Over the years, my opinion about flying business class from the East Coast to Europe has changed more than once.
When my wife Sharon and I first started traveling to Europe, we flew economy class. In fact, I’m pretty sure everyone still called it “coach” back then.
What did it matter? We were younger, the seats bothered us less, and we were thrilled just to be visiting places such as London and Paris. The plane was simply how we got there.
Then I learned about points and miles, and suddenly flying in business class became possible.
When Business Class Became Part Of The Trip
One of our first major redemptions was for business-class flights to Japan with lie-flat seats. Since then, we’ve flown business class to Australia, Japan and Singapore.
On flights that long, the difference is significant. Having enough time to eat, sleep for several hours and still enjoy the rest of the flight can change the entire experience.
That was certainly true when we flew from Los Angeles to Singapore. The lie-flat bed came in clutch. There was enough time to settle in, have a meal, get meaningful sleep and still have hours remaining before landing.
That’s the type of flight where I’d spend miles I’ve been saving for a special award ticket.
Flights between the East Coast and Western Europe are different.
How Much Sleep Are You Really Getting?
A lie-flat seat is obviously more comfortable than sitting upright in economy. I’m never going to argue otherwise.
However, an overnight flight from the East Coast to London, Paris or Frankfurt may only last six or seven hours. Once you account for the meal service, cabin lights, passengers walking around, announcements and breakfast before landing, how much sleep are you actually getting in that flat bed?
By the time the cabin settles down, there may only be a few useful sleeping hours remaining.
We once chose a longer route home from Paris, connecting through Houston, because it allowed us to fly in a better lie-flat seat. Looking back, that wasn’t the best choice. We received a more comfortable flight, but we also spent several additional hours traveling when a more direct itinerary would have gotten us home sooner, which is more important to us.
That experience started making me question whether I was placing too much importance on the seat and not enough on the overall trip.
Trying Premium Economy Instead
Over the years, premium economy has become a much more attractive option for us.
We first experimented with it on Virgin Atlantic from New York to London. At the time, I wasn’t convinced that the premium seat made enough difference on a short overnight flight, particularly since neither of us slept very well.
However, we had a much better impression of the cabin when we flew Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy from London Gatwick to Orlando.
The seat wasn’t great for sleeping, but it was comfortable for reclining, watching movies and passing the time on a longer daytime flight. That made me realize that premium economy might work better for us on the flight home than on the overnight trip to Europe.
More recently, we flew United Premium Plus from Newark to London. It provided more space, a smaller cabin and a more relaxed experience than economy.
It still wasn’t business class, and the seat had limited adjustability. However, it did what we needed it to do. For a relatively short overnight flight, Premium Plus was comfortable enough without costing us business-class prices.
That flight also provided an interesting comparison with Norse Atlantic’s Premium cabin from London Gatwick to Orlando.
Norse provided a more basic experience overall, but the seat had an impressive amount of legroom. My one-way ticket cost $450, which was reasonable for a seat that I found more comfortable than some traditional premium economy products.
It showed that I don’t necessarily need upgraded meals, lounge access and polished service. Sometimes I just want a seat that gives me enough room to stay comfortable during the flight.
Our latest experience was Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy from London Heathrow to Orlando.
For us, Virgin Premium Economy continues to occupy a useful middle ground. The seat is noticeably better than economy, the smaller cabin makes the flight feel less hectic, and the airport experience is smoother.
It’s not a discounted version of business class. You’re still sitting upright, and the food isn’t enough of an improvement to justify the upgrade on its own. But for a daytime flight when we aren’t trying to sleep, it provides most of what we value.
If premium economy is available at a reasonable price, I’d be just as willing to book it as business class.
Then We Flew Economy To Germany
Our recent trip to Germany gave us another chance to reconsider how much the cabin matters.
We had originally booked Lufthansa business class from Washington Dulles to Munich for 70,000 Aeroplan miles per person. That was a great deal, and I’d happily book a similar award again.
Unfortunately, strikes disrupted our itinerary. Aeroplan eventually rebooked us on United economy from Washington Dulles to Frankfurt.
After receiving a refund for the downgrade from business class to economy, the flight ended up costing us only 28,000 Aeroplan miles per person.
That price may have been affected by irregular operations and how Aeroplan recalculated the ticket, so I wouldn’t expect to find the same flight for 28,000 miles every day. Still, it demonstrated how large the difference can be between the cost of economy and business class.
We weren’t sitting in Economy Plus or in an empty row. We sat in the middle section of the economy cabin.
Was it comfortable? Not particularly.
Did we sleep much? No.
Would I have preferred the Lufthansa business-class seats we originally booked? Absolutely.
But we managed.
When we finally arrived in Germany, we were tired. Still, we had made it across the Atlantic. It’s hard to ignore the difference between that price and the number of miles we could have spent on business class.
Extra Legroom Can Change The Calculation
I’m not going to pretend that our United economy flight made me eager to start booking seats in the back of the plane.
Economy is still my last choice, and I’m going to do what I reasonably can to avoid it.
However, I no longer rule it out completely.
If premium economy isn’t available, paying for an Economy Plus, Main Cabin Extra or another extra-legroom seat could make the tradeoff easier. A few additional inches won’t turn economy into business class, but they can make a shorter overnight flight more manageable.
There’s also a significant difference between accepting economy because it’s the only practical option and choosing it because it’s cheapest. I’m still willing to pay more or use additional miles for comfort. I’m just not willing to pay almost any price.
When I’d Still Book Business Class
None of this means I’ve given up on business class to Europe.
When the price is right, I’ll book it.
The 70,000-mile Lufthansa awards we found for Germany were an excellent deal. For a direct or convenient itinerary at that price, I wouldn’t hesitate to choose business class again.
The calculation becomes more difficult when business class costs 100,000 miles or more, while economy is available for 20,000 to 40,000 miles, and premium economy is 50,000 to 60,000 miles. It becomes even harder when an award includes large surcharges or requires an inconvenient connection.
At that point, I’m not just deciding whether a lie-flat seat would be nice. Of course, it would be nice.
I’m deciding whether several hours of additional comfort are worth spending two, three or even four times as many miles.
I’d rather save my miles for a flight such as Los Angeles to Singapore, where a lie-flat bed provides enough time for real sleep and has a meaningful effect on how we feel when we arrive.
My Current Transatlantic Strategy
My approach now depends on the price and the options available.
I’ll book business class when I find a genuinely good deal. I’m also perfectly happy booking premium economy when the price makes sense. Our experiences with United, Virgin Atlantic and Norse have shown that a good recliner seat can provide enough additional comfort for a transatlantic flight without requiring business-class pricing.
Economy remains my last resort.
I’m going to look for premium economy, consider paying for extra legroom and check whether there’s an affordable business-class option before settling for a standard economy seat. But if none of those alternatives work, I’m no longer going to act as if flying economy ruins the trip.
For us, the plane is primarily a way to get from Point A to Point B. The flight isn’t the reason for the trip.
We’re traveling because we want to visit London, Germany, Singapore or wherever else we’re headed. A comfortable flight is preferable, but the destination is still what matters.
I’d rather arrive in business class. I’d be quite happy arriving in premium economy. But if economy is the only reasonable option, I’m not going to let the seat prevent us from taking the trip.
What’s your approach to transatlantic flights? Do you insist on a lie-flat seat, prefer premium economy or save your miles and manage the flight in economy? Let me know in the comments!
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