Business class looks bearable on Qantas. But some prefer not to slum it so shamelessly.
If you don't mind less
privacy, for a mere $4,900, you can fly the same route nonstop business
class on Virgin Atlantic and still be plenty pampered.
If you still insist on first class but don't mind one stop, you can fly China Southern Airlines for $11,465.
Price differences between
first- and business-class fares can be dramatic, but what do passengers
in first class get for the additional money?
More importantly, for those in a position to make the call, is first class worth all the extra cha-ching?
Lufthansa's first class: retractable walls between seats can separate passengers.
Differences you don't see
Tokyo-London has by far the highest first-class fares found on three major routes recently spot-checked by CNN.
But fluctuating pricing
for flying first class with "open suites" or business class with
lie-flat beds varies widely depending on whether you're flying nonstop
or one-stop and the amount of pampering you want both in the air and on
the ground.
The highly traveled New York-Frankfurt route is typical.
If you're flying first
class from Frankfurt on your way to the Big Apple, there are many perks
beyond what you get on the airplane.
Lufthansa offers
first-class passengers a dedicated lounge at Frankfurt, along with a
full dinner before boarding a late-night flight, if customers prefer
sleep to onboard meals.
The lounge also offers
beds, showers, office space, special security screening and chauffeured
limousines directly to the aircraft, allowing passengers to avoid
bumping elbows with mere mortals who buy business-class or coach
tickets.
You're out of luck if
you're boarding in any other Lufthansa city, however. Only in Frankfurt
do first-class travelers enjoy such ground perks.
Once onboard, it might
be tough to discern the differences between first and business, beyond
the obvious: a suite and more space versus a lie-flat seat. The food is
plentiful and the booze is free.
Don Buckenburg,
Lufthansa's managing director for sales, North America, says that many
airlines offer a suite of enclosed space with a door, creating a
passenger's "own little cabin."
"When we developed first
class, we asked customers, and our customers like open space, but they
also like privacy," says Buckenburg. "You have a seat, but a wall that
separates you. You press a button, and a wall comes up."
The retractable wall allows couples or fellow travelers to decide whether to be connected or separated.
Buckenburg says the
first-class value differential over business class is space, privacy, a
larger, longer and wider seat and additional crew per passenger in first
class.
In addition, according
to Buckenburg, flight attendants are specially trained to serve first
class, knowing how to "read" the passenger differently and knowing the
wine and menus with precision.
For good measure, "We're one of the last airlines to serve caviar," Buckenburg says.
Nope, that's not your hotel. It's the bathroom available to first-class passengers on Emirates Airlines A380 flights.
First class may become obsolete
Buckenburg acknowledges not all markets can support first class, and in those, Lufthansa offers only business and coach service.
Mary Kirby, editor of
the Airline Passenger Experience (APEX) magazine and blog, believes the
first-class value proposition not only is diminishing, but also that the
class will disappear in five years.
The trend toward
lie-flat seats in business class, along with amenities that are similar
to first, diminish the value of first, she says.
Lufthansa's Buckenburg disagrees. There remains a passenger segment that wants the privacy of suites.
He says CEOs, financiers
and Hollywood types are among those who will pay for first class for
the onboard experience and the privileges of airport services reserved
for them.
"Lufthansa has invested
quite a bit of money in keeping a first-class product because a lot of
airlines are moving out of first-class where there is not enough traffic
to warrant it," says Buckenburg. "There is still a market segment
willing to pay for first class. The demand is still there, but not
everywhere."
United Airlines remains a hybrid.
Legacy United has
largely favored the first, business and economy (and recently introduced
Premium Economy) model. Merger partner Continental Airlines favored
two-class business and economy.
The legacy Continental
aircraft continue to have just two classes. Legacy United's Boeing 747s
are three class. About half the merged fleet's Boeing 777s are three
class and the others are two class.
"It is less about our
perspective on the values than the customers who buy it," says United
spokesman Rahsaan Johnson. "There are customers who appreciate and value
all the attributes of GlobalFirst (United's name for first-class).
Ultimately the pricing is a function of the demand and value that
customers have for that service.
"In a nutshell, there
are customers who choose to pay for this additional privacy and
additional space and additional luxury and the higher level of
personalized service."
But United also says that not all very long-haul routes merit first-class service.
"The value proposition
for the lie-flat in first has been significantly diminished," says
APEX's Kirby. "It's the reason a lot of airlines are going to a
single-class premium service. It's why you see Lufthansa pulling out of
first in some markets, and even Emirates Airlines is thinking of going
all-business on the A380."
Sort of elite? Business First Class seats on the United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Blurring the line between first and business
Virgin Atlantic began operations in 2003 and never has offered first class.
Instead, its business
class is named Upper Class, a first-class product at business-class
prices, says spokeswoman Anna Catchpole.
"The Upper Class suite
has been designed to be separately both the most comfortable bed and the
most comfortable seat in the air," Catchpole says. "Instead of
extending from a seat into a bed, Virgin Atlantic's seat provides the
passenger with a luxury leather armchair to relax on which then flips
over into a separate bed with a mattress to sleep on."
In a throwback to the
early days of Boeing 747 service, Virgin offers a bar area in Upper
Class, all for prices far below first-class on other carriers.
Virgin's Upper Class
passengers also benefit from ground amenities at select airports. At
London Heathrow Airport, Upper Class passengers have access to a limo
and a dedicated security channel a short walk from the Virgin Atlantic
Clubhouse.
"Upper Class passengers
and Flying Club Gold members making their own way to the airport can
check in at the Upper Class check-in, in Zone A of the main terminal,
before taking a priority lift straight to the dedicated security
channel," says Catchpole. "Upper Class customers ... can now check in 40
minutes prior to their scheduled departure time at the latest, and whiz
through the dedicated security channel straight to the gate."
As for the ultimate
question -- Is first class worth it? -- the market seems to be reacting
the way it usually does to luxury products and premium services: yes,
it's worth it, if you can afford it and if those products and services
are perceived as being unique.
With the growing affordability of private and corporate jets,
however, as well as with budget tightening and improvements in
business-class comfort, more high-end travelers are likely to put
business before the ultimate pleasure.
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