Lordosis style poll: First class?

[Tangler]

I don't think NetJets has any higher of a crash rate than commercia jets. Most of the small plane crashes are from amateur pilots who typically make amateur mistakes. NetJets are piloted by professional pilots and I have no doubt the fleet is always up to date on maintenance.

NetJets - Wikipedia

That seems like a pretty good track record. ************************, the last incident was in 2006 and wasn't the pilot's fault.

How much does it cost? will need to look at it. I imagine it is expensive!!!

[Lithium]

Least is chatty person. In any break in the conversation I just put my headphones on, even if I’m not listening to anything and pretend I don’t hear them.

Next is the unhappy toddler. I’m not sure why you’d fly in this day and age without noise canceling headphones. The only difference between this and the chatty person is the toddler May encroach into your space on occasion.

The worst is the bulky person taking half your space. I don’t know if I believe that people who really fly wouldn’t choose this as the worst option. You can’t get away from it unless you spend the whole flight in the toilet. Space eaters are the worst to sit by. You’re contorted the whole flight and end up with some ache or pain because of how you had to sit so you weren’t constantly rubbing up against them.

Even worse if you’re flying from Miami to Seattle and the space eater is in the window seat and sits down with 2 Big Macs and fries. Better hope you brought nose plugs.

[F0017S0]

I would upgrade to a seat for the toddler.

Get the kid a seat: a good bout of severe clear air turbulence and junior becomes a cabin missile…

[F0017S0]

don't those planes crash way more often than the commercial flights?

No. Now your old man’s Cessna 152 or Piper Cherokee probably isn’t the best bet…

[bovie]

How much does it cost? will need to look at it. I imagine it is expensive!!!

Short answer is it’s highly variable.

Definitely expensive, but may start to become attractive at fairly high net worth with large families/travel groups and frequent travel.

NetJets and Wheels Up are the primary players in the space, and each sponsor quite a few PGA Tour pros—who use the services frequently for obvious reasons. Has led to increased popularity, and piqued my curiosity a while back.

Fun fact: NetJets is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.

There are multiple models of use for each company but Wheels Up is a bit more straightforward, offering a subscription/card-type model comprising an initiation fee and subsequent annual dues (roughly $20k and $10k, respectively), in addition to hourly use fees which are around $5k but are aircraft dependent. Think of it sort of like a country club model.

NetJets in general is a bit more of a fractional ownership-type model, in that you generally purchase blocks of time upfront for those who fly a few dozen hours per year or less, which starts at around $175k for 25 hours. This scales up for those who fly more, of course, but with some perks and discounts. More of a timeshare model.

Both are as a safe as any commercial operation, and can generally be booked with a few hour’s notice.

Then of course there are all of the costs and fees associated with aircraft travel and ownership, which are also highly dependent on aircraft type, location, dates, etc.

[pit.alumni]

I

As I mentioned before, I am still fare hacking, but now my fare hacking is for the cheapest, best business class flights to some far flung, international destination. I am headed to Europe soon to ski the glaciers in the Alps. I got a direct United Polaris suite round trip for 3k.

WBD what have you found the best resource for deals on business class?

We have traveled a lot and done brutal trips to Africa and Asia on coach multiple times. I just couldn't justify an extra $10k for my wife and me to fly first/business. But now over 65 and in the age of Covid it's business class. If I could buy an extra seat on Southwest so we could have a row to ourselves I'd do that too.

[bovie]

If I could buy an extra seat on Southwest so we could have a row to ourselves I'd do that too.

Air New Zealand has you covered. Skycouch.

https://www.airnewzealand.com/economy-skycouch

[afan]

My solution to long flights in coach is not to take trips that involve long flights.

Reluctantly, I will do an occasional coast to coast trip. Fewer and fewer as I have more control over my business travel choices.

Since, for me, there is no such thing as pleasure travel, I would not get on an airplane for a trip I did not have to take.

For business if it is farther than coast to coast, or involves something other than a single nonstop flight, I just don't go.

[xraygoggles]

My solution to long flights in coach is not to take trips that involve long flights.

Reluctantly, I will do an occasional coast to coast trip. Fewer and fewer as I have more control over my business travel choices.

Since, for me, there is no such thing as pleasure travel, I would not get on an airplane for a trip I did not have to take.

For business if it is farther than coast to coast, or involves something other than a single nonstop flight, I just don't go.

So you have never flown internationally for leisure?

[Tangler]

Next flight: first class. Will probably die with $.

It is a waste, but if i can do work on plane for a few hours that might pay for it!

[Tangler]

I already have flight booked for July.
Just upgraded to nicer seats but not first class. System would not let me do first class.
Maybe i don’t count as important enough?! JK

[Tim]

Ya’ll will trash me.
I put in a corporate travel service. All flights booked and paid for by the company. All those upgrades and travel miles went to the company.
One could find any flight, hotel or car they wished. Just call or log in.
* Huge change management issue.
* What we found preimplantation was everything from admins to employees the “shopping” for ease of travel (length, time convenience) wasn’t the resistance. It was the “perks”. Especially local travel agencies.
*Perks we’re distributed primarily to benefit of the traveler. Feel free to shop and request specific. The corporate use of upgrades and travel miles crushed what a frequent traveler could find.
* Of course. No one uses perks on business travel. They save them for vacation of course. Good for the business and good for the employee business travel. No one “negotiated” for vacation “bonuses”. Change management was a challenge.