The TikToker providing us with these ratings is Drake Pooley - a New York City resident, Stanford Graduate School of Business student, tech finance worker, and a frequent flyer. He has over 57,500 followers and roughly 2.2 million likes on TikTok alone.
The first part of one of his most recent videos, where he decided to rate the luxurious airline experiences he has flown, has taken the internet by storm. It went viral with over 2.7 million views, almost 77,000 likes, and plenty of likes, comments, and shares.
While the second part of the video was less successful, it still managed to grab close to 300,000 views and over 8,000 likes, making the combination quite successful by today’s online standards.
Ratings alone might not be enough to fully set your mind on whether it’s worth spending extra money for that so-called luxurious airplane experience. That’s why we did some additional research and looked for a more in-depth review, which we found in an article by The Barefoot Nomad.
The article begins by explaining that not all business-class tickets are equal. Some might be a huge step up from what you’d usually get, offering lay-flat seats, meals designed by famous chefs, bars, and excellent service, while others might be nothing more than slightly upgraded economy-class tickets with a bit larger seats at the front of the plane and usually fewer children around.
The food is usually a huge advantage the business class has over the economy class. The quality and the variety will likely be higher, with some airlines, like Air France, even commissioning Michelin Star chefs, like Anne-Sophie Pic, to create several dishes for their customers. In addition, you can snack on demand and even possibly get complimentary drinks. However, this only really applies to the longer flights rather than the short-haul ones.
When it comes to seating, most luxury seating will have a significantly higher level of it. The seats tend to be bigger and offer reclining functionality as well as extra legroom, with some even having lie-flat beds. While comfort is nice, this also means that you can get a good night’s rest and even possibly save on a hotel as you’ll have a lot more energy when you get off and will need a shorter stay.
Of course, there are always ways to save, even when picking a more expensive option, and The Barefoot Nomad has a few tips on how you could do it:
- Wait for an offer to get a last-minute, discounted upgrade.
- Use your frequent flyer status or airline points.
- Book your tickets as early as possible.
- Look out for lower prices from alternative airports.
- Consider opting for premium economy tickets, which are in between economy and business class.
In the end, the article explains that it really comes down to your budget. If you have the money, this experience is usually absolutely worth it, especially if you need to fly a long distance and plan to take advantage of the benefits that come with it. But if money is more scarce than you’d like it to be, there are still ways to ensure your flight is not an endurance test, even without going for a business-class seat. Just remember to do your research!
But regardless of whether you plan to fly any luxurious airline or not, it’s nice to know what to expect if you ever have an opportunity to do so, and these ratings sure do help to get a clearer picture of it.
What did you think of this? Have you ever flown in business class and would like to share how it went? Come to the comments and type away!
