How many people actually fly F in their lives?

[LadyC]

Everyone in our house is lucky enough to have flown F. My first F experience was flying from MEL-LHR with BA - as you can tell that was a while ago!

Travel is a lot easier and cheaper than it previously was. Who knows what it will be like in the future - maybe we will all travel virtually? I'm still waiting for that jetpack we all envisaged many years ago......

 

[browski]

You're much better than me.

I don't remember many flights.

I only remember the flights and the airlines where I have been downgraded.

 

[VPS]

When work was paying for me to go RTW in J I upgraded a couple of legs to F - both QF.

I did a classic reward F from HKG to LHR a few years ago just before I found this forum - kicking myself that I could have done a FASA and JASA.

Did an F reward from ADL to LHR on Emirates in May and that was the best F experience - far outweighed the QF. I love the doors on Emirates

In November had a J classic award from LHR to ADL QF for the LHR DXB leg and EY for DXB to ADL. Qantas gave me an unsolicited upgrade to F but would have been so much nicer on the EY leg. Having said that I don't think I'll fly EY J on a 777 again

 

[NoName]

The reality is that for 99% (probably more) of the population long haul F travel is unobtainable financially. Of the remaining 1% there would probably be only a small number who are actually willing to pay, especially if you’re talking about travel as a family.

Of course playing the points game makes it a lot easier but my experience is virtually no one is prepared to actually do what’s required to go down that route.

Points are the only reason that members of the NoName get to experience it. So far Mrs NoName has been lucky enough to do SIN-BNE in EK F & SYD-LAX in QF F. I’ve done MEL-LAX in QF F and will add another QF sector next year as well as SQ Suites from JFK-SYD.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The reality is that for 99% (probably more) of the population long haul F travel is unobtainable financially. Of the remaining 1% there would probably be only a small number who are actually willing to pay, especially if you’re talking about travel as a family.

These figures are from 2016 but they show the income for the top 0.1%, 1% and 10% of Australian income earners over 15 years of age: They get $438k, you get just $48k: figures show uber-rich are earning more and more

In the top 10% bracket the average income is $161K, while entry level is $94K. According to the ABS there are 12 million or so employed workers in Australia. So the top 10% is around 1.2 million. On the average $161K you could comfortably afford first class at some point in your lifetime, perhaps even on the entry level it's not a stretch.

 

[kpc]

According to Flight Memory I have flown F 22 times...but that includes AA from Sfo-Mia

 

[NoName]

These figures are from 2016 but they show the income for the top 0.1%, 1% and 10% of Australian income earners over 15 years of age: They get $438k, you get just $48k: figures show uber-rich are earning more and more

In the top 10% bracket the average income is $161K, while entry level is $94K. According to the ABS there are 12 million or so employed workers in Australia. So the top 10% is around 1.2 million. On the average $161K you could comfortably afford first class at some point in your lifetime, perhaps even on the entry level it's not a stretch.

Basically anyone could technically afford to fly it at some point in their life. If you could save $5 per day you’d be able to do it in 7 or 8 years roughly. Those sorts of incomes could do it if their only or main priority in life was to pay for premium class travel. But in reality people have other more important priorities to spend/invest their money. I don’t know anyone earning $161k per year who would even dream of dropping $10k+ on the airfare component of a European or North American. Sure they could if they wanted to but for all intents and purposes they can’t.

 

[cove]

Stop thinking you have to pay for first class. Get on the points and miles bandwagon and do a First Class redemption.

 

[Deleted member]

How many people will fly first class in their lifetime?
An interesting question if you’re not part of the global (financial) elite.
I think that there are many people who regularly fly F and for them it is just another aspect of their daily lives.
Rolls Royce motorcars, large yachts and cruisers, holiday homes in the French Alps etc .
For the likes of we mere mortals, F is a delight rarely tasted and probably more joyously anticipated.
I remember feelin* the same way about J.
I shudder at the prospect of flying in whY and consequently, fly less often than I might otherwise be tempted to do. That said, a short intercity hop on domestic routes isn’t that arduous sitting in the back of the plane ..... well almost.

 

[serfty]

Gary Leff flew SQ Suites recently ...

Flying Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 Suites as My Own Private Jet, Sydney - Paris - View from the Wing

 

[Jonova]

Out of all my friends we are the only ones I know who have flown F. I think the less than 0.01% is pretty spot on, for most it is simple too expensive to ever consider paying for. We were lucky enough to get enough points and find availability to do our whole Europe trip last year all in F on SQ, CX, QF, EK and TG.

 

[JohnK]

Stop thinking you have to pay for first class. Get on the points and miles bandwagon and do a First Class redemption.

Unless you have a multi million dollar business don't you have still have to pay for points?

Travel is all about what you're prepared to spend.

 

[VPS]

Unless you have a multi million dollar business don't you have still have to pay for points?

Travel is all about what you're prepared to spend.

I'm a PAYG tax earner on an average wage and don't have a share portfolio or holiday house and manage to churn credit cards quite successfully to harvest points

 

[cove]

VPS thanks for your post as it has been a really good time for PAYGers to enrol in new credit cards. You don’t have to be a “multi” to do a couple of CCs each year. On AFF we have a number of couples who are both doing great in the quest for points and miles.
If all else fails you can buy Life Miles and other Miles/points to get flights at a substantial saving. There is a lot of info on AFF.

 

[Pushka]

The only times I tell family I’m flying even in Business is when we get a surprise upgrade. The rest I keep quiet. Although son and partner are now on the bandwagon of the credit card points hunt. Probably the one time they listened to me

 

[okiedokie]

None yet; the only enticing thing would be bar & shower - on any decent J product I've had plentiful food, drink and onboard service that could hardly be better.

Albiet I've been left stranded a number times, I can't imagine paying for even business unless it was 1 airline straight through. On my RTW I was constantly left without my next legs ticket, meaning I had to wait around at a desk, or exit immigration and come back through... can't imagine having paid $15k+ for that woeful level of service, even if the flights themselves were good.

Definitely the big problem is going back to economy... it used to be manageable, now it's just awful

 

[blackcat20]

The only times I tell family I’m flying even in Business is when we get a surprise upgrade. The rest I keep quiet. Although son and partner are now on the bandwagon of the credit card points hunt. Probably the one time they listened to me

Slightly off topic but when we were heading off in SQ suites a few months back, mum offered me her neck pillow for the flight. Pointed out I'd have a full bed with pillow and doona and she was a bit stunned I'm happy to tell people we're flying F, but I always point out that it was booked with points.

 

[Buzzard]

I've only flown F/Suites twice.
EK HKG-DXB-MAD and my current trip
SQ SYD-SIN-FRA-NYC
Both trips on points.

The only reason I'll probably fly F again is because +1 has never done it and I'd like her to have that experience.

Friends of mine (outside AFF) have flown F since I showed them the light. They admit they could never afford the cash price.

 

[Pushka]

Slightly off topic but when we were heading off in SQ suites a few months back, mum offered me her neck pillow for the flight. Pointed out I'd have a full bed with pillow and doona and she was a bit stunned I'm happy to tell people we're flying F, but I always point out that it was booked with points.

We needed a neck pillow in our rank J flight to DPS last month. Awful route that one.

 

[TomVexille]

We needed a neck pillow in our rank J flight to DPS last month. Awful route that one.

But that's a 737