There
might be difference in food and service quality or options offered, but value
is still not there. So if this is the case, my suggestion is to get most
inexpensive airline tickets in economy or coach class and have more things to
do or more expensive attractions or visit or just spend the difference in money
elsewhere.
If you want to fly cheap in business
class, you can try buddy passes or stand by that you can get from the airline
employees. Some word of caution… you also need to know that a stand by is not a
guaranteed space on a plane. You will get on the plane only if there are some
seats left available in business or coach class. If flights are full, you might
need to wait until the next available flight. So good things usually come with
some risk and it is up to you if you’re willing to take that chance.
