Encomium
… as ticket jumps to N3 million
When you are well-settled and comfortable, a ‘landlord’ with property in the best part of town, boast of an enviable garage with a handful of luxury cars, only then can you still fly ‘first class’ abroad!
Airfares on the coveted class to London (the United Kingdom) have jumped so high that only the brave and very rich worth hundreds of millions can contemplate such extravagance.
You need over N1.5 million, if you don’t mind stopovers, and more than N3 million for direct flights, on the luxury class with flat beds and five-star treatment.
Travelling first class which used to cost far less than N1 million has now skyrocketed so high following hyper inflation, crashing Naira against the dollar and crisis in our aviation sector.
ENCOMIUM Weekly’s investigation on airfares for Lagos-London return for the Easter period (Wednesday, April 12 to Wednesday, April 19, 2017) threw up alarming amounts on the airlines we sampled.
Here are some of the jaw dropping figures:
* British Airways
– $11,068.67 or N3,392,547.36 for first class
– $5,298.92 or N1,624,118.98 for business class
* Emirates (with stopover in Dubai)
– N1,545,079 for first class
– N1,140,165 for business class
* Klm (with stopover in Amsterdam)
– $4,585.36 for business class
* Airfrance (with stopover in Paris)
-$3,339.05 for business class
* Virgin Atlantic
– $9,707.9 for upper class
* Lufthansa (with stopover in Frankfurt)
– $7,432.31 for first class
– $4,387 for business class
* Turkish Airlines (with the in Istanbul)
– $3,238 for business class
* MedView Airlines
– N1,088,312.16 for business premium
* Arik Air
– N890,412 for business
The five-star treatment of passengers with business and first class tickets begins long before you board the plane. Apart from being fawned over by the airlines’ customer service, you are sometimes ferried to and from the airport in luxury cars.
At the airport, you enjoy a dedicated spot with no queue as you are checked in. And instead of two big bags, you are entitled to three.
At Immigrations, Customs et al, you slide through with minimal delay.
Before the flight, you can enjoy superlative attention at the lounge with shower rooms and well-laden tables of food and finger foods, liquor, wine and beverages.
You board first, and you receive warmer welcome with drinks.
You have a big space to yourself, with your seat easily turned into a flat bed.
There is an array of magazines and a bar at your becky and call. And many offers of specially presented gourmet meals and endless flow of drinks.
In the air, you can change into luxury robes and pyjamas, shower and get a massage.
Your time in the air is as memorable as on land. You are treated like the boss!
And when you land, you disembark first, get your luggage from the carousel first and saunter to another waiting luxury car.
The first class treatment is well worth the price…if you can easily afford it.
