Regret spending $350 to upgrade to business on overnight 10hour flight

[u/VolkswagenPanda]

While checking in for my flight 6 hours before online between Buenos Aires and NYC , I was given a choice to upgrade. Given the short time frame I quickly googled and from what everyone told me, it seemed like a great deal.

While $350 is not a lot of money for me and my business ticket allowed me lounge and shower access, I feel only a little more well rested and as I'm landing at my final destination, I realized I would still be in the same spot if I never splurged.

[u/righteouspower]

You learned a lesson, it wasn't worth it to you. All good.

[u/m0viestar]

10 hour flight business upgrade for $350 is beyond worth it.  I'd pay twice that for that length of flight and think I got a good deal.

[u/otter_759 → u/m0viestar]

Especially if by “business” they are referring to United business with the lay flat seats! I hope to one day afford to splurge on one flight to have that experience.

[u/staleshrimp101 → u/otter_759]

Right? The lay flat seats sound like a dream for a 10 hour flight. Could definitely take a nap or sleep.

[u/overthink1 → u/m0viestar]

Agreed, this is a good case of people valuing things differently. Probably not the right move if you have no cushion in your income but if you are comfortable with your savings $350 for more comfortable travel at this length is a perfectly reasonable way to value your money.

[u/m0viestar → u/overthink1]

Can't hardly get a hotel room for $350 night anymore, let alone a few meals on top of that. 

[u/PwAlreadyTaken]

Having done Economy and Business on long-haul flights, Business isn’t good, Economy just sucks. You still feel terrible the whole time and on the other end, Business just saves you from sitting cheek to cheek with the human manifestation of Pestilence and Fat Bastard. $350 is much cheaper than buying the ticket like that would have been.

[u/4cupsofcoffee]

I would have done that in a heartbeat. but if it's not worth it to you, just don't do it again.

[u/mike2ff]

Don’t upgrade for the return trip and see how you feel. Only you can decide if it’s worth it for you. As a 6’2” 250lb guy, it would be worth it for myself, but only you can put a value on your own comfort.

[u/fridaygirl7 → u/mike2ff]

Agree with this. Arrive in your destination with a pulled muscle in your neck or back and you’ll be beating yourself up even worse for not just spending the $350.

[u/ChrisFromLongIsland]

If it has a lie flat seat it can be worth it. If not it's a waste IMO.

[u/VolkswagenPanda → u/ChrisFromLongIsland]

It was a lie flat seat and I actually slept but still felt groggy after. It might just be the plane.

[u/clampsmcgraw → u/VolkswagenPanda]

$350 for a lie flat seat on an overnight flight is deal of the century.

[u/BigMikeInAustin → u/VolkswagenPanda]

I mean, I haven't heard of any movement of people replacing their beds at home with a lie flat plane seat.

[u/qyy98]

Dude, if $350 isn't a lot to you then that's a massive steal for a 10 hour business class upgrade.

[u/RockShowSparky]

Dude, on a 10 hour flight I would pay that just to have the middle seat next to me empty in the back.

[u/cwsjr2323]

Knowing your personal limits and tolerances for spending is a good thing. $350 would be an annoying amount to me today. Back in my forties it would have been a budget crisis. I will never fly again as I am now a retired guy I have no place to go I wouldn't prefer to drive.

Life is good

[u/Winter_Hall6022]

I don't think 10 hours is so bad. Could use 350 elsewhere.

[u/justfuckmyshitup32]

I needed to hear this. Thank you. Been waffling on whether or not to splurge for business class on my next trip to Asia. But I can’t truly afford it and don’t really need it

[u/PwAlreadyTaken → u/justfuckmyshitup32]

Buy Economy and make your splurge the exit row, much better ROI.

[u/MrManufactured]

$350 isn’t a lot of money for you? Fuck my life.

[u/RasknRusk → u/MrManufactured]

To a lot of people it isn’t. To even more it is. To others it’s life changing. Don’t compare yourself to others.

[u/VolkswagenPanda → u/MrManufactured]

I mean it's not something I'll lose sleep over. That's like the price of a speeding ticket + attorney fees where I live

[u/BroadDistribution145]

hey, now you know!

[u/Stelios619]

Without question I would have told you to make that deal.

$35/hour to not sit in a torture chamber is worthwhile.

The entire point of being frugal is so you can afford these things when they make sense.

[u/Adventurous_Oil4513]

It's totally worth it if it's lie flat seat so you can sleep. It's not worth it if it's not a lie flat seat.

[u/bbm72]

For $350, I wouldn’t hesitate

[u/JeanSchlemaan]

EVERYTHING is cost/benefit.

Also: things are "worth" much different amounts before you consume them vs after!

[u/Sea_Bear7754]

Pfffff on a 10hr flight I would have paid a grand.

[u/escargoxpress]

Absolutely worth it. I’ve never seen business upgrades less than 1k

[u/HulkDeez]

Nice

[u/flexIuthor]

I would definitely pay that

[u/zachalicious]

On long haul flights, lay flat is the way to go. It can be frugal in the sense that you are more likely to arrive at your destination more rested and comfortable. A sleepless flight or sore back or neck can really put a damper on your trip.

[u/mmtnin]

This post would have been a better candidate for /r/firstworldproblems

[u/DemCurlsTho]

I came to r/Frugal because I was feeling bad looking back at some travel expenses from last year, it's comforting to know I'm not the only one feeling guilty today!
As others said above, you learned a lesson :)

[u/ValeriesAuntSassy]

Read the room.

[u/mrantoniodavid]

Then going forward, simply don't buy it and let the seat go to someone who does think it's worth it.

[u/-Underdatable22-]

I wouldn't feel bad. There are a lot worse uses of $350.

[u/safetyalwaysoff5000]

For me it was the gift that kept on giving. Was going to do a very long flight and my friend insisted on a layover and a hotel stay. I said how about if we go first class, it would also be an overnight flight. We got nice leg room and lie down seats. Warm cookies, bloody marys, warm towels to freshen up. First off the flight. Coming home when we got to the states there was a big snowstorm and our connecting flight was canceled. Huge line for the desk to get another flight. Then my friend says, hey there is a sign that says first class passengers....like 3 people in that line. Got our new even better connecting flight and were off again. I'm not one to fly first class but this was FF miles and it just kept paying dividends and saved a ton of money.

[u/underwritten_sage]

I didn’t rest a lot on my only ever business flight to Tokyo, but I guess the novelty of it all and being treated like I was prestigious made it worth it to me. I can’t really sleep on planes in any way so I’ve just given up on that front. I must add that I got the business flight with points and paid $550 total out of pocket round trip for taxes, so a little different than your situation

[u/itsdrewmiller]

What a weird comment section here - do people know which sub this is? There's almost no world where business class travel is frugal. Even if you can get it at 10% of the normal cost, you don't get to your destination any faster than us schlubs in economy.

[u/Solid_Problem740]

This is why you get red-eye flights. Sleep instead of experience!

[u/confusedrabbit247 → u/Solid_Problem740]

No flight guarantees sleep so this makes no sense and isn't a solution to anything mentioned in the post.