The answer to the question “how can you overpay so much for wide seats and tastier food” was presented in her blog on Yandex.Zen by a Russian woman, flying from Cairo to Moscow and back in business class. She noted that, as a rule, she travels with her family and children, so she chooses “the most economy of all economy”, and a relative gave her a ticket to the business – so she looked at the “buns” of the business class with a fresh look of a beginner. And she told the following details.
She was ordered a ticket for the accumulated miles, the blogger clarified. So for a flight in Egypt Air business class from his own pocket, the blogger had to pay “a little more than $ 100 for each ticket.” These are taxes and fees, you can’t buy them with miles, she explained.
Next, she lists what surprised her in business class:
- Fast passage through passport control and screening. “At check-in in Cairo, I was given a “gold” immigration card (yellow, usually red), which made it possible to go through passport control at the counter for the crew, diplomats and “business” passengers. In Moscow, they gave me a boarding pass that said “gold track”, and there was also a special desk for passport control and then a separate inspection,” the blogger said. However, she added that this process usually takes about 20 minutes.
- Lounge for comfortable waiting for a flight. Which the tourist called “the most pleasant bun.” “The main plus is the free buffet food and drinks (in Cairo there were only non-alcoholic ones, in Domodedovo everything, including wine, champagne and beer). Plus, these lounges have a shower room and computers if someone needs to work,” she explained.
- Low load business class. We flew from Cairo to Moscow together with one more passenger. Naturally, they sat in such a way that they did not even see each other. On the way back, there were noticeably more of us (6 people, but everyone also sat separately). But the tourist did not feel much comfort. “The seats, of course, are comfortable, and most importantly, the distance between the seats allows you to stretch your legs. But the separator between the seats there is such that you can’t remove it. You won’t be able to lie down and sleep,” she said, then remembering how she slept on three seats in the half-empty “economy” of Aeroflot. “I'll say three seats in economy is better than two seats in business,” she added.
- Food. “There is more food, plus they give cloth napkins and put a tablecloth on the table. The choice is not from two, but from three dishes. Choice of meat, chicken and seafood. I chose shrimp,” said the tourist. At the same time, according to her, they fed only once in 5 hours “and it’s not to say that they ran straight and asked if someone wanted to drink something.” At the same time, there are no alcoholic drinks in Egypt Air even in “business”.
The conclusion, is it worth it, the tourist makes the following. First, compare prices. A direct flight Cairo-Moscow-Cairo on April 12 with Egyptair offers the cheapest ticket for 44 thousand rubles, business class for the same flights 97 thousand rubles. “Here, of course, everyone decides based on their income. My income so far suggests that the economy is not so bad, ”the tourist notes. However, he advises his colleagues “not to neglect the miles that airlines offer.” “I myself often skip the 'enter your membership number or sign up for a savings program' option when I buy a ticket. As it turned out, in vain. For frequent flyers, many airlines offer upgrades with earned miles or buy a full ticket with miles. And in this case, the “business” option is, of course, more comfortable,” she said.
In the comments, “advanced” passengers in general agree with the position that few people are ready to fly in business for their money. But on the other hand, it is very convenient, especially in the case of long-haul flights, “when the chair folds out into a full bed.”
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