Under Occupied Business Class

[Palmetto Lady]

My husband and I recently returned from a cruise to the Med. We flew to Istanbul on April 14 on Lufthansa. There were only 3 people (including us) in Business Class. On our return from Venice, on May 2, there were quite a few empty seats. It seems like it might be a good time to use those upgrade vouchers.:)

[Globaliser]

If you can do it, 2009 is indeed a great time to be flying!

[YXU AC*SE]

Or burning up frequent flyer miles. There are routes / carriers with notoriously elusive availability showing seats where in previous years they would have been all but booked.

 

Scott.

[6rugrats]

My husband and I recently returned from a cruise to the Med. We flew to Istanbul on April 14 on Lufthansa. There were only 3 people (including us) in Business Class. On our return from Venice, on May 2, there were quite a few empty seats. It seems like it might be a good time to use those upgrade vouchers.:)

 

I am not finding this to be so, in an attempt to utilize my FF miles! Blame UA and Starnet blocking!

[YXU AC*SE]

I am not finding this to be so, in an attempt to utilize my FF miles! Blame UA and Starnet blocking!

 

You need to join a better frequent flyer scheme my friend! :-) Scott.

[fbgd]

You need to join a better frequent flyer scheme my friend! :-) Scott.

 

But that depends on the airline offering availability. I have a nice stack of miles with a partner airline and tried to book United business class tickets between IAD and LHR. In the months of September and October I was finding no availability in business class but first had availability every day.

 

If the airline you are trying to book with are blocking the seats it doesn't matter who your miles are with. I believe with some airlines like AC Super Elite (which you appear to be) and as an uber BA Gold you can book miles anytime on your own airline for no extra cost as long as seats are being sold.

[YXU AC*SE]

But that depends on the airline offering availability. I have a nice stack of miles with a partner airline and tried to book United business class tickets between IAD and LHR. In the months of September and October I was finding no availability in business class but first had availability every day.

 

If the airline you are trying to book with are blocking the seats it doesn't matter who your miles are with. I believe with some airlines like AC Super Elite (which you appear to be) and as an uber BA Gold you can book miles anytime on your own airline for no extra cost as long as seats are being sold.

 

Correct, that is a Aéroplan SuperÉlite benefit, however it extends only to AC metal, and as an added bonus for 2009 programme year, if there is not reward inventory, it is at a 30% premium to the reward cost. None of us are too happy, but realize we have had it far too good for too long.

 

For my ATH run, I tried to avoid UA specifically because of their StarNet tomfoolery.

 

Scott.

[Jade13]

I am not finding this to be so, in an attempt to utilize my FF miles! Blame UA and Starnet blocking!

 

I have had great success with US Airways over the past 4 years with 10 international round trip award travel tickets (OK, 8 I forgot two were with Continental). Lufthansa is one of our preferred airlines so I always look for them or SWISS first. They have always had business available for my dates but more recently we have just traveled in coach in order to travel more often. Four were also on the hard to get flights to FCO in high season.

 

I believe with UA you can fly on both SWISS and Lufthansa which I recommend if you are going to/through Europe.

[Jade13]

If you can do it, 2009 is indeed a great time to be flying!

 

I could not believe I could get exact (dates) flights I wanted to Europe for July on one of my preferred airlines and less than 4 months in advance of a cruise.

[6rugrats]

I have had great success with US Airways over the past 4 years with 10 international round trip award travel tickets (OK, 8 I forgot two were with Continental). Lufthansa is one of our preferred airlines so I always look for them or SWISS first. They have always had business available for my dates but more recently we have just traveled in coach in order to travel more often. Four were also on the hard to get flights to FCO in high season.

 

I believe with UA you can fly on both SWISS and Lufthansa which I recommend if you are going to/through Europe.

 

Of course you can, as both of those airlines are part of the *A. I have award travel in C booked for the beginning of July, and I have a combination of LX, LH, UA and AC metal for this trip. I felt lucky to obtain the routing I did (which took the agent over an hour to find) , as I just called for these seats less than two weeks ago.

 

However, just because there are award seats available from LX and LH, does not mean UA will allow you to book them. Do a google search with the term "starnet blocking/filtering" and you will see why.

 

Still have one leg of my trip in Y, so call every day, several times, hoping something will open up.

 

US does not have starnet blocking, so obtaining award seats is sometimes easier with them.

[Toto2Kansas]

My husband and I recently returned from a cruise to the Med. We flew to Istanbul on April 14 on Lufthansa. There were only 3 people (including us) in Business Class. On our return from Venice, on May 2, there were quite a few empty seats. It seems like it might be a good time to use those upgrade vouchers.:)

 

We flew home in first after a cruise a couple of years ago, we were the only two passengers in the first class section. We had our choice of what space capsule we wanted, and the service was amazing. :) Now going over to London, every seat in first was full. Very strange!

[fbgd]

We flew home in first after a cruise a couple of years ago, we were the only two passengers in the first class section. We had our choice of what space capsule we wanted, and the service was amazing. :) Now going over to London, every seat in first was full. Very strange!

 

Capsule? Not on Lufthansa...paired seating on the 747 (eugh!) and an 'open' 1-2-1 config on other aircraft.

 

Lufthansa offer a pretty good first class service, I just wish the seat was more enticing. For me one of the benefits of flying first class internationally over business is the privacy element. BA manage a decent amount of privacy in business class, yet Lufthansa can't manage it in their front cabin. I don't need an enclosed pod like on Emirates, Jet Airways, Singapore Airlines and the like but I also don't want to be stepping over my seatmate if I want to look out of the window. Of the airlines I've flown I think Cathay Pacific offer the best seat in the front.

[Toto2Kansas]

Capsule? Not on Lufthansa...paired seating on the 747 (eugh!) and an 'open' 1-2-1 config on other aircraft.

 

Lufthansa offer a pretty good first class service, I just wish the seat was more enticing. For me one of the benefits of flying first class internationally over business is the privacy element. BA manage a decent amount of privacy in business class, yet Lufthansa can't manage it in their front cabin. I don't need an enclosed pod like on Emirates, Jet Airways, Singapore Airlines and the like but I also don't want to be stepping over my seatmate if I want to look out of the window. Of the airlines I've flown I think Cathay Pacific offer the best seat in the front.

 

We were on one of the newer United planes. 1-2-1 configuration. Never felt the need to look out the window, can't see much anyway. We always take the center isle so we can be next to each other. But have found with United, lots of privacy.

We flew to Rome last year on Lufthansa in first, and although the seats weren't as comfortable, and we had the 1-2-1 seating, the service was 100% better along with the food and amenities on Lufthansa.

[fbgd]

We were on one of the newer United planes. 1-2-1 configuration. Never felt the need to look out the window, can't see much anyway. We always take the center isle so we can be next to each other. But have found with United, lots of privacy.

We flew to Rome last year on Lufthansa in first, and although the seats weren't as comfortable, and we had the 1-2-1 seating, the service was 100% better along with the food and amenities on Lufthansa.

 

Looks like we have different ideas about what a 'capsule' airline seat is...I thought you meant something like this:

 

If you think the United seat offers a lot of privacy you'll be surprised by that offered by BA and certainly the new Cathay Pacific ones. Even though with BA the layout is essentially the same as United the walls are much higher so you can't see the person seated in front of you. I find the old United F seats quite exposed, am trying the new F seats for the first time in a few months. Have heard they are pretty good.

 

 

BTW, that picture of the United seat you posted is the old seat. The new one looks like this:

[greatam]

Looks like we have different ideas about what a 'capsule' airline seat is...I thought you meant something like this:

 

 

Is that Emirates????

 

I'm still trying to find someone to trade a bunch of AA miles for Emirates miles so I can fly in one of their suites. Going back to the MidEast soon and really wanted to fly in a HUGE bed, not an airline seat. Haven't found any takers yet.

[fbgd]

Is that Emirates????

 

I'm still trying to find someone to trade a bunch of AA miles for Emirates miles so I can fly in one of their suites. Going back to the MidEast soon and really wanted to fly in a HUGE bed, not an airline seat. Haven't found any takers yet.

 

Singapore Airlines. That picture is also of the middle cabins which can be slightly modified for couples so you can turn it into a double bed. Was quite keen to try it last year but Singapore Airlines don't allow RTW tickets to book into F on the A380. Went with oneworld instead.

 

Emirates have a similar set up, but on SQ the bed folds down from the wall rather than on Emirates where the seat just goes flat into a bed position like any other half decent business or first class seat.

[greatam]

Singapore Airlines. That picture is also of the middle cabins which can be slightly modified for couples so you can turn it into a double bed. Was quite keen to try it last year but Singapore Airlines don't allow RTW tickets to book into F on the A380. Went with oneworld instead.

 

Emirates have a similar set up, but on SQ the bed folds down from the wall rather than on Emirates where the seat just goes flat into a bed position like any other half decent business or first class seat.

 

Maybe I will have to reassess Emirates. I thought they had REAL beds. Thanks for the info.