Showing Delta Suite Cabin
Methodology

Reviewing vs. Describing Premium Flight Experiences

Here at Premium Travel Insider, we read a LOT of reviews.  It’s sort of what we do.  Our goal is to bring you as many viewpoints of the different business and (coming soon) first class products as possible.  This is, at times, more of an art than science.  One reason is that there are different ways to review Premium Flight Experiences.

Describing the Experience

Reviewers who follow the “describing” methodology of reviewing premium flight experiences are very objective.  They will typically provide a lot of photos and explain what product is available.  They were offered an amenity kit providing XYZ-branded products.  They were served certain dishes.  Here’s a picture of a pillow.  They sometimes will let the pictures speak for themselves.

For certain aspects of a flight, describers are very helpful.  Drink service, for example, is fairly objective.  If the wine list and drink list are robust and offer higher quality products, that can be objectively evaluated.  After all, no one expects a reviewer to sample all the wines—nor would their opinions likely be coherent after the fifth wine!   

But for other items, it can be trickier.  Food can look good, but taste horrible.  Amenity kits can look fancy to those who are new to flying, but actually contain sub-par products.  A good looking seat might be hard as a rock laid flat (looking at you, Singapore Business class!).  A large part of why Premium Travel Insider focuses on established bloggers and reviewers is to leverage their expertise.

Reviewing the Experience

Yummy Japan Airlines food
All reviewers agree that Japan Airlines first class has incredible food. (Credit: JAL)

Other reviewers follow a style more like a food or movie critic.  Much like other critics, reviewers have their own particular expectations and style, and are unapologetic for it.  For example, Matthew at Live and Let’s Fly freely admits he has high expectations for the details of first-class service.  He has the ability to fly frequently in premium cabins and can differentiate the truly superb from the acceptable in first class, and this is a valuable perspective to incorporate into our ratings.

Review style ratings from experts help establish whether or not a product meets expectations.  For many travelers who are not used to business or first class, simply not being in coach is a joy.  But when it comes to spending hard-earned money or points booking a trip, expert opinions are valuable.  This is why our methodology is focused on whether or not products meet or exceed expectations, as opposed to a nearly impossible objective standard.

Pick the Best Premium Flight Experiences

Once you’ve figured out your budget and where you’re going, use our summaries to figure out who the best airline for your dollar is.  Do your research—there are a lot of good business and first class products out there.  Don’t get stuck in a bad seat when something truly special might be available for the same price.