Has business-class air travel lost some of its shine? Sure, the seats are always going to be light years more spacious and comfortable than anything you’d find at the back end of the plane. But when it comes to the additional fees and occasionally hidden costs that come with flying in style – well, that’s a more complicated story.
Last week, the German carrier Lufthansa became the latest airline to announce extra costs for business-class passengers – the ones who often pay thousands of pounds for their tickets – should they wish to reserve a window seat on its retrofitted A380 fleet. Yes, that’s right: the same Lufthansa which operates an entirely separate terminal for business-class passengers at Frankfurt also wants them to pay extra for the privilege of choosing where to sit.
To be fair, they’re hardly the only airline looking to charge premium passengers to reserve their seats. British Airways has been doing it for years, including on long-haul business class, using a technique that has become depressingly familiar to frequent flyers: introducing different levels of business-class fares and limiting free seat selection – at least before check-in – to the more expensive ones.
Lufthansa’s announcement in particular reflects the more recent trend for certain carriers to unveil different types of business-class seats in the same cabin. If you look at the most recent Lufthansa A350s, for example, you’ll find five different seats, including one with an extra-long bed and a bespoke “privacy” seat tucked away at the back of the cabin. Naturally, you’ll have to pay more, though, if you want either of the special seats.
The rise of unbundling
No one is going to complain about passengers having more choice. If you fly business class regularly, you’ll know that plenty of passengers have very strong opinions about their favourite type of seat – just have a look at the withering reviews of Virgin Atlantic’s rather dated “coffin class” seating arrangement which it still has on some older planes, for example. Presumably, some of those customers will be happy to pay extra to ensure they get the kind of seat they want.
At the same time, though, the splintering of business-class fares into multiple categories has given rise to a whole separate process: unbundling. Under this model, familiar to anyone who has ever flown Ryanair, airlines strip back the various perks that might have come traditionally with your ticket and then sell them separately. It means cheaper headline ticket prices, but more extra costs.
Unbundling makes sense for economy tickets where most passengers are prepared to slum it anyway. But the current rise of so-called “business-class light” tickets that strip back perks such as lounge access and checked-in luggage? You can see how that might raise eyebrows for a supposedly premium product.
That hasn’t stopped full-service airlines from going down that route. The Finnish national carrier, Finnair, has been one such proponent, introducing a discounted “business light” ticket that comes with no lounge access, no fast-track security access, and no checked luggage. You still get the lovely seat which turns into a flat bed, of course, but you just have to forgo some of the additional perks when you get to the airport (unless, of course, you’re willing to pay extra).
A global game
These days, even some of the luxury Middle Eastern airlines have joined in the game. Qatar Airways has “business lite” fares – albeit only on some flights – that come without lounge access and seat selection. Meanwhile, the UAE-based carrier Etihad excludes lounge access from all of its lowest-cost business-class fares. Imagine splashing out for a lavish weekend in Abu Dhabi only for it to start with you being turned away from the airline lounge.
Travellers can – and should – do their own research. But some frequent flyers worry that the push towards slimmed-down business fares actually represents a squeeze on customers. “In some cases, these kinds of ‘business-class light’ fares are really just a stealth price increase,” says Rhys Jones, aviation editor at the frequent-flyer website Head for Points. “More often than not, we’ve seen the introductory price remain the same when airlines have introduced the fare class, so you’re paying the same as before but getting less for it.”
Maybe that shouldn’t be such a surprise, given that airlines aren’t exactly having an easy run of things at the moment. Not only is there the increase in the price of jet fuel, but there’s also the general decline in business-class travel since the pandemic. Couple that with the numerous increases in Air Passenger Duty, many of which have fallen disproportionately on premium cabins, and you can see why airlines might be thinking more creatively about how they can squeeze money out of customers.
That’s not great news for what you might call “casual” business-class flyers: the sort of leisure travellers who like to treat themselves once in a while, maybe with the help of a few airline loyalty points. Indeed, such travellers are already being squeezed: British Airways recently increased the amount of cash you have to pay towards “reward” flights, with some long-haul redemptions costing an extra £100 to travel in the Club World cabin.
It’s true that leisure travellers come out better in some ways. Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic charge significantly more – usually up to 50 per cent – for flexible business-class tickets that can be rebooked at short notice. Those kinds of costs are unavoidable for high-flying financial types whose plans can change at the drop of a hat, but they also mean cheaper fares for leisure travellers who can commit to certain dates well in advance.
At the same time, though, it’s pretty clear which way the wind is blowing when it comes to sneaky fees and business-class travel. The next time you see a tempting business-class fare advertised in an airline sale? It’s worth double-checking the details to find out exactly what you’re getting.