Homesick wrote:

I've found something better than business class (for me, anyway). I fly economy on Emirates from London with a long stopover in Dubai. There's a five star hotel in the departure lounge at Dubai airport where you can hire a room by the hour (so not too expensive). So, after a 7 hour day flight london to Dubai (depart 1.30pm), I get a good night's sleep, followed by another 6.5 hour day flight dubai to Bangkok, arriving late afternoon. Perfect.

How does this work out on the return leg?

I've only done it in one direction so far. But there are quite a few flights bkk-dubai and dubai london, so it should be possible to do something similar. Main difficulty is navigating the Emirates website - allowable flight options seem to change by the minute!

..except for one or two practical routing suggestions. Most of us dislike long-haul air travel and we all have opinions to express about our experience; but they are so variable and personal that no truth emerges. From the evidence of the thread they are a function of our ideas about what is comfortable, our physical build, the amount of money we have or don't have, our priorities in spending it, our ability to sleep or not during a flight, our sense of ourselves (Homi peering at the plebs!), our attitude to other people, our patience or lack of it, our modesty or arrogance, and even, I suspect, how we feel on the day of travel. Too many variables. One man's report really has no relevance to what the next reader will find, even when the report claims to be stating fact. It's all pure opinion and you make a serious mistake if you think your own experience will mirror that of another traveller, unless he's a friend you know very well and whose biases you can factor in. (One of my very best friends, who is thoroughly generous to other people, is very ungenerous with himself and will put up with a lot to save himself a bit of money; so on matters like this I always take what he says with a pinch of salt. Trouble is, you don't know how much salt to sprinkle on a forum post!)

For example:

In the opinion of one poster BA is shit, but the cheaper Eva premium economy turned out to be good. I hold no special brief for BA, but I have travelled BA premium economy a fair number of times - for seat comfort and leg room. I have had deep, armchair-style seats, soft and with wide armrests. I found them very comfortable. On my last trip I went with the Eva equivalent class, having read well of this airline. The seats were economy-style with a bit more leg room - and hideously uncomfortable. There was little padding on the seat; it was like sitting on a wooden church pew for 12 hours. (An alternative take on this would be that I don't have enough flesh on my arse to be an air traveller at all - which is probably true.) The armrests were that hard moulded plastic stuff that, at the end of 12 hours, left my elbows sore and raw.

So there you have two directly opposed opinions. All you can glean from them is I that happen to like armchairs and don't have much interest in any other aspect of the tedious ordeal. You'll be terribly interested to know, won't you, that I can't sleep on a flight, can't concentrate on reading when surrounded by other people, and have to spend the time checking whether or not we're still over Turkmenistan. Still I have my ways of coping. Take a Viagra on boarding and pop off to the toilet every now and then. It won't, of course, get you into the Mile High Club, but it's good training for the days and weeks to come - Outwards only, of course. (Oh, and I liked it in the days when BA flight stewards were mainly gay and sayashed, sassy-arsed, up and down all night. At least there was something to look at!)

Ive found something better in Dubai....Their business lounger, l think it was voted the best in the world!!
All for the cost of nothing, if you fly Business.
If you ever get chance to see it, do so, it is magnificent, and all types of offerings.

I forgot one of the best things with Business, aside
Space
less drunken fools shouting
Better service
and the Champagne..

Check in, no long queues when you get to the airport and see your queue is so long you cant see the end. With Business it's stright to the front, and if there is a queue, go to the First Class counter, 5 minute check in, then staright to the lounge.
If you get the Hub seat 75" pitch on the plane.


pp

Chao Na wrote:

I just purchased a business class ticket r/t from Bangkok to LAX on EVA for 84,000 baht net.  That's only about $2,500.00.

Did you book with an agent; on line, etc. How long in advance did you book?  I saw on EVA website special"hot" business class fares were $4000 and regular business class maybe $6000.

I booked online.  Travel agents could not match.  There is a special offer now, 5% discount for payment by MasterCard, which factored into the price I got.

My travel period is October/November.

Remember, this is travel starting in Bangkok.  The price comes up in baht.  Again, exactly 84,000 baht, all in.

There are always ways to save more than 50% for flights in the premium classes from europe to asia. For lovers of emirates >> from first november they will increase the fares about 16%. I only fly with staralliance and long haul flights only in business or first. Mostly pay 1400-1800€ for return flight (normal would be 2900-4400€). You only need the right booking engine - premium access to expertflyer and the homepages of the preferred airlines. In europe never fly business because they dont have real business (seats are the same - only difference in snack or no snack).

Have you ever noticed that whenever you fly with Thai International, the safety announcement is always much longer in Thai than it is in English?
Is it just me who wonders what they aren't telling us?

pattayapolice wrote:

Ive found something better in Dubai....Their business lounger, l think it was voted the best in the world!!
All for the cost of nothing, if you fly Business.
If you ever get chance to see it, do so, it is magnificent, and all types of offerings.

I forgot one of the best things with Business, aside
Space
less drunken fools shouting
Better service
and the Champagne..

Check in, no long queues when you get to the airport and see your queue is so long you cant see the end. With Business it's stright to the front, and if there is a queue, go to the First Class counter, 5 minute check in, then staright to the lounge.
If you get the Hub seat 75" pitch on the plane.


pp

pp
the lounge acces is a part of a business ticket, so yes it is a part of the cost of a business ticket. and has always been.
I use my Diners Card to get into their really nice lounge in Copenhagen. Wine, coffee, spirits and light snacks for free, they even have a smoking room. I can use the lounge whatever class and flying on all airlines. That I would call: All of the cost of nothing - even if you are not flying business. Alas they are not represented in BKK, but I think I can use it in Dubai,  

From Diners Club, and remember I don't have to buy a business ticke and of no cost:

Dubai International Airport -- Dubai, United Arab Emirates  

Lounge Name: Dubai Civil Aviation First Class Lounge
Lounge Location: Between gate 12 and 14 - coming from airport duty-free, go to the left, coming from arrivals go to the right.
Telephone: +9714-2244000 Ext. 4061

Hours Open: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Languages Spoken: English and Arabic
Entry Conditions: Conditions of entry to any Diners Club Airport Lounge may change from time to time, subject to policies and procedures imposed by airport security.
Amenities Offered: Telephone within UAE, magazines, satellite TV channels, food and beverages. For a fee: fax, internet, and bedrooms.
Fees: Cardmembers please check with your issuer for terms and conditions of lounge access; Guests AED 55.00; AED 27.50 for children under 12 years.

Bwana wrote:

Have you ever noticed that whenever you fly with Thai International, the safety announcement is always much longer in Thai than it is in English?
Is it just me who wonders what they aren't telling us?

Learn Thai and you'll find out.

Bwana wrote:

Have you ever noticed that whenever you fly with Thai International, the safety announcement is always much longer in Thai than it is in English?
Is it just me who wonders what they aren't telling us?

"Beware the cocksucker in the next seat, who is only travelling in Economy because he is using it as a cruising area for pickups".......possibly?

fattman wrote:

Learn Thai and you'll find out.

ไม่มีความขบขัน

fattman wrote:

Bwana wrote:

Have you ever noticed that whenever you fly with Thai International, the safety announcement is always much longer in Thai than it is in English?
Is it just me who wonders what they aren't telling us?

Learn Thai and you'll find out.

I think that this falls into the category of "not such a good reason" to learn Thai!

Bwana wrote:

fattman wrote:

Learn Thai and you'll find out.

ไม่มีความขบขัน

You walked into that...

homintern is on your IGNORE list.