What's the *real* difference between First Class and Business Class long haul?
I have flown First infrequently over the years, whenever my face fit. Neither I nor the organisations I have ever worked for have paid for a First Class seat. I only really got to fly business class so often is because excess baggage is charged at 1% of the First Class fare, and your allowance is usually much greater in business than in Economy. Only once LHR-HRE, was it cheaper to send my considerable baggage air-freight.
So what extra do you get in First Class?
- no kids
- caviar
- your bed made up for you
- hot and cold running flunkeys; much more attention from the CC. They have to look after maybe 8 to 12 passengers, business class CC have to look after around 50.
- Meals when you want them.
- on Emirates and Etihad, a shower. I am 68, male, and I have waist length blond hair, so 5 minutes of water isn't enough to wash it. I'll leave this privilege to others.
- better pyjamas.
What's the same?
- The food, pretty much. In business you don't get the caviar, and the menu is a bit less exotic, but not much.
- The wines, and the access to the bar, on Emirates.
- Lie-flat beds.
- 1-2-1 layout, except on Etihad and Singapore, which are 1 - 1 in First and priced accordingly.
- The noise-cancelling headphones
What have I missed? Chauffeur service? Sometimes the same on First as on business, sometimes not, depends on the airline.
I want to fly First, at least on one leg, on an Emirates A380, to Australia, the biggest country I've never visited. I've never flown First with Emirates and I've never flown in the A380. Emirates are trying strenuously to prevent me from enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime experience, I may go Qantas instead ... with Emirates Skywards miles. Life is strange, that an airline actually wants you to fly with one of their competitors.