When I was first traveling regularly enough to earn airline elite status, domestic first class cabins were only filled about 10% with people who had paid the fare to be there. The rest was award tickets and upgrades (and employees).
That means it was disproportionately middle managers – road warriors – not the rich.
To be sure, these aren’t people who are poor. Airline passengers in economy skew better off, averaging over $100,000 a year incomes. And corporate middle management gets paid reasonably well. Still, they weren’t shelling out for first class. And the business travelers who were often found themselves on corporate contracts where their companies were paying a significant discount.
Now, first class is often filled with people willing to spend an extra $40 getting priority over those very frequent flyers. Maybe that’s an extra 25% on top of their fare! But who winds up taking those seats, then, becomes more about what comforts they prioritize for their spending rather than defining rich versus poor.
Still, there’s common perception that the dividing line between first class and coach represents the difference between the rich and the poors, when the differences in passenger makeup aren’t nearly as stark. (Besides, the rich are often – though not always! – flying private.)
First class gets priority boarding usually. I wouldn’t board early – I’d rather be last – except to ensure I get overhead bin space. Still, since they’re given priority boarding, people think it’s special. They take their seats first, and on narrowbody aircraft usually watch everyone parade past them into coach.
- What are those first class passengers thinking about you as you walk to the back of the cabin?
- And what do those coach passengers think is going on when they make that walk?
Here’s a riff on the popular imagination:
I remember flying regularly as a pre-teen, thinking that I’d never be one of those people sitting up front! I’d never be able to pay for it, and even if I could it surely wouldn’t be worth spending for. After all, it was expensive and just a few hours. I was still small, so I didn’t think the extra space comfort was worth it … though I always held my breath hoping there would be an empty seat next to me.
That was at the dawn of mileage programs, and people forget that elite status didn’t start when miles did. (AAdvantage Gold was launched in 1982, before the program was officially declared to be more than a promotion).
The truth is that you don’t know anyone’s story. You can stereotype, and that may even be useful in the aggregate, but often doesn’t give you actual insight in the moment. I knew a man with a nine-figure net worth who used to stay in roadside motels to save money on vacation. Mostly he was trying to teach his son frugality, concerned that his ex-wife’s splurges needed countering. Just as it may be a first year consultant up front, it may be a centimillionaire in back.
And in any case, most people sitting up front are thinking about:
- their work
- their family
- their health
- all of the tasks they need to do, and whether to blow those off and just watch The Big Bang Theory?
In other words, everything except you. And those passengers walking by you if you’re sitting in first? Some of them may think they want your seat, but for the most part they’re thinking about finding their seat and don’t have but a fleeting moment to notice any single passenger in front anyway.
I’m wondering if I’ll get a PDB after a 3 hour flight and a tight connection. Currently batting below the Mendoza Line.
From Etrade.com: “First class is there to remind you you’re not in first class.”
Someone I used to work with had only ever traveled internationally in business class, paid by the company. For his first ever international leisure trip, he booked coach since it was his own money. I remember him telling me “I wonder what it’s going to be like to fly with ‘those people.'” LOL
Lol… This is what I think: I like to shell out the money for first on long domestic flights, like transcontinental, for extra comfort, then I feel sorry for everyone heading back to “economy.” But for shorter flights, i.e 1-3 hours, I save my money and fly in coach. Then as I pass through the first class cabin, I think why did they pay a lot more for a short flight? Or else maybe they got a free upgrade. (Since achieving elite status last year, I’ve been upgraded to first only once…on a one hour flight.) Anyway, I remind myself that I’ll be in first the next time I take a long flight.
I fly first class for comfort. I am built like a NFL linebacker – 6’3″ 240 lbs with broad shoulders. It is all about my comfort and the people next to me, coach is just too cramped for me. I am fortunate enough that I can afford the luxury. I don’t think anything about people who make different choices. I just pre-board and put away my one carry-on messenger bag, I rarely carryon more because I want to leave bin space for others, and mind my business while others board. Thinking about others who board would just be an exercise in projection.
On many of the ME airlines, the first class passengers have a separate tunnel and entrance (especially on the double decker A380s)
I’m usually falling asleep by the time anyone really comes through 🙂 I’ve had my best naps on planes
I don’t look at individual passengers. I look seats. If I walk past First I look at full vs empty seats and wonder if I have any remaining chance of an upgrade. Who is occupying First Class seats isn’t relevant. There’s not a lot to distinguish the 2 classes on US domestic flights so, as the article said, it becomes an afterthought pretty quickly.
“Centimillionaire,” that’s a funny word. It should be centamillionaire, but somehow the spelling with the letter i has taken hold here in the Colonies. The difference is quite a few orders of magnitude, lol
I would prefer U.S. airlines seat passengers in domestic first-class last.
Of course, doing so would require (a) flight attendants to police overhead bins, (b) first-class passengers on some airlines giving up the ritual of a pre-departure beverage and (c) airlines losing the soft-sell that comes when comes when economy passengers see fellow passengers sitting in the comfort of a first-class seat and drinking a stiff drink while they comfort the reality that awaits them: fighting for bin space or the armrest in a middle seat.
I’ve always assumed the airline wants economy-class passengers to see first-class full when the time comes for their boarding because empty first-class seats would send the message that first-class isn’t worth buying. Airlines don’t want the husband telling the wife, “See, honey, I told you first isn’t worth buying.”
That aside, I’m always surprised when I see a couple passengers in economy who obviously can afford extra-legroom economy or first-class but for whatever reason are flying in basic economy and are boarding last. I always wonder if they are cheap, don’t care, or had someone else book their travel.
What do we think in first?
“Don’t hit me with your overpacked carryon/purse/backpack/briefcase combination while you are not paying attention to where you are at at the moment, but straing to see which side of the plane 23F is on.”
You’re welcome.
Have a nice day.
There was one time where I noticed a sweatshirt someone was wearing. He actually sat right across the aisle from me so we could chat about it Other than that, I have never paid attention to anyone boarding.
That said, sometimes I feel a little bit guilty sitting in first, but hey, I’m there because I want to be there
If sitting in first class is so important to one work hard and either jet a position that allows first class travel or a job that pays you enough that you can buy a first class ticket or more increasingly pay the cash upgrade charge.
After 30+ years of sitting in the back, getting stranded on tarmac, at gate for many unexplained, un air-conditioned hours wondering if I’d be the guy losing it, opening the emergency exit…
Retired, I now only ride in the front of plane though I really can’t afford it. But w extra space, last on, first off… I pity the sardines jamb packed in the back and curse the airlines, their one extra row of seat$.
My spouse and I are slightly overweight… just enough to make the economy seats very uncomfortable so we pay extra to fly 1st class domestically to be more comfortable in our seats. We are not wealthy but consider the cost as part of our total vacation cost. I don’t think of ourselves any different than anyone else on the plane.
90% of the time, my head just has music playing in it. I’m not really thinking of anything, just gazing out the window and silently singing to myself.
My wife gets it fairly frequently as an upgrade due to her American status. If I’m on her booking I’ll get it. What I do is not make eye contact with those boarding afterwards. But pay for it? Nope, I didn’t even on a flight from Dubai to Miami. To my mind it just isn’t worth the expense.
When i was very young and got to travel first class for the very first time on a free check in upgrade, felt like a royalty. Now, its more like meh, just board quickly so we can all go.
I don’t care what they think. One time I took an hour flight from LGA – Montreal, I remember this lady thought she was royalty as economy passengers passing her.
I fly all classes, depending on which airline and the duration of the flight. I’m willing to pay more for comfort on longer flights and use my points for international. For anything that’s shorter than my commute to the office, I’m fine in economy.
If I am sitting in F I generally crank up my spotify and try to ignore the hoi polloi. Unfortunately that was impossible last night when the spoiled yuppies with a dog paused at my seat and the mutt decided to go on a sniffing spree in my row. Thankfully he did not defacate and they finally made their way to the back.
When I board into economy I always check out the F passengers for amusement value. And then never give them a second thought.
I enjoy the passive-aggressive smashing of my aisle side shoulder from the massive sherpa-size carry-ons that the unwashed rabble shuffles onboard with.
I’ve been upgraded a few times & also paid for an upgrade a couple of times. Unfortunately several times economy passengers walking through have passed gas. Trashy, hope they are proud of themselves.
Domestic first is still filled with poor OPM flyers doing their corporate overlord’s bidding.
There is nothing sadder than a Saturday or Sunday flight full of work flyers.
I flew Southwest last week from DC to Nashville. For $125 more I could have flown Delta in first on a E175, but that seemed ridiculous for such a short flight. Waiting in the boarding scrum in the low B group then sitting in a cramped seat on a -700, I really really regretted being so frugal.
a ‘duuhhhh’ moment: upgraded myself on DL, in First having a nice beverage, smiling; through the door comes the new President of a trade group who had just approved a hefty increase in our fees for the next year, headed to Coach.
I fly coach and I fly first both times I’m not thinking about anybody except in coach I’m hoping a REALLY large person does not sit next to me.
Wow. slow news day? This is a pretty dumb post. Especially when you reference things like “$40 upgrades.” Sure, those exist, But they are exceedingly rare. I fly twice a week, week after week month after month year after year. I’ve MAYBE encountered an upgrade of that size on a trip from LA to San Francisco, ONCE.
Mostly as I have the aisle seat, I usually am watching for passengers with way to much carryon which the can’t navigate passed me without knocking my shoulders and sometimes head. I’m up front because I don’t fit in coach seats. My shoulders stick out four inches on either side of a domestic coach seat. If I can’t get an exit row or FC seat, I don’t fly that plane.
And sometimes they board you through 2L and F/J pax don’t get to lord their superiority over the passing masses. I kid. I love when they use 2L. But, anyway, I’ve already brought some video up on my tablet and have earphones in. I’m paying little attention to anyone. We all think we play a larger role in the play that is others’ lives.
What I am thinking about is, “why am I flying commercial?” – even on a short flight from SAN to SFO I would rather be flying from an FBO and not have to deal with the public. In the “old days” I would not mind flying commercial, but now every airline seems to be Spirit and full of the Spirit Airlines crowd. I wish for re-regulation and VERY expensive flights again.
When I’m up front the only thing I think as I watch the walk is “Hurry the F up so we can leave!” 😛
Our local alternate newspaper advocated that coach class passengers all fart as they trudge through First Class
Started flying 1st class my Sr year of college when I got upgraded 25 yrs ago. Never went back, checking in, early seating etc the convenience alone is worth it. Especially when I flew in last night from Houston back home to Cleveland. Just made the hustle and bustle easier.
I honestly think that if airliners end up having seats in first class that don’t sell, then they should be in my opinion up for grabs as Upgrades for passengers whom are sitting in lower class seats
After four and a half million miles over 35 years, unless it’s a long international flight that I want to comfortably sleep on, paying for business class is rarely worth the money. For about 15 years I did hundreds of flights every year across the US almost always upgraded to domestic first. But the real advantage wasn’t actually the upgrade. As a business traveler who really needed to be wherever I was flying to, it was the shorter lines at security, the next thing flying priority if there was some kind of flight disruption, bags first off the airplane if I had to check something, and the general, almost caring, attitude I got from the airline staff. I wasn’t just another piece of self loading cargo. I was a valuable customer for whom service was mostly given. That’s pretty much gone. Most of the folks flying have no idea that today’s first class passenger isn’t treated nearly as well as the lowliest coach flyer used to be in the 70s and early 80s. Yeah, you have a two inch wider seat, five inches more leg room, and probably won’t be subjected to a lunatic in the seat next to you. Probably. And you might get a free, somewhat edible meal or sandwich and a free drink. But with that said, sometimes it’s more comfortable in the back, although not often post pandemic.
But think about it? Not really. I’m usually either thinking about what I have to do when I get there or what I want to when I get home.
I fly FC domestically and FC/BC internationally.
Domestic brings few perks except getting in/off quicker and shorter check in lines. I watch the parade mainly to be bemused at the one who’s stares intently at my seat number like his 45F has magically relocated to my 2A.
Internationally, I want the bed, the dedicated check in and the lounge plus better food and amenities. Often don’t see the steerage group since we have a separate boarding area.
Don’t really know how the treatment is beyond the Curtain because never grown back there.
Yeas, it’s crazy expensive but as long as I can afford it, it’s where I will be.
At least for me, the perks of flying first-class domestically:
1) Same-day change.
2) Extremely good service when things go bad. For example: On Saturday, I flew Denver to Detroit. Plane was about an hour late because of a mechanical in Denver that forced Delta to do an equipment swap. I only had 27 minutes to make my connection in Detroit. Going from A21 to C20-something. Impossible. I called Delta before we even boarded in Denver and they rebooked me on Detroit to Minneapolis in first and then the connection the following morning out of Minneapolis. They even said they would reimburse my hotel at Minneapolis if I sent in my receipt. I highly, highly doubt I would have received that kind of proactive service from Delta had I not been a diamond, million miler, and on a first-class ticket.
3) I know I can get a meal, which is mostly edible on certain flights. I always have a connection on both ends of a trip because I fly from a small airport to a Delta hub. Sometimes I don’t have time to find a restaurant in the terminal or hit up the Sky Club. Buying first allows me to pre-select a meal. I can also have a two or three glasses of wine and not buy wine at the hotel once I check-in thereby saving my clients money. Likewise, a meal on the flight to a destination meals I’m probably not billing a client for dinner on that first day. I figure that’s $50-$75 right there.
4) Being in first generally means I can plug my devices in and do real work on a laptop. Especially on longer flights. I can generally clear my email inbox on a 3-hour or 4-hour flight. Or work on monthly billing and expense reports.
I’m doing this for one more year. When I hit 2 million miles, I’m retiring from travel.
I am trash. I used to get lots of upgrades. Now I never get upgrades because higher classes often require buying the seat up front.
@FNT
“That aside, I’m always surprised when I see a couple passengers in economy who obviously can afford extra-legroom economy or first-class but for whatever reason are flying in basic economy and are boarding last. I always wonder if they are cheap, don’t care, or had someone else book their travel.”
Did it ever occur to you that maybe they don’t see the value in sitting up front. Maybe they are millionaires and spend money where it will do them the most good.
As I sit in first class watching everyone go by, my constant thought is how many people they can cram onto even a smallish plane.
Spirit manages to police the overhead bins over the first two rows until everyone seated in those seats is on board. It’s nice to sit in the bulkhead in a Big Front Seat and walk on the plane nearly last and put a roller bag right over my own seat.
I have to fly business class for my back. I hate spending the extra money, but it comes down to money to avoid pain. I look at the people heading to the back and wish I could be there too. Saving money.
If you don’t go First Class, your children will.
I fly Qatar business every couple of years (Australia to the UK via Doha) but have done more than my fair share of ‘economy’ back in the day.
Back then I was super envious of the people up front, the idea of spreading out Duri a 14 hr flight was a bloody dream.
Have only had one experience within people passing through the business cabin on the way to the back, felt really awkward as I’m laid back drinking champagne and seeing a few envious looks (I’ve been that person)
Regardless of the service/comfort etc, the only thing on my mind is getting through the next 30 odd hours and seeing my family on the other end.
I don’t think anything about it. Why even ask?
As a frequent flyer who hates flying the only thing I am thinking of while sitting in first class while others are boarding is. “Why the F did I get on this plane so soon? I don’t want to die! Let me off let me off LET ME OFF!!”
That’s about it pretty much wherever I sit
First/Business internationally. It’s the only way to go more than a 7 hr flight. I agree that domestic first is basically worthless I always get econ+ and half the time there’s no one in the middle seat so it’s effectively the equivalent of Intl first, domestically. I used to give af about those in first but now I realized it’s either a free upgrade or a few hundo extra paid. Not necessarily a smart money move or sign of wealth. Meals aren’t great in domestic first either and I don’t care about free booze tbh… I prefer to be hydrated.
When the plane is going down we’re all the same class…
I don’t give much thought to people in coach except I wish I were as skinny as they are. I figuredbincan fit I to a business class or first class seat.
Once again Leff shows he has no idea of the price difference between economy and first class. I usually buy first class if the flight is longer than two hours.. all my trips to Hawaii are in First. The price difference is between 4 to 5 times. $200 vs $800.
There are a lot more people who are paying for first class since airlines are monetization first class and not giving out that many upgrades.