Why AFF is awesome

[wafliron]

I was messing around with the "Analyse" function in OpenFlights...

2007 (the last year I spent a much time in the air until my air travel increased significantly in 2011):



2011 (I started reading AFF regularly in early-mid 2011):



2012:



To date I've still never booked a commercial fare in J or F.

Thanks AFF and the AFF community members!

 

[cove]

That 2007 Economy circle looks like a distant memory.
I started chasing points in the 1980s using Amex and then ANZ a little later.
Getting stuck in rows 50 to 99 are still part of our travel memories as we still got there with more money for a nicer room at a hotel.
AFF has really helped with tips that helped us make travel so much more enjoyable. The dread of a long haul flight has now gone!

 

[RWJ777]

I was messing around with the "Analyse" function in OpenFlights...

2007 (the last year I spent a much time in the air until my air travel increased significantly in 2011):

View attachment 8876

2011 (I started reading AFF regularly in early-mid 2011):

View attachment 8877

2012:

View attachment 8878

To date I've still never booked a commercial fare in J or F.

Thanks AFF and the AFF community members!

Wow, stunning stats. I'm only now really turning my mind to coordinating QFFs appliedly to extract maximum value. Recently converted my CBA awards credit card points into QFF.

 

[wafliron]

To date I've still never booked a commercial fare in J or F.

I just realised this isn't actually true - I paid $200 to upgrade a SYD-DPS JQ flight from Y to "J" at the last minute earlier this year. I don't think that counts though

That 2007 Economy circle looks like a distant memory.

It certainly is Based on flights already flown / current bookings, I'm only one flight off all my international travel being in J-or-better in 2012 - and I'm currently trying to change that single Y flight to J Not sure if it will be possible though.

I started chasing points in the 1980s using Amex and then ANZ a little later.
Getting stuck in rows 50 to 99 are still part of our travel memories as we still got there with more money for a nicer room at a hotel.
AFF has really helped with tips that helped us make travel so much more enjoyable. The dread of a long haul flight has now gone!

You had a big head-start on me cove... based on our conversations those must be distant memories

Wow, stunning stats. I'm only now really turning my mind to coordinating QFFs appliedly to extract maximum value. Recently converted my CBA awards credit card points into QFF.

You're on your way RWJ777... keep at it, I wouldn't have dreamed that the stats I posted would have been possible 12-18 months ago.

 

[straitman]

...... and here is me thinking you were going to say how wonderful the people are :!:

 

[wafliron]

...... and here is me thinking you were going to say how wonderful the people are :!:

That's absolutely what I'm saying, by implication

 

[JohnK]

Just interested to know if you are paying or company is paying and you are upgrading with points.

As far as paid airfares go my business class experiences are underwhelming. Reminds me to create a thread on that one....

 

[AVC]

While we're on the pie-chart wagon:

 

[wafliron]

Just interested to know if you are paying or company is paying and you are upgrading with points.

OpenFlights says 75/25 business/leisure YTD, but I think that's based on number of flights, not distance. Split by distance I'd estimate to be somewhere around 65/35 work/leisure.

For the work travel, company will pay for economy only. It's a very flexible arrangement though - I book my own flights, and they're happy to pay up to the value of the equivalent Y fare no matter how I choose to get there. So, I can book Y with company paying and fly Y, book Y with company paying and use my own points to upgrade to J, redeem J/F using my own points and company covers taxes / surcharges (as they'll always be less than the equivalent Y flight) - even buy points with company paying and use for a J/F redemption.

I've done all four of those this year - the most recent example is of the latter, a MEL-xSYD-xBKK-CDG-xKUL-MEL I depart on later this week. In this case I bought a DJ Saver MEL-xSYD (work paid), bought Avianca LifeMiles (work paid) and redeemed them for xSYD-xBKK-CDG on TG F, and used my own points for CDG-xKUL-MEL on MH J (work paid taxes and surcharges). Total $ cost that work shelled out for all of those combined was cheaper than a commercial MEL-CDG-MEL in Y so they're fine with it.

On the leisure side it's been a combo of J redemptions, a Y redemption and the JQ Y commercial fare that I paid $200 at the last minute to upgrade to "J" (as I mentioned earlier).

Can I ask why you were curious about this?

As far as paid airfares go my business class experiences are underwhelming. Reminds me to create a thread on that one....

The important question is probably then: were you paying? What were the issue(s)?

 

[JohnK]

Can I ask why you were curious about this?

Just as a reference point against my recent experiences.

The important question is probably then: were you paying? What were the issue(s)?

I paid, with some sort of discount, but the experience is not what I expected. I keep forgetting to create a thread, "Underwhelming business class experiences". I will do so now.

 

[wafliron]

Just as a reference point against my recent experiences.

OK, fair enough.

I paid, with some sort of discount, but the experience is not what I expected. I keep forgetting to create a thread, "Underwhelming business class experiences". I will do so now.

Sorry to hear that :-( I'll take a look at your other thread.