Flying First Class Isn’t What Some Articles Claim — and That’s the Problem

85

Flying first class comes with real perks, but it doesn’t magically eliminate airport crowds, security lines, or bad weather—and confusing those expectations is where some coverage goes wrong.

My husband Joe and I have flown first class a few times. It admittedly doesn’t happen often—usually because he’s saved up enough points, and it’s a long enough trip that we’d rather be up front than squeezed into economy seats. We usually save those trips for when we go overseas, although we’ve occasionally used points for a cross-country flight, too. Here’s Joe during one of those times:

The article that inspired this

Anyway, back in 2018, Business Insider posted an article titled:

DISAPPOINTING PHOTOS SHOW WHAT FLYING FIRST CLASS IS REALLY LIKE

The post mainly consisted of several photos and comments about each image. Its synopsis is:

• Despite its reputation, flying first class isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.
• Advertisements for first-class accommodations—and even our imaginations—can look vastly different from the actual experience.
• Take a look at what the whole experience of flying first-class—from check-in to the exclusive lounges to the seats and meals on the flights themselves—can really look like.

I recently read the whole article and looked at all the pictures, and all I have to say is: even several years after the fact, many of its conclusions still feel misleading.

Here’s the article. Take a look at it so you know what I’m talking about. 😉

Note: The stuff in large bold is my introduction to each section. The stuff in regular-size bold is from the article. The regular print is my descriptions and thoughts.

Check-in

The author first talks about the check-in process:

You might think check-in is all smiles for people who purchase first-class tickets (photo of a smiling gate agent on a Premier Access line). But in reality, travel is always hectic, and there’s bound to be some confusion at some point. (photo of a crowd of people waiting to check in on Ryanair)

Well, I don’t know very many people at the check-in desk who smile and treat first-class passengers like royalty. But they do indeed have special access lines for people flying first class (both domestically and internationally), so they don’t have to stand in the queues you might see for those flying economy—or on a Ryanair flight. (Ryanair is an ultra-low-cost airline…it doesn’t even have first class!)

Security

The author then goes into the TSA security checkpoint:

Before arriving at your gate, your security screening may be seamless and easy. (photo of a smiling family going through a regular X-ray with a smiling TSA agent looking on. Oh, and there’s no one in line behind them.) But you could still get stuck in long lines. (photo of a typical long queue at the checkpoint)

Well, unless you’re a super-duper VIP, how (and where) you go through security has nothing to do with what kind of plane ticket you have. It’s all about whether you have TSA PreCheck. A traveler who has done their homework would know that. There may even be a “preferred” lane for first class and business customers, but that usually just dumps you into the normal security lane after your ID is checked.

Lounge access

Next up – waiting in a lounge:

Thankfully, the airline club lounges once you get through security look to be rather luxurious — a welcoming respite from the huge crowds. (photo of an empty lounge, with every single seat perfectly placed) That is, until they’re overcrowded with a ton of other passengers who paid for the same “luxury.” (photo of a very crowded lounge)

Just because you have a first-class ticket, it doesn’t automatically mean you have lounge access. You might, but the rules vary from airline to airline. So how crowded the lounge is might be a moot point—you’re not getting in unless you have access.

The author then tries to differentiate waiting in the lounge if you’re flying international first class:

If you’re flying international first class, you may expect to find your lounge to look like the halls of a palace. (photo of a modern, swanky lounge, with flat screen TVs and bud vases on the tables) But even for international flights, your lounge may very well just look like the lobby of a Holiday Inn. (photo of a lounge that looks like it was designed in the 1970s)

True: not all lounges—even international or first-class lounges—are the same. If you’re in a small airport, for example, they might not bother upgrading the international and/or first-class lounge very often.

That being said, knowing what your lounge will look like before you go is a matter of doing a little homework. All it takes is a search on this website—by this point, just about every lounge out there has probably been reviewed at some point. If you don’t like the lounge you thought you were going to use, see if you can access another one.

Boarding

They then discuss boarding the plane:

On the surface, boarding the plane into first class should be an orderly process. You’re likely one of the first groups to board, after all. (photo of an empty gate, with absolutely spotless carpeting and no fingerprints on the windows or mirrored wall) But boarding can still be completely chaotic, even if you’re allowed to board first. (photo of a gate swamped with gate lice) One-touch boarding would seem to solve this problem (photo of an entry to Delta Sky Club that’s using biometrics for entry) Unfortunately boarding a plane is usually much harder than it appears. (different photo of gate lice)

I’m not quite sure what the author’s point is here. If you’re loaded onto the plane first because you’re in first class, you miss most of the chaos, right?

And even when/if biometrics become available everywhere for boarding (again, the pic the author used was for the Delta Sky Club—not a boarding gate), it’s still not going to stop gate lice.

Domestic vs. international first class

The author then goes into great detail about the differences between domestic first class and international first class:

(The pictures for each are lovely international options, compared to what you’d typically see in domestic first class.)

On the plane, those international first class seats are advertised as luxurious and spacious. Yet the reality of domestic first class is typically only a large leather chair.

On some international flights, first class accommodations are the size of a room, and they may come with various toiletries for your convenience. Other first-class accommodations include seats that allow you to fully recline. But on domestic first class, your seat may look more like this, with little space to spread out.

You might plan on getting some sleep in your luxurious first class pod… … but you could still get stuck sitting near a crying baby.

In international first class, you might expect the cabin’s bathroom to include a shower, clean towels, hand towels, and a marble sink — and some do. But, especially on domestic first-class flights, the bathrooms can still be rather tight spaces that make you feel claustrophobic.

You might also expect to have a large, high-definition TV screen with a multitude of entertainment options on your flight — and you could get this on some international first-class flights. But, particularly in domestic first class, you might still have to make do with a small, low-definition TV screen.

In first class, you might expect to be served lobster tail and rice pilaf — and some airlines do offer that on their international flights. But in domestic first-class, you should be prepared for meals more akin to reheated tortellini and a dry salad.

This is where the article starts to blur an important difference. No one has ever said domestic first class is anything like international first class. If you’ve been on even one domestic flight on a legacy airline, you’ve walked past the first-class cabin—you’ve seen what it’s like.

And that’s OK! The seats are bigger and cushier, and you may get more than a Stroopwafel and a cup of soda. But those leather seats don’t suddenly turn into pods (like a Transformer) when the curtain is closed. That framing sets up expectations that just don’t match how airline cabins actually work.

After you land

The rest of the article delves into after you’ve left the plane:

Upon landing, you may go to baggage claim and have a pain-free process of retrieving your luggage. Or you could find it stacked in a pile with no discernible plan or focus.

When you finally leave the airport to return home, you may be picked up by a driver who will take your bags for you. Or you could arrive right in the middle of a blizzard — flying first class doesn’t exempt you from the weather, after all.

And even if you do choose to ride with one of the many taxis waiting outside the airport … chances are you’ll still be stuck in a horrible line with the rest of the travelers who want to get home … and then will endure even worse traffic trying to leave the airport.

I really think the author’s framing suggests that first class should influence every part of the journey—even where airlines have no control. Why push an unrealistic idea and then take it away in the same breath?

Sure, if you’ve flown first class, your bags might come out among the first. But what does traffic out of the airport have to do with flying first class? Or the weather? Airline service affects the flight itself, but most parts of the travel experience—security, boarding areas, and ground transportation—operate independently of ticket class.

Final thought

If you’re just a regular person—not a bajillionaire who pays cash for first-class tickets, and not someone with so many miles they don’t know what to do with them—and you somehow get a first-class seat, just sit back and ENJOY IT.

Don’t expect first-class treatment for every aspect of your travel besides the things the airline actually controls. TSA, taxis, and the weather don’t care if you have a first-class ticket or not. 😉

If you want to know what to expect before your flight, do your homework and learn what you’ll get in terms of seating, meals, and service. But don’t be disappointed because you had unrealistic expectations of your experience—that’s on you, not the airline.

As for the author and the constant “You might expect this, but don’t” outlook: it feels like they’re pushing unrealistic expectations and then taking them away almost in the same sentence, which weakens the overall argument.

Feature Image (cropped): TravelingOtter / flickr / CC by SA 2.0

Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.

Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.

Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.

Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!

This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary