Here at Cheapflights.co.za, we consider ourselves experts in simplifying travel. And navigating your way to a more comfortable journey has got to be up there with our main flying concerns. Flying Business Class may seem like a pipe dream for those of us who are used to getting the allocated middle-seat on a budget airline flight, but the idea of kicking back in the Business Lounge with a glass of Champagne in hand may not be so far-fetched according to our recent number crunching.
We’ve been sifting through the data and it may surprise you that flying indirect could lead to massive savings on Business Class travel. For example, flying direct from Cape Town to London in Business Class could cost R96700 per person (yikes…). However, switching to an indirect flight would save you up to 41%.
Pretty tempting, right? Head onto Cheapflights.co.za and get searching. And if it’s your first time upgrading, you might want to prepare yourself for these things that might happen the first time you fly Business Class…
You’ll bury a hatchet
Regular economy fliers can have a rocky relationship with the departure areas at airports. Bones of contention come in the form of over-priced airport food and drink, and a lack of comfortable seating. When you fly Business Class, however, all is forgiven. Depending on which airline you fly with, your pre-flight airport lounge will give you access to everything from showers to spa treatments.
You’ll consider taking up Tai Chi
The average Business Class seat pitch measures in between 39 and 82 inches. With all this previously unavailable space, your mind will probably start to consider other ways of making the most of it on the plane. Tai Chi is one option. The Brazilian art of capoeira is another.
You won’t have to lift a finger
Regular economy fliers will be more than familiar with the deadlift manoeuvre that has to be completed every time you want to store your cabin luggage in the overhead lockers. In Business Class, though, most berths come with feet-level storage solutions. For example, Turkish Airlines has a foot rest that doubles up as a storage bin. So your biceps will get a bit of a time out when you upgrade.
You’ll give yourself a headache
On Business Class flights it’s not unusual for the Champagne corks to take flight before the actual aircraft does. It’s possible to have a glass of freshly poured bubbles in hand from the second you sit down. Then, as drinks are free throughout Business Class flights, it’s easy to get carried away with a ‘five o clock somewhere’ philosophy. Flying with Singapore Airlines? Well, it would be rude not to try a Singapore Sling. Flying out of New York? Best sample a Manhattan.
You’ll get a taste of the high life
When was the last time you got excited at the sight of a table cloth? Maybe never. However, when the first meal service starts on your Business Class flight and you are presented with your very own table cloth, salt and pepper shakers, and silver cutlery, you’ll be left feeling pretty regal…
You’ll finish your in-flight meal for the first time
On some airlines, economy class in-flight food doubles up as the entertainment. You can pass a good half hour challenging your travel companions to see who can identify what it is that’s in those little plastic boxes marked up as beef or chicken. In Business Class, though, you order your meals from a menu. Choices can include steak, king prawns and sometimes even petit fours.
You’ll learn a new language
Parlez vous Business Class? You will after a long-haul flight in the premium seats. Bits of vocab to look out for are ‘air miles’, ‘portfolio’, and ‘Wall Street Journal’.
You’ll get a decent night’s sleep
Falling asleep in an economy seat can be a minefield. Your head bobs too far to the right and you turn the complete stranger next to you into a human pillow. Your head bobs too far forward and you wake up feeling like you’ve slept on a red hot poker. Depending which airline you fly with, you’ll either get a fully reclining bed or one that comes close to being horizontal in Business Class. So you should have no problem catching 40 winks.
