Xela Posted November 29, 2018 Author Share Posted November 29, 2018 Maybe one for @blandy and @tonyh29 (and other business class users). What's the best place to look for business class bargains. I'm 40 next year and will want to fly business class but don't want to fork out £4k to go to Asia. There must be offers/bargains/sales on - is there any definitive sites to monitor? My mate snagged a business class return to Bangkok on EVA Air for £1.8k, which was decent and he said it was very good. Something around that price would be good! Also these 'reward' credit cards that pay points that can be converted air miles/avios/asia miles etc. Is there a best card? Also how much do you really need to spend to get a free flight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 11 minutes ago, Xela said: Maybe one for @blandy and @tonyh29 (and other business class users). What's the best place to look for business class bargains. I'm 40 next year and will want to fly business class but don't want to fork out £4k to go to Asia. There must be offers/bargains/sales on - is there any definitive sites to monitor? My mate snagged a business class return to Bangkok on EVA Air for £1.8k, which was decent and he said it was very good. Something around that price would be good! Also these 'reward' credit cards that pay points that can be converted air miles/avios/asia miles etc. Is there a best card? Also how much do you really need to spend to get a free flight? My BA Amex requires a £10k a year spend for a companion ticket , for Asia you’d need around 140,000 avios ( and a companion of course) for a business return , they just sting you for the airport tax which will be about £1k , so in theory you get a business return to Asia for around £1,000 Only really works if you fly BA a lot though really all you can do is look for offers ,sky scanner might help you ,the trick often is if you are flying on to a third country. i booked an economy return to Kathmandu once with Qatar and then got an upgrade to Business for £400 .... to book LHR To Doha was about £4000 but add in Kathmandu (and the same lhr doha flight) and the price dropped to a figure so low i was convinced the airline wouldn’t let me board I did something similar with Emirates once when I went to Sydney I thought I read about a website where you can bid for empty seats and get upgrades that way ,, so if the plane is empty you can bid £300 to go into club and the airline might accept your offer ... but it’s probably a lottery and I’ve never tried it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted December 1, 2018 Author Share Posted December 1, 2018 Cheery Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomav84 Posted December 6, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted December 6, 2018 On 29/11/2018 at 20:58, tonyh29 said: My BA Amex requires a £10k a year spend for a companion ticket , for Asia you’d need around 140,000 avios ( and a companion of course) for a business return , they just sting you for the airport tax which will be about £1k , so in theory you get a business return to Asia for around £1,000 Only really works if you fly BA a lot though really all you can do is look for offers ,sky scanner might help you ,the trick often is if you are flying on to a third country. i booked an economy return to Kathmandu once with Qatar and then got an upgrade to Business for £400 .... to book LHR To Doha was about £4000 but add in Kathmandu (and the same lhr doha flight) and the price dropped to a figure so low i was convinced the airline wouldn’t let me board I did something similar with Emirates once when I went to Sydney I thought I read about a website where you can bid for empty seats and get upgrades that way ,, so if the plane is empty you can bid £300 to go into club and the airline might accept your offer ... but it’s probably a lottery and I’ve never tried it how does one get the option for an upgrade these days? it used to be at check in (not that i ever got one, but heard others did) but now all check in is online in advance and you even do bag drop yourself too - so at what stage now are upgrades offered? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 6, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted December 6, 2018 On 29/11/2018 at 20:58, tonyh29 said: My BA Amex requires a £10k a year spend for a companion ticket , for Asia you’d need around 140,000 avios ( and a companion of course) for a business return , they just sting you for the airport tax which will be about £1k , so in theory you get a business return to Asia for around £1,000 Only really works if you fly BA a lot though really all you can do is look for offers ,sky scanner might help you ,the trick often is if you are flying on to a third country. i booked an economy return to Kathmandu once with Qatar and then got an upgrade to Business for £400 .... to book LHR To Doha was about £4000 but add in Kathmandu (and the same lhr doha flight) and the price dropped to a figure so low i was convinced the airline wouldn’t let me board I did something similar with Emirates once when I went to Sydney I thought I read about a website where you can bid for empty seats and get upgrades that way ,, so if the plane is empty you can bid £300 to go into club and the airline might accept your offer ... but it’s probably a lottery and I’ve never tried it I've just booked a flight with Virgin and it gives me the option to bid for an upgrade through their app. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 6, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted December 6, 2018 I use Aer Lingus a lot to fly to Ireland. After flying with them to New York last week I can comfortably say I'll never fly long haul with them again. The leg room was about the same as a regional flight, the entertainment was shit, the food was awful, the seats were crap. Staff were lovely but that's about the only positive. The flight over was the longest flight of my life. Luckily the flight back I was so exhausted I just fell asleep for most of the journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted December 6, 2018 Share Posted December 6, 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, tomav84 said: how does one get the option for an upgrade these days? it used to be at check in (not that i ever got one, but heard others did) but now all check in is online in advance and you even do bag drop yourself too - so at what stage now are upgrades offered? I think it's down to the airline ... I flew with KLM to Beijing and they upgraded me to Business ... I had paid extra for the emergency exit seat so presumably they upgrade those people first if they can (i'd never flown KLM before so it wasn't like I was a regular customer of theirs ) other option is to go to the check in desk and ask if there is any chance of an upgrade .. not tried this personally but I believe people do actually do this is Edited December 6, 2018 by tonyh29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 6, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted December 6, 2018 46 minutes ago, tonyh29 said: I think it's down to the airline ... I flew with KLM to Beijing and they upgraded me to Business ... I had paid extra for the aisle seat so presumably they upgrade those people first if they can (i'd never flown KLM before so it wasn't like I was a regular customer of theirs ) other option is to go to the check in desk and ask if there is any chance of an upgrade .. not tried this personally but I believe people do actually do this is I looked into this a couple of years ago and a couple of things I read basically said that asking for an upgrade pretty much never works. I guess there's no harm in asking, but it certainly suggested it's pointless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted December 7, 2018 Author Share Posted December 7, 2018 (edited) I had a free upgrade on Emirates once. I checked in and they just gave me a boarding card wth Business Class on it! Boom! It was only a 'fifth freedom flight' but still, was nice Edited December 7, 2018 by Xela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted December 7, 2018 Author Share Posted December 7, 2018 On 06/12/2018 at 13:03, Stevo985 said: I use Aer Lingus a lot to fly to Ireland. After flying with them to New York last week I can comfortably say I'll never fly long haul with them again. I think Middle Eastern and Asian airlines are so far ahead in long haul travel, its not even close. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imavillan Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 On 29/11/2018 at 20:36, Xela said: Maybe one for @blandy and @tonyh29 (and other business class users). What's the best place to look for business class bargains. I'm 40 next year and will want to fly business class but don't want to fork out £4k to go to Asia. There must be offers/bargains/sales on - is there any definitive sites to monitor? My mate snagged a business class return to Bangkok on EVA Air for £1.8k, which was decent and he said it was very good. Something around that price would be good! Also these 'reward' credit cards that pay points that can be converted air miles/avios/asia miles etc. Is there a best card? Also how much do you really need to spend to get a free flight? Emirates all day long..... I've used them many times with work flying to China. All paid for by the company Brum to Dubai, Dubai to Shanghai. Two Eight hour flights. I have then used them this year paid for by my self. Took Mrs Imavillan to China for a holiday. Business class lounge in Birmingham airport is great. First class. On the plane top class service. Get on a 380, get up the bar at the back of the plane....great It cost me 4k for 2 people, yes expensive, but when you think about it, thats 4 long haul flights both at 8 hours each....well worth it. Admittedly not something you'd do every week if its out your own pocket, but for a special occasion flying Emirates you will not be disappointed. And if you're going to Asia it will be well worth it.....an experience you will never forget and talk about for a long, long time... go for it....you are only on the planet once !!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted December 9, 2018 Author Share Posted December 9, 2018 9 minutes ago, imavillan said: Emirates all day long..... I've used them many times with work flying to China. All paid for by the company Brum to Dubai, Dubai to Shanghai. Two Eight hour flights. I have then used them this year paid for by my self. Took Mrs Imavillan to China for a holiday. Business class lounge in Birmingham airport is great. First class. On the plane top class service. Get on a 380, get up the bar at the back of the plane....great It cost me 4k for 2 people, yes expensive, but when you think about it, thats 4 long haul flights both at 8 hours each....well worth it. Admittedly not something you'd do every week if its out your own pocket, but for a special occasion flying Emirates you will not be disappointed. And if you're going to Asia it will be well worth it.....an experience you will never forget and talk about for a long, long time... go for it....you are only on the planet once !!!!! Cheers! I'd pay £2k, that's a decent price. I'll keep an eye out for offers. Cheapest I've seen so far for Tokyo in June (on a decent airline) in business is about £2.2k on Korean Air, from Heathrow via Seoul. I completely forgot to check out the lounges at BHX last month on my way to Bangkok on Qatar. I was only in economy but I get access via my credit card. Just skipped my mind and roughed it in the Wetherspoons instead! Like you say, its a one off and you can't take it with you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imavillan Posted December 9, 2018 Share Posted December 9, 2018 8 minutes ago, Xela said: Cheers! I'd pay £2k, that's a decent price. I'll keep an eye out for offers. Cheapest I've seen so far for Tokyo in June (on a decent airline) in business is about £2.2k on Korean Air, from Heathrow via Seoul. I completely forgot to check out the lounges at BHX last month on my way to Bangkok on Qatar. I was only in economy but I get access via my credit card. Just skipped my mind and roughed it in the Wetherspoons instead! Like you say, its a one off and you can't take it with you! As you are in Sutton, If you fly from Heathrow you have to factor in the travel time to get there, train, car etc....additional costs. Business Class with Emirates they will pick you up from home and take you to the front door of the terminal at Brum.....same again when you get back home a limo is waiting for you to take yo back home. Brum airport to Sutton 30 mins (after a long flight) Heathrow to Sutton 2 Hours plus some... Trust me...you won't be disappointed with Emirates.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted December 9, 2018 Author Share Posted December 9, 2018 3 minutes ago, imavillan said: As you are in Sutton, If you fly from Heathrow you have to factor in the travel time to get there, train, car etc....additional costs. Business Class with Emirates they will pick you up from home and take you to the front door of the terminal at Brum.....same again when you get back home a limo is waiting for you to take yo back home. Brum airport to Sutton 30 mins (after a long flight) Heathrow to Sutton 2 Hours plus some... Trust me...you won't be disappointed with Emirates.... Ah great, I didn't realise the limo was for business class as well... thought it was just first class! A black cab cost me £40 a fortnight ago from the airport to Four Oaks... rip off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mottaloo Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 (edited) On 09/12/2018 at 17:28, Xela said: Ah great, I didn't realise the limo was for business class as well... thought it was just first class! A black cab cost me £40 a fortnight ago from the airport to Four Oaks... rip off! I went business class to oz last Jan with emirates and yes, I got a"complimentary" chauffeur to the airport; from my destination airport to my accommodation too and the same when coming back - 4 trips in all. I'm sure they cover the cost of it through the price of the plane ticket though. But yeah, it's a nice feeling to jump in to a swanky bmw when you get back to bhx having abused the on plane bar not having to worry about being over the limit. If that's your thing. I think there's a 70 mile limit though. My bro flew from manchestuh and it was just about within their radius from brum. Worth checking with them first on their website. Only problem is, you'll never want to fly economy again ! Edited December 13, 2018 by mottaloo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mottaloo Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 On 09/12/2018 at 17:10, Xela said: Cheapest I've seen so far for Tokyo in June (on a decent airline) in business is about £2.2k on Korean Air, from Heathrow via Seoul. Alex, bear in mind that the rugby world cup is in Japan next autumn from 20th Sept til start of Nov so prices will get hiked, but if you plan to fly before then, I reckon you'll get a good deal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted December 19, 2018 Author Share Posted December 19, 2018 On 13/12/2018 at 11:13, mottaloo said: I went business class to oz last Jan with emirates and yes, I got a"complimentary" chauffeur to the airport; from my destination airport to my accommodation too and the same when coming back - 4 trips in all. I'm sure they cover the cost of it through the price of the plane ticket though. But yeah, it's a nice feeling to jump in to a swanky bmw when you get back to bhx having abused the on plane bar not having to worry about being over the limit. If that's your thing. I think there's a 70 mile limit though. My bro flew from manchestuh and it was just about within their radius from brum. Worth checking with them first on their website. Only problem is, you'll never want to fly economy again ! Check you out you posh git! The chauffeur does sound great and as you say, you pay for it in the price, its still nice to have! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LakotaDakota Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 nowhere near as fancy as some of the stuff mentioned above but Virgin have started their yearly sale, Some reasonable offers if you want a cheap 3 day break in the states if nothing else (from about 700 for 2 people including flight & hotel) & some of the discounts on other flights don't look too bad to me. I know they get moaned about but had no problems with them recently on premium & Economy delight (more leg room & slightly better seat) flights to & from the states https://www.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/sale.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightoffyour Posted December 23, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted December 23, 2018 Well I’ve clocked up over 100 flights on Ryanair, so I’ll have to say them 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted December 24, 2018 Author Share Posted December 24, 2018 On 23/12/2018 at 11:52, fightoffyour said: Well I’ve clocked up over 100 flights on Ryanair, so I’ll have to say them 100 Ryanair flights? Are you in sadomasochism as well?! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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