For a combined 100,000 airline miles and $10, Angie and I started off our RTW trip on the right foot. Not only did we cover our entire one way airfare with credit card miles, all from opening a new card, we did so in business class. So where we would have otherwise spent $1,100 per ticket for a one-way economy seat, we received two tickets to Paris worth over $9,000 combined. Not bad for joining the best credit card program we could find!As we covered within our report on what it is like in Business Class on a 4 Hour Flight, we wanted to bring to you the insight into our long-haul business class flight to Paris. To sum it up in one word, all we can say is luxury. BusinessFirst with United on an international flight is probably the best flying experience either of us have ever had.
But like most adventures, our 500+ day trip started off with a major twist.
Would We Even Get Business Class?
The day of our flight was a whirlwind of emotions, all brought on thanks to a strike scheduled by the air traffic controllers in France. This strike was not only timely in that it was on our particular day of travel, but also due to the fact that it was only a 24 hour strike. How lucky were we?
So when most people wake up to leave for their long-term trip with excitement, we had dread in that our ticket, booked in business class 11 months in advance, was cancelled. The joys of rebooking began.
Having read of the horrors of strikes, we were preparing for the worst. Luckily, our United rep got us on a flight on Lufthansa which had an added layover in Frankfurt, Germany. Only 3 more hours, but not bad. The downside to this ticket was that it was booked in economy class. This particular rep refused to do anything, so I called Lufthansa to see what kind of seats they had available. As their plane was huge they had tons of room. Unfortunately it required another call to United to get them to make the change as our original plans were with them.
An hour later, and two long phone calls, the second United rep came through with our reservations! If it wasn't for the fact that they were apologetic that the first person did not automatically book us in business, I would have lost my cool. Business class, you are ours again!
Just Kidding, Another Changed Flight
Later in the day we went off to the airport. Upon check-in, we were told the worst. Our flight to Newark was delayed and we would miss our flight to Frankfurt.
The gate agent, who was less than helpful at first, gave us a pretty horrendous ultimatum. We can either take the new flight, a later flight from Newark that would bypass Frankfurt altogether, or not. After making a few crass remarks about how we booked business class, she finally printed our tickets and informed us we were in "First". A few minutes of research later and we realized it was BusinessFirst, the same category we had originally booked.
A 3 hour delay is probably the best alternative, especially considering this weather related delay would have made us miss our first booking anyway.
7 Hours in United BusinessFirst - 767-400ER Jet
The one perk of having this delay was that most of our time was spent in Newark airport. Rather than having a 90 minute layover, we were greeted with a 4 hour layover. What does that mean? For those in Business Class, it means a trip to the complimentary lounge for what is to be many drinks to come.
One beer, one Jack on the rocks, and two Disaronno on the rocks later, we were on our way to board our flight to Paris; one of the few that were not cancelled due to the airine strike. We realized that at some point United brought in a larger plane to accommodate all those on the earlier flight that was canceled, otherwise we would have lost our business class perk altogether, with not one employee being sympathetic to our issue.
After boarding, the fun begins.
Before the plane even takes off we were greeted by several flight attendants, given a glass of champagne, and our orders for dinner were taken. As the flight was running a bit late, I spent most of this time in the fully reclined position, enjoying what was about to come.
Within minutes of take off we were handed an array of little treats. A personal amenities kit full of bath and sleep items like a tooth brush, tooth paste, floss, eye covers, ear plugs, refresher wipes, tissues, and more. The next delivery included a much needed hot towel. A refresh of the drink here with a glass of Bordeaux wine, a region we planned on visiting just a few days later, and the five course meal began.
The first course was a shrimp cocktail with some of the largest shrimp I've had out of South East Asia. The shrimp were followed off with a salad with dressing of our choice. The main course included options of beef tenderloin, cod, braised chicken, or ravioli noodles. Being cautious, I went with the noodles while Angie tackled the beef. If I was in a restaurant I would probably not have been happy with the food. The over spiced entrees are designed to tackle the loss of taste in your mouth at altitude, but mine were working just fine. But for being 38,000 feet in the air, it was quite the good meal. Following dinner was an assortment of cheeses while ending with a make-your-own sundae bar. Vanilla ice cream with strawberries and chocolate sauce for me please!
While we enjoyed the food on the plane for what it is worth, the unique part about it is that the meals in BusinessFirst are full service, complete with table cloth, a proper napkin, and real silverwear for each course. Even the wine and water glasses were actual glass, and not the cheap cups you're used to seeing. Add in the mini salt and pepper shakers and individual butter bowls and you have a great attention to detail.
The unfortuante side of having a 7 hour flight is that by the time the dinner rush is over there is only around 4 to 5 hours left of the flight. If you want breakfast, you must be up 1.5 hours before landing, leaving very little time to sleep.
We passed out on the 180 degree lay flat seats right away.
Flying While Horizontal
As a traveler who is very sensitive to all movements on a plane, I was worried that laying down would make me feel every bump, dip, and turn. Even with the 180 degree seats, I do not remember much from the next 3 hours other than waking up just in time for the breakfast service. We were seated close to the galley so it was fairly loud for most of the flight, but not much we could complain about other than recommending against it for future travelers if you can.
The odd thing I noticed was not so much how I slept, but more that my legs were partly asleep when I woke up. I realized that this is likely due to the fact that planes are often angled upwards while flying to combat gravity. A perfectly flat seat with an angled up plane means that my feet were higher than the rest of my body for the whole flight. Oops. Perhaps Angie had it right when she only put her seat down as far as she needed to be comfortable, but not pushing it to being all the way flat.
Maybe I'll learn on our next Business Class flight. After this one I fear there is no going back.
For those looking to head out on a Business Class flight on their next adventure, check out how we are doing it with credit card points. A few new cards may completely change the way you travel on your next trip! For more information on personal finance articles and planning that we've used, check out this article directory!
