Who actually sits in First/Business Class?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Lisbon
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Who actually sits in First/Business Class?
Hi guys. I am working on a Master's and I am exploring how many paying passengers fly in First Class and Business Class. Can I ask for some feedback as to how it works on your airline? Are First and Business Class normally full of paying passengers? Or mostly empty? Or upgraded frequent flyers? Or airline staff? Friends and family?
It would be useful to know the carrier, or at least country of origin in your replies.
Thanks in advance!
It would be useful to know the carrier, or at least country of origin in your replies.
Thanks in advance!
PPRuNe Handmaiden
Aircrew for a large bizjet company.
When traveling for work, I occasionally get upgraded for "free" on British Airways - having reasonable status (Frequent Flyer) does help too.
When traveling on holidays and not on easyJet - we go Emirates or British Airways business or first class.
If I need to travel greater than 6 hours for work, it's business class.
When traveling for work, I occasionally get upgraded for "free" on British Airways - having reasonable status (Frequent Flyer) does help too.
When traveling on holidays and not on easyJet - we go Emirates or British Airways business or first class.
If I need to travel greater than 6 hours for work, it's business class.
It’s an interesting subject and one I suspect where the data might be considered proprietary information by most people‘s employers. The internet is full of people suggesting you can fly or upgrade for free using various points/tricks etc.
Certainly my impression on recent long haul flights is that the business seats were all taken. There is no doubt that a number of people like airline employees and frequent flyers are getting to sit up front. But the majority over the course of the year certainly at peak times have paid for their seat, although what they paid is down to the yield management system. There are vast differences between at the simplest level higher fares in return for flexibility to the barely visible differences resulting from where you bought your ticket e.g. airline partners/country of departure etc.
I suspect the percentage of full fare paying pax in first is less than in business which is in turn less than premium eco. Be interesting to know what you come up with and how cooperative airlines are in providing data.
Certainly my impression on recent long haul flights is that the business seats were all taken. There is no doubt that a number of people like airline employees and frequent flyers are getting to sit up front. But the majority over the course of the year certainly at peak times have paid for their seat, although what they paid is down to the yield management system. There are vast differences between at the simplest level higher fares in return for flexibility to the barely visible differences resulting from where you bought your ticket e.g. airline partners/country of departure etc.
I suspect the percentage of full fare paying pax in first is less than in business which is in turn less than premium eco. Be interesting to know what you come up with and how cooperative airlines are in providing data.
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Wherever I go, there I am
Age: 43
Posts: 811
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There are a few considerations, some of which have already been mentioned, that will determine how full or empty a section of the airplane is. I second what lederhosen said, that sales data will be considered state secrets, so you'll not be getting that information from an online forum. You're better to approach the airlines directly. With that, you'll have to tailor those airlines or segment them appropriately. What one airline considers first class, another will consider business class. So you've got a bit of leg work there to determine what a "first class" looks like, and who fits that bill. The target for first class and business class has moved in the last decade or two. My airline sells a business and premium section of the airplane, but those same sections 15 to 20 years ago would have been first class and business class for the services offered. Some airlines have updated their language, others have not, so there's another consideration.
But as to how full those sections are (whatever they're called), you have to consider time of year, business cycle, the conference and convention circuit, sporting events, and even day of the week. I can tell you at my airline that our business class is full almost every flight. When it is not full, its generally because we're going to a sun destination in the shoulder seasons when we only have half the airplane filled, and moving everyone into business would create a weight and balance issue. This happened to me just last week. In other cases, it's because you're flying between two business centres mid-week or early weekend when it's generally families travelling. In almost every other case, the section is full. What the breakdown is between those who paid full fare or flex fare, those who were bumped and upgraded from an earlier flight, those upgraded because of status, or those that are airline staff is outside the information delivered to me in the manifest. I can if someone is a status member or an employee, but I'm not told how they paid for their seat or if it was an upgrade. I don't search for that info because it's not required to complete my job.
But, I can tell you that if the section is not filled by fare paying passengers, it will be filled by upgrades to give the impression that the section is desired. So upgrades are handed out quickly and quietly at the gate or even before. As far as upgrades go, each airline is slightly different. Generally, upgrades are only given once all passengers have checked-in and quite often no earlier than an hour from departure. Any earlier than that, and the section was almost empty. Then (at least at my airline) upgrades go in priority of passengers voluntarily bumped from an earlier flight first, then flight status passengers, then the standby list in order of priority (employees, employee companions, contractors, buddy passes). At some airlines the pilots and flight attendants have language in their contract to deadhead in business where a seat is available, and where they slot in will differ with each airline. We don't have that language at my airline (fingers crossed for next contract). But there are as many ways of upgrading passengers as there are airlines, so it might be hard to pin down an "industry standard" in that regard.
But as to how full those sections are (whatever they're called), you have to consider time of year, business cycle, the conference and convention circuit, sporting events, and even day of the week. I can tell you at my airline that our business class is full almost every flight. When it is not full, its generally because we're going to a sun destination in the shoulder seasons when we only have half the airplane filled, and moving everyone into business would create a weight and balance issue. This happened to me just last week. In other cases, it's because you're flying between two business centres mid-week or early weekend when it's generally families travelling. In almost every other case, the section is full. What the breakdown is between those who paid full fare or flex fare, those who were bumped and upgraded from an earlier flight, those upgraded because of status, or those that are airline staff is outside the information delivered to me in the manifest. I can if someone is a status member or an employee, but I'm not told how they paid for their seat or if it was an upgrade. I don't search for that info because it's not required to complete my job.
But, I can tell you that if the section is not filled by fare paying passengers, it will be filled by upgrades to give the impression that the section is desired. So upgrades are handed out quickly and quietly at the gate or even before. As far as upgrades go, each airline is slightly different. Generally, upgrades are only given once all passengers have checked-in and quite often no earlier than an hour from departure. Any earlier than that, and the section was almost empty. Then (at least at my airline) upgrades go in priority of passengers voluntarily bumped from an earlier flight first, then flight status passengers, then the standby list in order of priority (employees, employee companions, contractors, buddy passes). At some airlines the pilots and flight attendants have language in their contract to deadhead in business where a seat is available, and where they slot in will differ with each airline. We don't have that language at my airline (fingers crossed for next contract). But there are as many ways of upgrading passengers as there are airlines, so it might be hard to pin down an "industry standard" in that regard.
I can tell you that if the section is not filled by fare paying passengers, it will be filled by upgrades to give the impression that the section is desired. So upgrades are handed out quickly and quietly at the gate or even before. As far as upgrades go, each airline is slightly different
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Wherever I go, there I am
Age: 43
Posts: 811
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That happens a lot actually at the beginning and end of a season, which is where we are right now at my airline. We’re quite often flying very light loads down to Mexico and the Caribbean, but full on the way. Come October and November it’ll be the other way, depending when in the year you went to Oz, it could be the same.
