When flying Business class, is a day or night flight preferable?
Business class flights command a significant price premium over Economy. While some pay the premium to ensure a good night’s sleep on board, others prefer to fly during the day and maximise the experience.
Our members are in two camps when it comes to day or night flights. 43% of members say they prefer to fly Business class during the day, while 36% would opt for a night-time flight. The other 21% of poll respondents say they don’t mind.
Those who prefer daytime Business class flights generally want to enjoy the full experience. Business seats are more comfortable, but that’s only part of the benefit. The experience also includes more attentive service, better meals and drinks, and a larger TV screen with noise-cancelling headphones to catch up on movies. Some members feel that the extra money paid for the Business class experience is wasted on overnight flights where most passengers sleep. The meal service is also reduced on some overnight flights, particularly shorter red-eyes where supper and/or a lighter breakfast are served.
I chose daytime, and my reasoning is that if I am paying for it then I want to be awake to enjoy it.
Some AFF members prefer flying during the day – regardless of the class of travel – as they find it difficult to sleep on planes.
Many of the AFF members that prefer night flights in Business class are time-poor. Flying overnight means that you don’t lose a day of travel, and flying Business class makes it much easier to get a good sleep on the plane.
Night – for me, the main reason to fly J is to get a good sleep so you don’t lose time travelling through the day (for business and pleasure). Sure the food is nicer and other benefits like lounges, etc, but if I’m on a daytime flight, I’m more than happy flying some of the better PY products.
Long-haul flying can be, well, boring. Others find that sleeping on board helps to pass the time much more quickly.
Got rescheduled on to a very odd day TRANSPAC with NZ…..1050 departure rather than the usual 2230. I didn’t like it. I can’t sit and watch movies for more than 2 hours or so…so the night flights are perfect….. that day flight had me trying to sleep out of boredom…. and that ended up as an overly long “afternoon nap”…Felt like crap on arrival. AND I was in J!
But overnight flights should be long enough for a good night’s sleep. Some of the shorter redeyes, e.g. from Perth to the east coast of Australia or from Melbourne to Auckland, are simply too short to sleep properly. Even if you fly Business class, you’ll probably still feel tired the next day.
I’m a night fan because it doesn’t chew up time. However, it needs to be long enough to actually sleep, so nothing under seven hours.
Ultimately, flying Business class during the day is a luxury if you have the time to enjoy the full experience. For many frequent flyers, night flights in Business class are simply a means to an end.
Daytime J flying is a real treat and luxury but mostly I can’t afford the time
Would you prefer a day or night flight in Business class? Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Poll: Flying daytime J vs Nighttime J
