first class

flying has become such a pita over the years, the economics, the security, and finally the recession filling up fewer flights. I wouldn't even call it steerage. The experience is more like a cattle feed lot, being crammed into a tiny space next to strangers you would never choose to sit next to. Like this;

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R5mVF6jeTU]Seinfeld - YouTube[/ame]

It's worse than taking a bus. All the adventure aspect gone. It used to be different, not so rushed and uptight from what I remember as a kid. Then of course there were the Pan Am clipper ship days that can only be seen in pictures. Until I saw this clip which is the best produced clip of the best 1st class experience I have seen on these video's. The 747 is my favorite plane, flew on it years ago, with one flight almost empty so I had a whole row to myself. This Lufthansa 747 has the best layout I can imagine. When the flight attendant says we are going to take off the guy should say "make it so". It's unfortunate that so few airlines are buying the new 747-8.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pes3wGR_YF8]Lufthansa's *NEW* First Class--A Bed AND a Seat! Boeing 747 Frankfurt to San Francisco - YouTube[/ame]

 

back in the day when we were in school, broke or bored , my friend would invite me to fly with him always in First Class, we would get fantastic meals and booze expecially on overseas flights... his father was one of the top executives with an airline and he had access to free flights anywhere we would decide to go... a level of service no longer available today...plus got to go places we otherwise wouldn't have seen... my memories feel your pain

 

I hate flying in cattle class.

Used to fly 100K miles a year, and then for the last 3 years I haven't flown anywhere except for holidays.

Now, I have started a new job where I have flown about 15 times in the last year, and will easily double that total this year, not counting my holidays. Sat in the back each time, except once where I paid $175 out of my own pocket to upgrade on AA on a 7 hour long trip with one stop. Even the front of the bus isn't what it used to be either. IMHO a lot of airlines first class sections (for lack of a better term) are the equivalent of what economy used to be like 25 years ago. And, on international long hauls, having used the flat beds in first, all I can say is, thank gawd for my upgrade and status, because for the $12K price of the round trip ticket, I would never pay for that out of my own pocket if I was a millionaire.

The only thing that makes travelling even doable for me today is being able to pre-select my preferred seat, board first before the rest of the Clampett clan, and sit in a lounge before or between flights. Oh yeah, having a NEXUS card helps too.......puts you in special security or customs line, with almost no one else in it. But the quality of the airlines product today, is simply put, pure bull****.

 

I think its because of a general lowering of standards in most things.
Look at pictures of people flying in the 50's 60's and 70's, the men are wearing a jacket and a tie, and the ladies are in their Sunday best. Peoples behavior has also dropped, you only have to stand at any airline counter for a few minutes to hear this.
If people act like cattle the airlines will treat you so...maybe introducing a simple dress code would start a new level of respect on both ends....this coming from a guy who spend all day in shorts, a T shirt and flip flops..LOL

 

Yes that happened because of deregulation carried out by Al Kahn under Carter of all people. Prior to that from the start of flying commercially the Civil Aeronautics Board approved routes and set fares that guaranteed airlines a 12 percent return on flights that had 55% occupancy. The dereg made it possible for bare bones discount airlines to come into existence and they shrunk everyones space adding a seat across and more rows to the same space to make up for the lost revenue.

The rest is history with a steady and long string of bankruptcies and reorganizations that took famous historic names away like Pan-Am and TWA .......

I agree completely.

 

I bought my own airplane so I wouldn't have to deal with this stuff. You guys should look into it.

 

I agree the quality of the airlines' product these days is pure garbage. Especially when the only service that's within reach is cattle class.

It's not so much the inflight experience (which is bad, but tolerable), but rather the customer service that's attached to it. Somewhere along the way companies dropped the service aspect of a given purchase, and no one has been more efficient at it than the airlines. Once they've sold you your ticket, everything's fine until there's a hiccup and then you're ****ed.

And don't even get me started on "security" these days, it's a hassle and not even CLOSE to effective. Anyone who works in aviation can list off dozens of ways that one could cause harm easily.

UGH. the whole damn thing sucks.

I've had mostly positive experiences with exactly ONE airline, and I will fly them all day long, except they only fly domestic. My absolute worst experience with them was neutral.

I think you and I have been down this road before.....

 

I don't recall

 

we are getting what we want to pay for, we did it to ourselves...we can't expect any extras of service or anything else at these low margins... the price of ticket is redicously low, offering a lot of value in getting from one place to another... the price ( the raw number ) of a ticket is less than it was back in the day, while the same dollar buys much less today than it did back then... we have voted with our credit cards... flying is competing with the price of a bus ticket... things have been unbundled, where baggage is an extra cost option... yet the fuel and other operating expenses have gone through the roof... the option to pay for better service is there, but the masses put it on ignore, choosing rather to complain than foster better service

 

I'm lucky I guess.

I also do my best to only fly one airline, as I have had good experience with them for as long as I can remember.

I usually pay the difference out of pocket to be in 1st class, which as others have stated give me the extra leg room ( I'm 6'4" and 220 ) early boarding, and since I carry on ( no checked luggage ) a place to put my bag near where I am sitting.

I fly at least once a month, sometimes as many as 3 times a month, all over the US, Canada, and at times Europe ( Italy - Germany )

It might be that I am not a " Road Dog " like others here, but with exception to the AC in Newark, the First Class experience has met my expectations.

I agree with the dress code and personal hygene criteria though...

Just my .02 worth.

S

p.s. United is a whole other story though.. LoL

 

I'll agree with you on that. Several years ago, I got upgraded to first class on an ATL-SEA flight, which was good because it was a 4+ hour flight. Although the wider seat was a plus, the meal was no better than I remember getting in coach as little as 15 years ago.

 

In 1962 I flew in coach on a Northwest 707 and had steak and wine and real silverware with which to eat it.

 

In my experience first class on a European airline is still good. And I've heard Asian airlines are even better.

 

People are buying one thing, and one thing ONLY.

LOW, CHEAP FARES.

We got what we wanted.

Period.

Heck, if the FAA would allow people standing in the aisles, holding a bar above... it would happen.

 

When I was young in the 70's a trip from ny to fl was $250 more or less the same as it is now 35 years later, fuel prices salaries pensions aircraft everything else that goes into the product is 4 to 5 times more. Flying has never been more affordable relatively speaking.

If you fly international the even business class is infinitely better than first was 20 years ago. Today on pretty much every foreign airline business gets you a flatbed seat, something that did not even exist in first.

Service in first on an airline like Cathay is so good and comfortable you really don't want the flight to end. Basically you can fly long distance these days, sleep comfortably and eat well, with a choice of movies on demand, meals from a menus when you want them. In the 60's first meant a wider seat that reclined further, no privacy and probably cigarette smoke. Today they even give you a sleep suit to change into.

Coach domestic is so bad, only a bus is worse, and busses are way worse than they were 30 years ago. It's not just the seats, it's being packed into an immovable space, bad air, endless shrieking announcements security lines etc, total lack of any human dignity, cattle class or steerage comes to mind, you're unlikely to get off a packed domestic flight and not have picked up some type of respiratory infection.

If you can take the train, or drive. In dec when I go ny fl I Judy drive to avoid the whole airport scene let alone the flight, but then I fly o much during the year that the last thing I want to experience vacation time is a domestic airline.

That all being said lately one can fly from white plains to Wpb on a new embrader jet with rows of 2+2 seats and its an almost pleasant experience.

My guess is a premium domestic airline would find it hard going, airline flyers are like Walmart shoppers, cheaper is better.

 

I flew first class from Hong Kong to Singapore on Singapore air on a brand new A380. About 3 hours long and -- remarkable.

I had a private room (yes, you can put up the shades complete with "do not disturb" sign) measuring about 8 x 8 --- just for ONE person. It had no bed, just a leather couch, credenza, pull out wood table, 42 inch plasma TV, Bose noise reduction headphones, and 5 course meal. The room looked like mahogany -- each room was custom fit to the space.

When you want to sleep, you push a button and the flight attendant comes over and converts your space into a bedroom with a one piece flat bed that was stored in the unit behind a wall. Flannel pajamas and slippers are provided. The bathroom looks like its from an expensive hotel.

For every 2 1st class passengers, there was about 1 attendant to take care of them. And on-board chef prepared each meal according to your taste.

On a typical United 3 hour first class flight on United, I'll be lucky to get some peanuts in a cup, a diet coke in a glass, some wilted salad with no choice of dressing, one pat of butter for the roll sealed in cellophane, and a cookie which may have at one time been warm.

American airlines have completely destroyed the notion of the romance of flying. Cost cutting in 1st class has been going on for decades and I see it getting worse.

Yes, Asian airlines are better!

 

Even coach class on European airlines is better than their American counterparts. My last flight to London on British Airways was much nicer than any domestic flight I've taken in the last 20 years.

 

Hey Jason ,
Didn't you get a PC-12 ? All those seats are first class especially the left front seat !

Sincerely,
Edward

 

Yes I did. I've flown it everywhere too. I'm in Aspen right now. Anyone else here?
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the best part is if you think you may need something you can take it with you...

no need trying to drag anything through the airportor banned by the screeners

 

Beautiful plane!

 

1971 pre-deregulation coach seating on United that had larger seats, wider spacing, and more leg room, not to mention the funky lounge which would probably spark fueds today.

Also another key component to comfort is the planes shape, wide bodies are much better in that regard because the ceiling is higher and of course wider. You can stand up! Smaller palnes with MUCH tighter seating arrangements are the biggest problem. That is another reason why private jets do not appeal to me.


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta3Z0XlknPc]1971 United Airlines DC-10 Commercial - YouTube[/ame]

 

Damn! I just missed you. Are you staying in Aspen or Snow Mass?

 

Nell

 

They're having some Ferrari event here also. Lots of corporate folks hanging around and Ferrari's in the motor court.