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Flying Business Class for the 1st time? Here’s what to expect
OMG!!! You must be so excited, but also a little nervous, right?! I was so PUMPED before my first business class flight I could barely sleep. It was like the night before Christmas mixed with final exams. How do I dress? What’s going to happen? I don’t want to look like I don’t know what I’m doing!!! Flying longhaul in business class is QUITE the experience from start to finish and you will enjoy it EVEN MORE if you have some idea of what’s to come. So if you’re flying business class for the 1st time….here’s what to expect!
Dress how you want
There isn’t really a “dress code” for flying business class. You’ll see people in suits, jeans, t-shirts, track suits, shorts, etc. Some airlines will GIVE YOU PJS in business, but most don’t, so I typically bring a change of sweat pants and a t-shirt to sleep in.
You can bring extra carry ons
When you fly business you get UBER overhead space – typically an entire bin to yourself. Wearing a jacket? They’ll hang it for you. Long story, short: don’t be stressed.
Check-in will be a breeze!
You will have an exclusive and separate area to check-in. No mixing it with all those common economy folk 😉 – YOU’RE IN BUSINESS!!!! Little do they know you’ve learned the tricks of the trade and paid far less than they have – heh, heh, heh.
You’ll have a lounge to relax in before your flight
Who likes sitting around in airport terminals?! NO ONE! That’s why airlines have built premium lounges to relax, drink, and fill your belly up like you’re the prince of a small country. Some lounges even have shower suites, massage rooms, and a la carte dining – WARNING – you may not want to leave.
You’ll board early, ahead of the crowd
Boarding can be a mad rush of nerves, elbows, and sweat. When you’re flying business – no fret, my pet…just saunter on board
Pre-flight drinks – pinkies out, bottoms up!
You’ll be offered your choice of drinks – I like to drink champagne purely because I always feel like celebrating when flying business.
You’ll enjoy an entire meal of food
Remember when you felt special getting a whole can of soda? HA! The life of plastic bags of nuts and crackers is over. Welcome to white table cloths, glass, and silverware.
Fast Pass Immigration
Depending on the airline you’re flying they will give you fast pass immigration. In short, that means you will be in an EXCLUSIVE line
Ahhhh…ready to kick back, relax, and biz it up? Me too 🙂
Read more business class reviews
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.