On 23 Nov, 21:55, VainGlorious wrote:
On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 10:57:22 +1100, Qanset wrote:

VainGlorious wrote:
So, let's say you paid £1600 for Business class: roughly 10x what the
commoners pay. You have an empty seat across the aisle from you.
Because some "drunken green grocer from Luton" decides he'd be more
comfortable up front, you get to spend 9 hours in abject horror as
this hideous, foul-smelling idiot drones on and on about how the Pakis
are making England a desert and coughing up phlegm, some of which
lands on your Simon Carter cufflink.

Rich people dont get drunk or misbehave???? I find that hard to believe
As for a foul smelling pax, coughing up phleghm, could be a slight
exageration on your part..

Of course it's an exaggeration. You can't look at the policy in
isolation or anecdotally. As an airline, you must look at the big
picture. Where's the value in business/1st class? Is it bigger seats?
Is it better food and service? That's part of it, sure. But five more
cm of seat width are not worth 10x the airfare, nor is a poached
salmon. The real value is primarily a psychological one: you are a
"VIP", and the amenities are an indication of your status. Once you
compromise that value, no one will pay for it anymore.

One of the biggest factors is ticket flexibility. For fully flex
business class you get your money back if you simply don't show up.

Also remember that many business class tickets are not paid for by the
people who use them: that is why it is called 'business class'.

In VIP seats,
you are more likely to have sedate seatmates and a less stressful
flight. It's not a guarantee (as anyone who's flown Alaska Air 1st
class will tell you), but you are statistically more likely to have a
civil flight in business or 1st than you are in steerage.

You suffer the same delays and flight cancellations, regardless of
class. In case of poor service, you might can higher compensation
based on the ticket class you booked.