UAalltheway From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (7 years 1 month 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 2269 times:
I've always flown on economy tickets. Sometime's they're higher fare classes (less-retrictions) than others, but they're always in economy. The only time I'm in First (or Business) class is if I use miles or another form of upgrade-certificate to upgrade.
BRAVO7E7 From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 1840 posts, RR: 20 Reply 2, posted (7 years 1 month 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 2262 times:
The answer is frequent flyer programs, as they really do help. I always fly on low coach fare classes, and have had the fortune of only flying C or F in the past year or so, including internationally. Find a good FF program, fly a lot, and stay loyal to it.
"To find fault is easy: To do better may be difficult." -Plutarch
DeltaGator From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 16 Reply 3, posted (7 years 1 month 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 2260 times:
Joining the FF programs does help. I fly DL out of ATL because they give me the best options for when I want to fly somewhere. When on business I usually buy the unrestricted or slightly restricted Y ticket. A lot of times that gets me the upgrade into F at the time of purchase. If I don't get the upgrade at purchase I almost always get it when my window opens up 72 hours or so before the flight as a Gold Medallion.
I get the higher fare tickets mainly because I almost always have to switch my return flight because of a late meeting or something and I don't want to be at the bottom of the list for standby or pay a huge amount to confirm me on the flight with the fare difference sinc the lower fares are usually sold out by that time.
Luckily my company allows us to fly business class when going overseas. That helps a lot when you're expected to be in the office the next day after arrival and hit the ground running. I've never found business class affordable if I'm paying for it and usually use miles to upgrade to it on personal trips or just get the ticket outright with miles. I do have the Amex Platinum card and I need to use the flight benefits with it. If I buy an C or J class ticket on certain airlines I get a companion ticket as well in the same class. Now just to figure out where to go with the little lady.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
i always fly economy. I'm in college and i cannot afford anything else.. I got bumped up to bizfirst on CO 3 times (TLV-EWR).. the route that i fly about 10 times a year if not more.
FutureUALpilot From United States of America, joined May 2000, 2561 posts, RR: 8 Reply 8, posted (7 years 1 month 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 2202 times:
Quoting CO7e7 (Reply 7): i always fly economy. I'm in college and i cannot afford anything else
Even if I could afford otherwise, I would rather spend the $$$ at my destination than getting to my destination.
MSNtriathlete From United States of America, joined Feb 2006, 159 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (7 years 1 month 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 2199 times:
Mostly economy here, as most flights out of MSN are longer flights on RJ's. The exception would be Midwest's Signature service 717's out of MKE, or the NW routings from here via MSP to the west coast, where I can usually get a pretty good fare or upgrade for F for all flight segments. NW's F is significantly cheaper than most of the other majors, at least out of MSN most of the time, and they fly mostly mainline jets here with an F cabin.
Prebennorholm From Denmark, joined Mar 2000, 6019 posts, RR: 55 Reply 12, posted (7 years 1 month 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 2171 times:
During the last 20 years or so I have only flown on economy class - or single class on LCCs.
My company only made $19 billion profit last year. We can't afford business class. We all fly economy, or LCC, or our own biz jets when that's more practical.
Always keep your number of landings equal to your number of take-offs, Preben Norholm
Nwafflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 1050 posts, RR: 2 Reply 13, posted (7 years 1 month 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 2172 times:
NWA has the best loyalty program out there for domestic flights -- I'm platinum, and if I am not upgraded on a mainline flight, I get 1000 additional miles. that of course doesn't count on the Mesaba RJ's
Internationally, NWA beats KLM on a cheap ticket, and KLM within Europe is really silly with it's upgrades -- upgrade to 'what' is the question
Continental is my favorite airline, best coach and best first class product domestically (including all of NA), but i'v enever tried them overseas
UAalltheway From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 14, posted (7 years 1 month 2 days ago) and read 2166 times:
Quoting Nwafflyer (Reply 13): NWA has the best loyalty program out there for domestic flights -- I'm platinum, and if I am not upgraded on a mainline flight, I get 1000 additional miles. that of course doesn't count on the Mesaba RJ's
That may be true for you since you're top-tier, but for lower-tiers on a complimentary upgrade system (US, DL, and CO also have these) it really sucks.
AA and UA have a threshold: every 10,000 miles you fly gives you 4 500-mile upgrade certificates. Than you can use these certificates based on the distance of the flight (in miles) to upgrade. I think these threshold-systems are the best- it makes sure those who REALLY fly alot get upgrades, not just those who do maybe 2 Asia trips, than are always getting complimentary upgrades whenever they fly.
UAalltheway From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 16, posted (7 years 1 month 2 days ago) and read 2163 times:
Quoting Nwafflyer (Reply 15): lol - I fly about 160 segments a year, well over 100,000 miles -- I do think I deserve the upgrades
haha.. I know you do. I was just talking about the lower-tier elites, who possibly fly all the time but it's only short routes so they don't get a ton of miles, but still have to compete with people who have done just like two roundtrips to Asia.
BRAVO7E7 From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 1840 posts, RR: 20 Reply 17, posted (7 years 1 month 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 2160 times:
Quoting Nwafflyer (Reply 13): NWA has the best loyalty program out there for domestic flights -- I'm platinum, and if I am not upgraded on a mainline flight, I get 1000 additional miles.
Since when has this been a benefit? Is it published?
"To find fault is easy: To do better may be difficult." -Plutarch
DesertAir From Mexico, joined Jan 2006, 1389 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (7 years 1 month 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 2156 times:
I fly economy all of the time out of Tucson. Most of my flights are on WN. When I do have the opportunity, price usually scares me away. The few times I have flown Business or FC were paid for by others.
Thepilot From Canada, joined Jan 2010, 5 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (7 years 1 month 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 2152 times:
I have never flown anything other than economy in my life. Never been upgraded to first or even business class. The best I have ever done is an exit row. Oh well, I am not that rich.
Sllevin From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 3376 posts, RR: 6 Reply 20, posted (7 years 1 month 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 2137 times:
Quoting BRAVO7E7 (Reply 17): Since when has this been a benefit? Is it published?
They started it in 2004 (along with Platinum Companion) and yes, it's a published benefit. But I'd take the upgrade over the 1,000 miles any time.
I do end up in coach sometimes -- even on longhaul -- but I try and avoid it. To answer the OP's question, one of the best uses of miles (in my book) is to upgrade from coach to business.
AlexPorter From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 21, posted (7 years 1 month 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 2109 times:
I've always flown economy. I have enough NW miles for a one-way upgrade, but I figure I'll wait until I have 25,000 miles and wait for a free round-trip. Actually, for my last itinerary, MSP-DEN-PHX on F9, my mom actually offered to upgrade me to first class, which was unfortunate since F9 is all-economy.
747LUVR From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 392 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (7 years 1 month 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 2092 times:
Always fly C....rather spend the extra on my destination. But loyalty gets you bumped up, SOMETIMES-now rarley, huh?
25 MrCraigDav: I fly economy usually. I have travelled quite a bit with BA on business, but Club Europe is just like economy anyway, apart you get on and off first.
26 Ncfc99: The only time I am in business class is when I am on the way to economy class.
27 Highpeaklad: I always travel economy class. I also join every FF programme I can eg Emirates so that you can pre select your seat, Gulf Air for the extra 10kg bagg
28 Checo77: I always fly economy class, since I like it!!! I love people so I have no problem flying economy. You are not the only one Adam
29 Alphafloor: I economy and business from time to time, but mostly economy. Cheers, Alejandro
30 Hoppe777: Well you have to fly alot to get business class awards, a few transatlantic flights atleast to have the option. Then if you want to upgrade you have t
31 IBERIA747: I have flown at least 200 times, and have only flown on F/C twice. The first time I was upgraded to First Class on a Delta flight (ATL-GUA on a B737-8
32 YYZflyer: I always fly economy unless it's not really expensive
33 TimePilot: I'd love to fly JAL Business, but like I mentioned earlier, it's WAY too expensive. Twice the price of an economy ticket I believe, which would put it
34 Fbgdavidson: OK, I'll bite. I'm fortunate enough to fly business class most of the time, I don't hate economy it is just better in Business or First. Although not
35 RoseFlyer: I rarely pay first class or business class, but do fly them sometimes. I always book economy for domestic flights. Since I am a UA elite, I get some u
36 SW733: I ALWAYS fly economy...never seen anything but, except once when I was bumped up on a short MCI-ORD flight. I agree, though, it seems like a ridiculou
37 Safs: I have never flown anything but economy and I don't have a problem with doing so, although it would be nice to experience the front of the plane one d
38 Joffie: You could always fly Virgin Blue and sit in 1F Anyway, i always fly cheap class because i like to see the wings
39 Safs: Haha the cheapest first class in the skies! If only the service was the same!
40 RoseFlyer: I think a large part of that is people are more vocal about flying first class. For someone that flies both, they are more likely to write a trip rep
41 TimePilot: I've used to fly SwissAir business class frequently when I was younger. That was cool (I haven't flown them since they became Swiss.) I flew 1st class
42 Cactus739: I've only flown first class once in the past many years.....it was nice but I wouldn't spend extra money for it. Besides...most of my travels are on S
43 Daleaholic: I have only ever flown in economy, maybe some luck sweet talking the check in person next time I fly?
44 Danairbus: I have always flown in economy. First class is just more money that economy.
45 AlexPorter: It's probably better than 1A in a CRJ at the bulkhead!
46 Kdm: I always fly economy unless the flight is greater than 8 hours then it is business. Over the past 18 months I have got 400,000 miles on SIA's krissfly
47 Fanofjets: My thoughts precisely. Flying and going to a new destination are exciting rewards in themselves; I don't mind giving up a little leg room and the com
48 Icarus75: I've flown business twice while I was working for a company on CDG-HKG-TPE-HKG-CDG with CX. After that, I've only flown Economy even for loghauls like
49 Flyboy36y: I almost allways buy Y and upgrade. I've bought J a few times but I seldom fly Y....
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