I'm not a snob - honest!!!

[tinks_1989]

personally I have always thought of upgrading a flight a waste of money it doesnt get you there any quicker I know it may be more enjoyable but I would rather upgrade a hotel then a flight

 

[wayneg]

personally I have always thought of upgrading a flight a waste of money it doesnt get you there any quicker I know it may be more enjoyable but I would rather upgrade a hotel then a flight

Until we tried Business class in August I always said anything other than economy was a waste of money, now after experiencing it I still wouldn't pay crazy prices but willing to pay a lot more than economy. Personally I would rather go business class flights and a good value hotel (eg OKW with free DDP or a Fairfield Inn offsite) but we see a hotel to sleep in a few hours, don't use any facilities.
Before August having only experienced economy I would have said it gets you there and back, its fine, after try better I now know why people would rather not fly economy.
If we go Easter it will be economy, August hoping for a Business class offer.

 

[mickeyforpresident]

That is the positive thinking

I would rather go PE in Jan however it is econ or not go at all so easy choice. (though I am hoping that virgin will the upgrades for £150 at the airport)

Now this is interesting - what's this all about? £150 - and you ask at check-in? Can you do this if you do online check-in?

 

[wideeyes]

Now this is interesting - what's this all about? £150 - and you ask at check-in? Can you do this if you do online check-in?

When we went in september 2008 they were doing PE upgrades for £150 per person one way at the airport. If they do it when we go in January I will upgrade.
I wouldn't think it matters if you do OLCI ot not confused3

 

[oceanscape]

Now this is interesting - what's this all about? £150 - and you ask at check-in? Can you do this if you do online check-in?

It's extremely unlikely there will be availability for your dates in August. And in the event there is, it's more likely to be £250 than £150 (each way).

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Good grief. It's economy, not the deep dark depths of hell.

Actually if you have long legs it IS the depths of hell!
the seat pitch is 31" both my wife and I have longer legs than that. the one time in Economy we both had bad backs for days afterwards after being cramped in.
You cannot sleep in seats which recline a couple of inches, the food is of a cheap quality, the luggage allowance is rubbish, and so it goes on.

To me its not either or, if you don't do it properly, don't do it at all, and thats all sections of the holiday.

 

[Neoshoegal]

Until we tried Business class in August I always said anything other than economy was a waste of money, now after experiencing it I still wouldn't pay crazy prices but willing to pay a lot more than economy. Personally I would rather go business class flights and a good value hotel (eg OKW with free DDP or a Fairfield Inn offsite) but we see a hotel to sleep in a few hours, don't use any facilities.
Before August having only experienced economy I would have said it gets you there and back, its fine, after try better I now know why people would rather not fly economy.
If we go Easter it will be economy, August hoping for a Business class offer.

Have to agree with Wayne here, also used to think that it just couldn't be worth it. Once you've experienced the difference a few times, it gets harder and harder to go back. I consider myself very lucky have been able to fly business a few times now (mainly thanks to special offers, and once for my 30th birthday).
Now we really don't want to go back to economy or even PE anymore. For us now, the flight has become an enjoyable part of the holiday and would rather save a bit longer than go economy.

 

[Kath2003]

Actually if you have long legs it IS the depths of hell!
the seat pitch is 31" both my wife and I have longer legs than that. the one time in Economy we both had bad backs for days afterwards after being cramped in.
You cannot sleep in seats which recline a couple of inches, the food is of a cheap quality, the luggage allowance is rubbish, and so it goes on.

To me its not either or, if you don't do it properly, don't do it at all, and thats all sections of the holiday.

My partner is 6' and had no problems in economy. Granted it wasn't exactly roomy but it far from crippled either of us.

Sleeping on the way out there isn't important for us since it's the daytime and we accept that we will be pretty tired on the return journey and get some sleep when we get home.

The food isn't much different to PE (at least it isn't on BA flights) and we take a few snacks for if we're hungry. We eat a proper meal when we arrive at each destination.

The luggage allowance is 46kg! We don't even bring enough stuff to bother to check bags but if we did, I think somehow between the two of us we'd manage to pack less than 92kg worth of belongings PLUS hand luggage for a two-week vacation

For our Easter trip it would cost over £700 MORE with Virgin to fly PE. Given the complaints you mentioned above, we'd spend the money instead on either upgrading a hotel (£50 more per night for a two week vacation), paying for a massage, extending the holiday by several days, dining at Victoria and Alberts a couple of times and shipping the kitchen sink over there to meet us on arrival

For us, we can't justify spending that kind of money for a meal that will still be average, a little bit extra comfort and more baggage that we probably wouldn't need anyway. For us, it's about being there, not getting there. Flying economy means we can be there for longer, that we can make the most of it when we're there and more importantly that we can go back twice as often!

(Then again, we have been known the fly the dreaded American Airlines, with whom I have experienced service just as good as, if not better than, BA or VA. Oh and the food is the best I've had in the air too - who knew that 'slumming it' would pay off? )

 

[disneyholic family]

Good grief. It's economy, not the deep dark depths of hell.

Until we tried Business class in August I always said anything other than economy was a waste of money, now after experiencing it I still wouldn't pay crazy prices but willing to pay a lot more than economy. Personally I would rather go business class flights and a good value hotel (eg OKW with free DDP or a Fairfield Inn offsite) but we see a hotel to sleep in a few hours, don't use any facilities.
Before August having only experienced economy I would have said it gets you there and back, its fine, after try better I now know why people would rather not fly economy.
If we go Easter it will be economy, August hoping for a Business class offer.

wow - a total conversion Wayne!!
you've been born again!!

You're not just singing the praises of business class, but onsite as well.....i'm starting to believe....in everything....santa, the tooth fairy, even tinker bell...


by the way, DH is 6' 7" tall and he ALWAYS travels business class (other than within the US)....
he simply cannot fit in an economy seat.....that is, his legs just don't fit...no way..no how...
when he was young it was manageable, but no more....

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Kath,
It all depends on how you are built, if you have long legs compared to your torso size etc.

Travelling back up to the midlands I would NOT even contemplate it without sleep. it is dangerous. lack of sleep is a motorway killer.

The luggage allowance on both BA and Virgin Economy is now 1 x 23KG case per person, not a lot if you shop whilst in Florida.

Again, we are all different and as a diabetic I cannot wait until what is 10pm at night to eat a proper meal.

I already have very good accommodation, so would not need to upgrade a hotel room, we already go to V & A's for a meal (again, more luggage requirements for that) extending the holiday is not an option and massages are part of the Upper Class experiance anyway.

Again, WDW is not the B all and end all of our vacations, just part of it, the same way as the flight is part of our vacation. Our holiday starts tyhe night before at the Hilton or Sofitel and ends when I pick the car up from the Valet parking back at the airport. Each part of it including the flight is integral to a good time, not a ways and means to an end.

You might not be able to justify the cost, however many of us do, hence the full PE/UC/CW cabins on the flights to the USA.

 

[tinks_1989]

Until we tried Business class in August I always said anything other than economy was a waste of money, now after experiencing it I still wouldn't pay crazy prices but willing to pay a lot more than economy. Personally I would rather go business class flights and a good value hotel (eg OKW with free DDP or a Fairfield Inn offsite) but we see a hotel to sleep in a few hours, don't use any facilities.
Before August having only experienced economy I would have said it gets you there and back, its fine, after try better I now know why people would rather not fly economy.
If we go Easter it will be economy, August hoping for a Business class offer.

I agree that not a great hotel is needed if you are just there to sleep but you are still there more then what you would be on a aeroplane I just cant justify spending so much money on a flight that doesnt get you there any quicker I I don't stand up once on the flight I spend my whole life standing sitting is nice
I am only 5ft so I don't need leg room
I dont go to the toilet even on a nine hour flight I dont know why must be nerves or some thing but sharing a toilet less people also no point
I hate any aeroplane food can't even stand the smell once went with Virgin Upper class didn't find the food any better I would rather take a bag of crisps with me and have a decent breakfast before the flight

That's probably why I don't see the point in the extra money when it could be money towards disney dollars

I just checked our total holiday for 2 weeks (flights parking hotel disney tickets ddp) £2700

upgrade to business class with our flight £2,684

an extra £16 we could go for four weeks instead of two there is no way I can see how any one in their right mind could pay that

 

[Neoshoegal]

an extra £16 we could go for four weeks instead of two there is no way I can see how any one in their right mind could pay that

To each their own. People have declared us insane for going back to WDW over and over again. Others can't even figure out why you'd even want to holiday in WDW as it's (according to them) the tackiest of all places on earth.
People can still be in their right mind and spend a lot of money on things others just don't get.

 

[Kath2003]

Kath,
It all depends on how you are built, if you have long legs compared to your torso size etc.

Travelling back up to the midlands I would NOT even contemplate it without sleep. it is dangerous. lack of sleep is a motorway killer.

The luggage allowance on both BA and Virgin Economy is now 1 x 23KG case per person, not a lot if you shop whilst in Florida.

Again, we are all different and as a diabetic I cannot wait until what is 10pm at night to eat a proper meal.

I already have very good accommodation, so would not need to upgrade a hotel room, we already go to V & A's for a meal (again, more luggage requirements for that) extending the holiday is not an option and massages are part of the Upper Class experiance anyway.

Again, WDW is not the B all and end all of our vacations, just part of it, the same way as the flight is part of our vacation. Our holiday starts tyhe night before at the Hilton or Sofitel and ends when I pick the car up from the Valet parking back at the airport. Each part of it including the flight is integral to a good time, not a ways and means to an end.

You might not be able to justify the cost, however many of us do, hence the full PE/UC/CW cabins on the flights to the USA.

I agree we are all different but personally we cannot justify the cost. I regularly fly with a diabetic and we manage this easily with appropriate snacks or eating in the airport if necessary. I personally can't imagine taking that volume of luggage but I guess you may see it as necessary (we shop out there so we take very little but even what we bring back doesn't weigh anywhere near 23kg). We get a lift to the airport or book a driver to take us so no worries about driving anywhere at either end. Our holiday starts when we arrive in the sunshine and the savings allow us to make the most of our time there, rather than making the travel slightly more enjoyable. That kind of money could pay for a lot of things we really need, or really want, rather than being used up on 10 hours of flight with the same outcome.

I get why people LIKE the upgraded areas of the aircraft. I liked flying in them. That said, I've never PAID to fly in them nor would I because I simply don't feel that what you get justifies the cost. Either way, economy certainly isn't unpleasant and you get to Orlando just as quick

We save even more by flying indirect now. For the sake of another 3 hours travelling time each way, we save £300 each. For us, £50 an hour is worth it, and we've found the service on American Airlines to be equal to or better than BA/VA (and the food significantly better).

 

[wishspirit]

I have never paid to go anything more than economy (except the times we got upgraded, and when we went on Max jet (RIP)). I did enjoy the extra space, the lack of backpain at the end etc (especially as a lot of my height is in my legs), but I would rather fly economy than not fly at all.

I think the key thing is your seat, where on the plane you have it, and the luck of the draw with people around you.

If you have the seats at the very back, or too near the middle, the people in the queue to use the toilet will hold onto your seats and wobble and shake them. Not good. We try and go near the back (but not on the back row) and go for the middle so my mom can be next to an aisle so she can stand up without disturbing people.

Have a great flight, and a magical holiday!

 

[martinrmn]

We have only ever flown economy and to be honest have no complaints. I am not trying to compare myself to others, some can afford the extra money others can't. I am the latter. It would be nice to have more room but to be honest I am happy to get there in one piece and enjoy myself. I have read other comments with interest and can only say I must be easily pleased!! We travel light and tend to spend any extra money on clothes, gifts, food etc. to somewhere we love.We are all individuals and all have different tastes and budgets. One thing I think is safe to say is we all enjoy our holidays whether it is in Florida or elsewhere. My wife and I are both nurses and like the majority of people work hard. We are just glad we are able to afford a holiday. Enjoy yours. Roll on December 3rd.

 

[heatherbelle]

We've never been in PE or UC, always in Econ.

As hubby says, we all get there at the same time. I would love to try out UC, just to have a quilt so I can be nice and warm and snug on the way home.

But we just can't afford it. The money spent on three upgrades to PE in school hols would pay for us all to go to spain for a week. I'd rather have another holiday.

8 hours to Orlando in Econ is nothing, you want to try doing 11 to LA Never again, I said, but alreay thinking of going back there too.

From looking at your selection of hotel, why don't you consider staying somewhere else and using the money you stay for PE, if you don't like the sound of Econ.

 

[barnaby1]

Good grief. It's economy, not the deep dark depths of hell.

Oh - it is actually!!!!!!

But I agree that if it is a choice between staying at home or going then it is only 6 hours. Take a deep breath and try to ignore the thousands of other people sitting with you and you will be fine!

Have a nice trip.

 

[tubtruck]

Really enjoyed flying business class in August when we were lucky enough to land a cracking deal on an Airfrance - Delta codeshare and was so impressed that we are flying with Air Canada in their executive first cabin in July next year.
It was our first trip in business class and we really enjoyed it. It was one of the highlights of the holiday and were pretty much pampered from arriving at the airport. We decided that it was worth paying a quite considerable amount more to travel this way next year and hopefully will continue to travel up the front for many years to come.

 

[ukstitch]

I flew regular economy with virgin back in May (one flight Heathrow - New York and then Las Vegas - Gatwick).

To be honest - it's ok. I'm 6 foot 2, so I "notice" the leg room (I've never anything other than economy but I'm occasionally lucky enough to get an emergency seat or extra leg room). In a normal leg room economy seat, I'm ok while the seat in front of me is upright, but I do start to struggle if (when) it's reclined.

If they offer the extra leg room economy seats (half way between normal economy and PE legroom) on your flight then these are well worth the upgrade cost which isn't very much (if you need the leg room - if not then it's the same service so not worth it).

The entertainment system was reasonable and the food was also "ok".

I have to admit that I prefer BA - mainly because I was disappointed with virgin's drink policy on the outbound (day time) flight of "there's a drinks fountain in the middle of the plain if you need a drink" compared to BA who regularly walked up and down the plane offering drinks.

However - as a few people have mentioned already, at the end of the day you get on at the same place, get off at the same place and do not get there any quicker or at better times by flying PE.

 

[2Tiggies]

OP, why don't you check in early and buy extra legroom seats? They are really cheap, but you can only purchase them at check-in. You will still have economy seats, but the extra legroom is similar to PE, just without the footrest.