One of the most common reasons that people start earning and using travel points is to improve their travel experience by flying in higher classes of service like business or first class. For many, the cost of paying for the upgrade seems ridiculous based on the premium often required, but when you’re paying with points it’s easier to splurge.
If you are going to spend your points, however, it’s probably a good idea to know what you’re getting, and one area of frequent misunderstanding is what the difference is between business and first class seats. Part of the reason this is so tricky is there are a handful of variables.
What airline are you flying? What types of plane will you be on? Are you traveling domestically or internationally?
All these specifics will determine where you’ll have your butt parked for hours and help you better determine if you should go big with your points or stick it out in coach.
Flying Domestically
If you’re flying domestically inside the U.S., you’ll have the opportunity to choose between multiple classes of seats/service. Most airlines realize that consumers are willing to pay different amounts to have more space, more food/drink, or simply more attention. Your options will typically be economy, economy plus (same seats as economy but more leg room), and first class. (Notice I didn’t mention business class. That’s because the option doesn’t exist flying domestically.)
While first class seating/service has no official standard or configuration, if you’re flying one of the “big three” airlines (United, Delta, American), you can expect a standard recliner style seat as seen above. These seats are typically about 3 inches wider than an economy seat and have as much as 8 inches more legroom and far more recline. Aside from a larger seat, you’ll also get free, unlimited alcoholic beverages, upgraded snacks, and on flights longer than 3 hours, a full meal.
Some of the other benefits of flying first class are being amongst the first passengers to board the plane, dedicated overhead space so you don’t have to worry about checking your carry on, two free checked bags if you decide to bring a lot of luggage, and extra point earning on cash tickets so you reach airline status quicker.
Flying Internationally
Unlike domestic flights, international travel tends to create a lot more variance in first or business class seating. The first thing you should know is that domestic airlines call their top level of seating/service business class, not first class. Perhaps this is an attempt to help passengers from other countries navigate their travel choices since those in Europe and many other countries don’t use the term “first class” on their airlines.
Regardless, business class is the top option for traveling internationally on most airlines in the U.S.. Similar to domestic travel, you’ll see many seat configurations, but the standard is a lie-flat seat that allows for a bed-like sleeping orientation, 3-course meals, and personal in-flight entertainment options that can keep you occupied for a long flight. Below are configurations from Delta and United:
Keep in mind that not all international flights from the U.S. will feature seats like these. You are more likely to get a standard recliner seat if your flight is less than 6 hours or on a narrow-body plane. However, you can expect the true business class experience on flights to Europe or Asia. If you’d like to know what type of seating a flight has prior to booking, you can use a site like Seat Guru to get the details.
International First Class
U.S.-based airlines offer a decent business class product, but Asian, Middle Eastern, and European airlines offer even more elegance. In addition to offering a similar business class product, foreign airlines are famous for having a first class experience like no other. Additional benefits of these services range from private transfers between layover gates, prestige lounge access with 5-star chefs, $100 bottles of champagne, and obscenely large accommodations for a plane. The following examples are truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Air France La Premiere
Air France’s La Premiere is one of the few first class products that you can fly out of the United States and is certainly one of the nicest ways to get to Paris. In addition to an extremely large and private seat, passengers are treated to some of the best restaurant-quality dishes and celebrity style access to premier lounges as well as fast-tracked customs/security checkpoints.
Singapore Airlines Suites
Singapore Airlines’ suites are massive and feature a comfortable reclining seat, but a separate bed to boot. The amount of space you have is incredible and it is fully enclosed to provide you your own room for maximum privacy. Other benefits include being able to book your restaurant quality meal ahead of time and having a staff member cater to your every need while on board.
The Etihad Residence
Etihad’s Residence is hands down the most luxurious way to get from A to B in the sky. These suites feature 3 rooms including a living area, a private bathroom with a shower, and a bedroom with a bed. Additionally, these accommodations also feature a private butler and almost anything you could ever want.
Is First or Business Class Worth It?
One of the most common questions about first or business class is if the cost is worth it. I would suppose that the answer really depends on what you value. With business class tickets ranging from $2k – $5k roundtrip and first class trips possibly reaching into the $20k range, there is a huge price difference. Personally, I have never flown the first class products mentioned above, but I have flown business class quite a few times and I definitely think it’s worth it. I value the ability to sleep comfortably when flying overnight and being well-rested for my first day in a new country. However, I will almost always only book these seats with points since I’m not sure I can justify the cash cost.
I would also consider booking some of the opulent first class offerings above with points if the opportunity ever presented itself, but these seats are rarely available. Domestic first class seats, on the other hand, are often not worth the extra money or points unless the deal is really good.
Conclusion
There is often a bit of confusion about the difference between business and first class for many travelers due to the many variables. When flying domestically, business class doesn’t exist, and first class may not be that much better than economy. However, when it comes to international travel, there can be quite a gap between first and business class and some of the products currently flying are out of this world.
