Does business class live up to the hype?

A CHANCE airline upgrade gave Kate Schneider her first taste of business class travel. But would she pay do it again?

By Kate Schneider

3 min read

July 9, 2010 - 3:30PM

NewsComAu

The British Airways business class seats lie almost flat / supplied

I'D been waiting more than half-an-hour and the cattle class check-in didn't look like it had moved an inch.

Everyone in first and business class seemed to sail straight through while I was left wondering if I would even make the flight.

Then it happened.

A tap on the shoulder and I was being carefully ushered out of the line and into another world.

In pictures: British Airways business class

Thanks to my flight from Sydney to Singapore filling up I’d managed to score the much-wished for - but incredibly rare – free seat upgrade.

With business class tickets costing around six times as much as economy for this route, it had not been an option. Now I couldn’t wait to see how the rich travelled.

As soon as I walked onto the British Airways Boeing 777 I knew I was in for something special.

Instead of the cramped legroom and fights over the overhead lockers, here I was with futuristic “pod” seats that let me stretch out like I was on my own bed, complete with a private drawer.

Later there would be champagne, chocolates, lip balm, moisturiser and everything you could expect in economy - only better. But despite the pampering I quickly realised my business class experience would not be all smooth flying.

At first I’d been over the moon at the thought of having my own private area for the duration of the eight-hour flight, free from seat-kicking, arm-bumping and prying eyes.

But to my surprise the first 20 minutes or so actually ended up being quite awkward.

Those fantastic seats actually face opposite each other.

Luckily I was facing the front, but I was essentially face-to-face with the person “beside” me.

I was relieved when I spotted a “privacy screen” - even if it could not be activated until well after take-off and kept coming back down again every time the flight attendants served my neighbour.

Despite the seat’s comfort, the hassles continued with wobbly armrests, and I couldn’t get my footrest to lower into the position shown on the instruction manual – even with the help of an attendant. (Eventually the cabin crew leader came over. After a lot of effort he was able to yank it out for me.)

However my battles blurred into insignificance when I overheard the passenger beside me complain to the cabin crew that his seat would not recline, forcing him to remain upright for the entire flight.

I sympathised with the man – imagine the disappointment of being seated in business class but not being able to lie down – a major part of the experience.

To be fair, when compared to economy I was really miles ahead in style and comfort.

Sipping champagne while lying almost flat, I wondered if air travel could get any better.

And the hot facial towels and chocolate-covered macadamia nuts seemed even more special because I owed it all to pure luck.

I loved the thicker blanket and softer pillow than anything I’d experienced aboard a plane before.

The headsets for the in-flight entertainment were a luxury – they were over-the-ear instead of the uncomfortable type often supplied in economy - and you could actually hear everything properly.

I was thrilled to discover the button for the tray table slid it back and forward so that I could eat lying down.

The meals were not bad for airline food, though they will never taste as good as freshly cooked food.

Starters included smoked salmon with cream cheese and char-grilled asparagus with parmesan dressing, while mains were Hungarian beef goulash, parmesan chicken on pasta and vegetable biryani.

Dessert was however, disappointing - a few pieces of sad-looking fruit instead of the mouth-watering chocolate dish promised on the menu. The apple tea cake served later on was much better.

So would I do it all again?

Overall, although it is definitely a much more comfortable and luxurious way to fly, it’s unlikely I’ll be forking out the money to sit in business class myself.

While an economy ticket from Sydney to Singapore on British Airways would have cost me $449, business class was a massive $3098 one way at the time.

I’ll just have to wait for my next upgrade.

The author travelled as a guest of Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore.