Thanks for the feedback above Raz.
This point ratkin makes for something of an interesting debate. I think in the example you've given the vast majority of people would choose a decent airline's economy seat to in effect save $100 per hour.
That said lets look at a different example. Suppose you're flying to Zurich in their peak summer season, July next year. Flight time return is about 50 hours and an economy seat on a decent airline will set you back about $2,300, (got that off Emirates website yesterday). You get a pretty good experience, a reasonable 18 inch width seat with 32-34 inch pitch and in flight entertainment and food seems satisfactory by most accounts reported on
www.seatguru.com and its a thoroughly modern plane.
Now suppose you larger than an average person and the extra space of a business class seat including full recline to a flat bed would be very, very nice. Might even get some decent sleep. Suppose you shopped around and found a $5,700 business class service return on a leading airline.... that's another $3,400 over and above an economy ticket for 50 hours of genuine comfort, better food and importantly the genuine prospect of a reasonable sleep, all for $68 per hour. You theoretically, (after a good sleep on your full lie flat seat), arrive in far better shape ready to enjoy Switzerland on your first day, so that has to be worth something meaningful right ?
I used to think people who paid for their own business class ticket had more money than sense but these days I reckon
at the right price there's a reasonable argument to be made for it especially if its the trip of a lifetime. Even bean counters get sick of counting beans from time to time, sometimes you have to let your hair down and make a luxury purchase surely ? AIR wants over $10K business class to Zurich, I think that's far too much of a premium over economy but $5,700 on another pretty good airline, maybe not too bad ?
Emirates are $7400 but interestingly their business class seats are only 18.5 inches wide, (18 for economy so hardly any difference) on their A380's (Singapore airways economy seat is 19 inches wide !).