On one of my recent trips, I booked the most pointless and illogical flight route. Friends and colleagues are still mocking me for it. The one silver lining to my idiocy was that I got to experience Business Class on Qatar Airways, my first proper Business Class experience.
I have a friend who has a rule about travel – if a flight is over a certain number of hours, and/or depending on the destination, it must be Business Class. My organisation has a similar rule regarding the duration of the flight. And of course I know that there are those who only fly Business/First Class. For me, it always seemed like an unjustifiable extravagance and yet, at the same time I felt jealous of my friends and family who had experienced Business/First Class especially of those who experience it on a regular basis. When I finally decided to splurge on a Business Class flight, it didn’t end well. That was my actual first Business Class flight which was last year with Air France.
It was a disaster. The crew were rude and dismissive right from the start, seemingly disbelieving at first that my seat was in Business Class. The amenities on the flight were minimal and/or didn’t work and honestly I was (still am!) pained when I recall how much I had to pay for the experience. All round bitterness. But an opportunity for redemption arose and I decided to give Business Class another chance, this time on Qatar Airways and what a wow.
My Business Class experience with Qatar was, in one word, sublime. Magical even. From the moment of arrival on board, I felt like royalty when they called my name as I entered the cabin. I spied the Diptique toiletries and that set my heart a flutter (you guys know I love a freebie, and this was a good one!). I had a window seat which I found super spacious but I must say that the aisle ones were the same. Food was delicious and unlimited. You can eat at anytime; the crew ask you when you arrive for your preferred meal time and it comes then. The staff were super attentive; when I felt sleepy, a crew member came over and made up my bed for me. There are pyjamas to sleep in so you don’t have to stay in your clothes and there is privacy by simply closing the seat door so you can change without sharing all your secrets. Honestly, all that was left was for the crew to carry me in their arms and rock me to sleep. This is why I called it my first PROPER Business Class experience. This never happens in the land of the peasants Economy. If you miss the meal service in Economy, you missed it, sorry to you! And heaven forbid you need a crew member when they are not passing by. Again, sorry to you!
I spammed my sister with pictures and videos as soon as I arrived in the cabin, that’s how psyched I was. I mused on why it took me so long to enjoy this luxury. If I had to find a downer in the experience, it would be that I had no window but honestly I wasn’t even trying to look out of it so I didn’t miss much. Funny enough, I had so many thoughts and questions before the flight which may seem a bit silly in retrospect. How do I dress for a Business Class flight? How do I behave when boarding and during the flight? How will I know how to work the amenities including the seatbelt (because EVERYTHING even the seatbelt is different in Business Class)? The answers to all of those questions are actually pretty simple. There’s no need to dress differently; you’ve paid for the seat, it can’t be taken away on account of your outfit1. Behave just as you would on any other flight in a different flight class – treat the crew with courtesy and politeness. I worried about being a pain asking for more food, but it’s there for you and again already been paid for with the seat. As long as you don’t go full blown diva, just asking for some more food or snacks is not going to hurt anyone. And yes, do make the most of the amenities and if you are polite (and unfortunately even if you aren’t), the crew are more than willing to answer any questions you have and even take pictures – case in point, me! I didn’t get to experience the lounge on this occasion – it wasn’t included in the ticket price (yes beware of that when booking because it’s an additional expense) and my flight was already super early so I wasn’t fussed about it. Next time though!
Now that I’ve experienced Business Class, oh how I’ve changed my tune on the justification of the expense. Complete with new lyrics and melody to boot! But since I have not won the lottery (even if I had, I wouldn’t tell you guys but there would be signs!) and I’m not stealing money, here are my plans/tips for how to fly Business Class smart.
- As I outlined above, all Business Class cabins are not equal. It depends on the airline (for some, just don’t bother, save your money!), the flight route and also the duration of the flight. A business class ticket for a flight from London to Paris just seems like a waste a money (unless it’s super cheap or better, someone else is paying for the ticket!). Now if we’re talking about a flight from London to Tokyo…sign me up for Business! Be careful of the airline so you don’t experience the disappointment I felt with my first Business experience. Do some research beforehand, but it seems you can’t go wrong with Emirates, Etihad, Qatar for excellent service and the OGs – Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Cathay Pacific – will also treat you right on those long haul flights. Proceed at your own peril if you choose Business Class on a European airline. You have been warned!2
- Check the flight route before booking your flight because for some of the routes, the airlines use old(er) planes so you won’t get that premium Business experience you may have read about simply because of the plane model.
- Research the best airline loyalty schemes and how to maximise your points purchasing Business Class tickets. If you have one of those credit cards that collects points for an airline every time you use the card, you’ll have enough points to pay for those Business Class flights in no time. Just make sure to pay off your credit card in good time!
