Business Class vs. Economy Class

By James Stone -

Personally, I hate flying, which is a bit of a disability for a long-time travel fan. And it's not like I'm scared of heights. I don't really find the fact that I'm in a tin box 40,000 feet up in the air much of a problem. Mainly, I hate it because it's just so uncomfortable.

I hate long-haul flights the most – being stuck for hours on end in some tiny airline seat, your knees jammed up against the seat in front of you, and you can almost feel the blood starting to thicken up in the veins in your legs. Then the fat guy sitting in the aisle seat falls asleep and you know you're stuck there until landing, which is only ten and a half hours away.

Imagine my delight then, when, as I was checking in with a friend for a flight to New Zealand, contemplating the potential horror of 24 hours (one whole day I'll never get back) in economy class, the guy handing me the tickets apologises profusely, telling me that there's no way that he can get us two seats together, so he's afraid that he'll have to put us in business class. I was wearing flip flops and surfing shorts at the time.

Business class is really something else. For anyone who isn't a midget, leg room is always bound to be something of an issue in your typical economy class seat. Business class gets round this little inconvenience by giving you a bed. Well, it's a massive comfortable leather armchair, with a little button you can press to turn it into a bed. And I can honestly say I have never slept so well.

But when you're not sleeping, you can sit up, and rest your feet on your own personal footstool, whilst watching your own personal TV, being served Chardonnay on demand and eating with real cutlery.

When we finally landed in New Zealand, I admit that I was disappointed.

But the problem is that now I can never fly economy class again. The trouble is that I'm an incredibly jealous person by nature, and if I ever get on a flight now, I'll know that there are rich people lounging around and stretching their legs as they watch the in-flight movie, while I'm back here suffering the child who insists on opening and closing his food tray on the back of my chair every five seconds.

For me, there are three basic attractions of business class. The first is obviously the comfort, the second I think is the kudos of being treated like a rich businessman. But for us upgraded types, there is a third and most important factor: the knowledge that you're getting something for free.

Find the best flights offers with UK Net Guide’s flight search – we bring the best of the web, to you!