I mentioned the long ride we had back from Australia on Virgin Australia. One of my colleagues suggested my avoidance of the upgrade offered for $AU999 per per person was misguided. He mentioned he had traveled on Delta to Europe (Houston to Rome) with his family. He decided to upgrade at a significant cost but the goal of his trip was to enjoy it, not get there as cheaply as possible. I then discovered a world I didn’t know about, even though it lurked just feet away. Here’s a YouTube video of a traveler using Delta One on a Transpacific flight:
My colleague suggested despite the price, it’s better VALUE than Economy fares. He stated you eat what you want, you drink what you want, you have an 18 inch monitor, you get to stow your carry on without issues and you are isolated from the rest of the cabin. He noted the increased fare included use of the lounges in the airport, making it by far less a pain in the ass than the average traveler. He stated he had traveled with a number of companions on the same trip. It took the others a day or two to recover from the trip while his immediate family was able to begin enjoying their vacation right away. He said that was the value he received by using the premium seating.
If it were just a few dollars, everyone would do it. Airlines make the rate very high so they can still make profits on the longer routes from business and elite travelers. My colleague suggested if a trip is going to take more than 6.5 hours, use it. It will improve the quality of your travel and set a better tone for whole trip overall. I noted I felt it was difficult to pay more for the air travel than a cruise. He noted it was your ability to get to your destination that makes vacationing worthwhile. I agreed and I will definitely consider it on my next long distance vacation.
Sorry, Virgin Australia. You gave me a better deal than I had realized.
bittersportspills 