Lizzy and Lissa break down the hidden costs – financial and otherwise – of first class. Is it worth it or a waste? In this episode, Lizzy and Lissa talk about pricing, privilege, upgrades, and what it says about how you view money.
Lizzy and Lissa break down the hidden costs – financial and otherwise – of first class. Is it worth it or a waste? In this episode, Lizzy and Lissa talk about pricing, privilege, upgrades, and what it says about how you view money.
Main Topics
00:00 First Class Perks
01:17 Running The Numbers Segment
02:38 Personal Experiences with First Class
04:43 The Lounge Experience
22:10 The High Cost of First Class
24:47 Sleeping on Flights
27:14 The Value of Comfort
32:10 First Class Mishaps
37:16 20 Cents Segment
References for Statistics
https://business.yougov.com/content/51536-whos-in-the-front-of-the-plane-first-class-demographics-travel-preferences-and-favorite-airlines
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/is-first-class-worth-it
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/hidden-downside-always-flying-first-210038406.html
https://www.cntraveler.com/story/first-class-flight-upgrade-cost
Lizzy: How many times have you flown first class?
Lissa: Well, I'm embarrassed to say I've actually lost count. No, really.
Lizzy: Let's go.
Lissa: Yeah, we'll get into it. So first class tickets on a flight can often come with airport lounge access, extra free checked luggage, expedited security lines, dedicated check-in service, and more room for your legs.
Lizzy: Comfy seats, y'all.
Lissa: Today we are talking about is first class worth it?
Lizzy: Let's talk about it.
Lissa: Welcome to Net Net with Lizzy and Lissa, where we analyze hidden costs and empower you to make your own damn decisions in life. Each episode covers a different facet of life. And at the end of each episode, we each give our takes on whether we think something is net positive or net negative.
Lizzy: I'm Lizzy, a strategist and consultant with almost 20 years of experience in finance and investing.
Lissa: And I'm Lissa, a personal finance expert and a certified financial planner. We're best friends who talk about money...
Lizzy: And everything else.
Lissa: Is first class worth it?
Lizzy: First up, running the numbers on flying first class.
Lissa: According to ugov.com, first class flyers are more likely to be male than other flyers, 67% versus 52%, and more likely to be millennials, 38% versus 31%
Lizzy: Random.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: And not surprisingly, they're also much more likely to have a higher income, defined as at least 200% of the median income.
Lissa: Makes sense. First class flyers tend to fly more frequently, with 22% of them traveling for leisure four or more times per year compared to only 14% of other flyers traveling that many times.
Lizzy: Doesn't surprise me. Yeah. According to Condé Nast Traveler, domestic U.S. flights in first class can cost two to six times the cost of an economy fare, sometimes even higher depending on the airline and the route.
Lissa: Sometimes it's not just the cost that makes it hard to fly first class, though. According to an analysis by Center for Aviation, business and first class seats account for just 9.5% of seating. Which means even if you have the money to buy these seats, they can be hard to snag because of availability-
Lizzy: Sure. Demand.
Lissa: ... if you're competing with others. Yeah. Interesting. Well, we know there's more to life than numbers and statistics, so let's talk about it. Is flying first class worth it?
Lizzy: I know you're going to have a lot to say.
Lissa: Yeah. Because I mean, I think I'm in a good place with it now.
Lizzy: Okay. Talk about your journey.
Lissa: My journey. My journey. My journey starts from never as a child, kid, teenager, young adult college student, never did I think I would be able to fly first class. And I think I hear that sentiment from a lot of friends, especially people who didn't come from money and who came from a background where it's not even normalized to fly on a plane or go anywhere.
Lizzy: Seriously. Yeah.
Lissa: So I, somehow, in the last decade or so, am now in this world where if I'm to fly anywhere longer distance, I will upgrade my seat for comfort reasons. It's not always first class. Sometimes it's like whatever premium business is available. But for the main goal for mine being comfort, even if that means spending twice as much or-
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: ... whatever that multiplier is. And I think the first time I got a glimpse of the world of flying luxury, but for comfort, I think most of my opportunities flying in adulthood started off having to fly for work.
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: When you're not paying for it... I'm not saying that I was able to fly first class through my job-
Lizzy: But business or something.
Lissa: ... but business or just upgrades or having... When I first started working at Google, they had partnerships with several airlines where you could automatically get silver status or that first or second tier of status without doing anything. And so that was my first view into the world of, dang, it really is like a class system.
Lizzy: Oh, yeah.
Lissa: If you can afford stuff, you have more comfort and better experiences.
Lizzy: Oh, yeah.
Lissa: And then, I don't think I started really enjoying the lounge life, like going to lounges at airports, until about three years ago. But now it's like every time I have a flight, I'll be at the lounge. I'm not buying my own food at the airport or hanging out right next to the gate.
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: I'm hanging out at the lounge until it's time to go. I don't know. I don't know if that answered your question.
Lizzy: No, it does. It does.
Lissa: It's just a weird over time knowing that I could access it and that I liked it, and then I started learning why I liked it. Now that's kind of my lifestyle a little bit.
Lizzy: Sure. Yeah. And you've talked before around putting your money towards convenience and comfort, and those are things that are really important to you, and you may not spend as much in other areas so that you can afford that.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: All right. All right. All right.
Lissa: What about you? How often have you flown first class?
Lizzy: I have flown first class twice in my life, and I have paid for it neither time.
Lissa: Oh. How do we get first class flights for free?
Lizzy: The very first flight I ever took, I was in eighth grade. I got accepted to this leadership conference in Washington DC. My grandparents were world travelers, and they booked my flights and flew with me and flew us first class.
Lissa: So from California to-
Lizzy: From California to Washington DC.
Lissa: Okay.
Lizzy: I didn't have anything to compare it to, so I don't know that I fully appreciated it, although it's cool. And then I've flown business several times, either getting upgraded or through work. But in the past few years... I can't remember where I was going. I think to the East Coast somewhere. I got swapped for someone. I was seated next to their child, and they were in first class and wanted to sit next to their child, so they asked if I would take their seat. So that's a no-brainer. Sure. Why not?
Lissa: What was the route on that one?
Lizzy: I can't remember.
Lissa: Oh, okay.
Lizzy: I think it wasn't an international flight, but it was-
Lissa: But it was in the U.S.?
Lizzy: It was within the U.S., but I think it was like an east coast.
Lissa: East to west.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: Okay.
Lizzy: So you know, a few hours.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: But that's it. I will look. So for example, we went to London recently, and I was considering upgrading. I did, I think, for one of the flights upgrade, just like the comfort seats. I was checking it out. And now I'm at the point where there's a cost range where I might be willing to, maybe the double, not the six times.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: I'm open to it, but have not had many of those experiences.
Lissa: Yeah. And to be clear, I think I've mentioned this in our Budget Airlines episode, I don't do this a hundred percent of the time.
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: I do gauge on what is the cost of this particular flight. How am I going to feel? Is it a work trip where I got to be speaking the next day-
Lizzy: Sure. Yeah.
Lissa: ... and I got to feel a little more fresh? Or is it like I have time to recover once I get there, and maybe it's okay to not be... What if I don't get sleep on the flight? I'll be okay.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: It's a case-by-case basis. But if it were up to me, if I had unlimited money, absolutely. Well, I don't want to give away my 20 cents, but I do want to get into the price relative to the value that you get.
Lizzy: Yeah. So for someone who's never experienced it, talk about what is different.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: What are the benefits?
Lissa: Well, let's first talk domestic, so shorter flights. Shorter flights, I fly often to other places in California. My family lives in northern California, so these flights range anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours. I don't really prioritize it in that regard because oftentimes there isn't a first class. Oh, actually, there is, but there's nothing really extra about it except, yeah, more space. And the one upside I think is if you're just bringing carry-on luggage, they basically save space for you up top. You don't have to check your luggage once you get to the plane because there's no space.
Lizzy: There's no gate checking. Yeah.
Lissa: Yeah. It's just more convenient in that way. But I would say that because there's such short flights, I'm less worried about... I'm not going to pay more just for that convenience for a 30-minute flight, hour flight. However, it does feel easier to get those upgrades when you have status and you just get automatically upgraded. So a lot of times I'm not paying for upgrades, I just get them.
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: But that's, I've navigated my travel hacking in the last few years in a way where I do have status on... My main airline is Delta. It's my favorite airline right now. But again, I don't have much to compare it to. It's not like I ever had status in other airlines.
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: I just stuck with this one and that's what I have. So that's a domestic. So the two flights you flew first class were domestic.
Lizzy: Were domestic, but they were longer. So you've talked about within California.
Lissa: Oh, yeah. So I've flown from East Coast to West Coast, and it's a little different because now you're flying for six hours or five hours. Having more space and be able to lean back and have a better meal on the flight compared to economy, those things start to be more worth it. And then more importantly to me is the lounge access for before the flight. They have cooler lounges when you are flying further.
Lizzy: Sure. That makes sense.
Lissa: That's my gauge.
Lizzy: And for someone who's never been in an airport lounge, what is that experience like?
Lissa: Oh, gosh. You know, this is how spoiled I had become and a little out of touch. It was a lot like getting free lunch at Google. My comparison is like Google. It's like a cafeteria with good food that is free and you just get whatever you want, and it's decent food. It ranges. Sometimes you see people in there complaining like, "What? I'm paying for lounge access and this food sucks?" Or "It's too crowded in here." There's too many people. They let too many people in at once. They do cap it, but sometimes it gets crowded.
So it's a place where you can... When you wait for your flight at the gate, you see what the seats look like. They're not assigned. You just wait. You just do whatever. And then if you go to the bathroom, sometimes there's long lines because you're just in the common areas. In lounges, it feels cleaner, sometimes quieter, more spacious. You can have a table to yourself. Plugs are all over the place. You can charge everything. Sometimes there's cool views. Like at LAX, you can watch the runway from it. And then they typically have a bar with free drinks.
And the coolest lounges I've been to... So the coolest lounges I've been to so far in the U.S. are there's a new Delta one lounge at LAX, and there's a Delta one lounge in New York, and I've been to both. It's just like luxury and it's free.
I can't remember which one was which, but I do remember having a massage chair. You book a massage appointment. It's not a person massaging you, but you have massage chairs so you can relax in a quiet room before your flight, I don't know, aroma therapy, things like that. And then, I remember the New York one, we got there so late that we weren't able to really fully experience it, but they had a sit-down dining area where there was a waiter taking your order, serving the tables, and it was good food. We didn't have time for that, so we just ate the cafeteria food, but it was really, really good. So yeah, this is not on the flight, but it's like it comes... The lounge access typically comes if you are flying a first-class flight.
Lizzy: Right.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: Yeah. I've only been in lounges a few times, but my perception is all of the little inconveniences of like, "Okay, I have this amount of time."
Lissa: "I need some food."
Lizzy: Yeah. "I need to charge my phone. It's busy. Am I going to have good internet? Where am I going to sit? Do I have to sit on the floor?" All of those-
Lissa: Oh, and showers. And showers.
Lizzy: Oh, that's a huge one. Yeah.
Lissa: Sometimes people are on a layover or... Yeah, you just want to feel clean when you arrive somewhere.
Lizzy: Yeah. You have a meeting when you get there, that kind of thing. That is a huge one. Yeah. So there's a lot of those. The rough edges of traveling gets smoothed out.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: It does.
Lissa: That's a great way to put it because... And again, I would say most times I fly domestically... Well, all times I fly domestically I have access to a lounge because-
Lizzy: Yeah, because you have status.
Lissa: I have status with Delta, and then I also have American Express lounges. But again, they range. And most times it's just to let me grab a quick bite so I'm not hungry on the flight and get some water, get some snacks, and use, I think-
Lizzy: Cleaner bathroom?
Lissa: ... a cleaner bathroom.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: Cleaner airport.
Lizzy: Bathrooms are gross.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: Yeah. And not that those cancel out the costs of a first-class flight, but there's something. Airport food is very expensive, and you can have all you want.
Lissa: It adds up.
Lizzy: You can bring water with you, that kind of thing. So there are definitely perks there.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: Talk about the different in-seat experiences that you've had.
Lissa: Oh, yeah. Okay.
Lizzy: Because I think these are things that... People might see these in movies what this is like and not know what you actually get. And it definitely varies. And even amongst-
Lissa: Yes.
Lizzy: ... airlines there's a range.
Lissa: It definitely varies. It particularly varies by route and the plane. That's why when you book a flight, you can actually see what plane type you're on, because then you can see the layout. Usually when you fly a class that's the next one up from economy, so premium or comfort plus or whatever they call it, it's usually just a matter of a little more legroom. Sometimes on some flights it means there's no middle seat, like-
Lizzy: Yeah. Wider seats?
Lissa: You have wider seats, so it's a little more comfortable. Same thing with overhead bin space. There's more. I'd say the longer flights, let's say East Coast to West Coast, same thing with the comfort plus. But then when you get to first class, it is way more space. I've never been on a lie-flat bed in a domestic flight, but I do think they do have those.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: I've only done that for international flights, which I think is worth it a lot of the time.
Lizzy: I want to do that.
Lissa: Yeah. Because I'm actually able to sleep when you can lie your... It's like a bed, and you have your own private area. And so long as you can sleep through that regular plane movement and the-
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: ... noise or put earplugs in, I actually sleep and feel rested before I arrive somewhere. So that's my experience in international first class. But what I've never had is flown any of those first class flights that actually have a private room.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: Some are like little pods, right?
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: Those are the ones I've done. But I've never been in the ones where you have your own room.
Lizzy: Yeah, that's cool.
Lissa: Yeah. I've seen them on TikTok and stuff.
Lizzy: Yeah, I've seen them. Yeah.
Lissa: I don't know what it takes or how much those cost, but...
Lizzy: You also have basically dedicated flight attendant or a separate bathroom often.
Lissa: Okay. So bathroom, I'm glad you mentioned that. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, I actually have some fertility issues too, and I have to pee a lot. TMI. But because of that, I tend to book aisle seats instead of inside because I don't mind moving for people, but at least I don't have to bug people every time I got to go to the bathroom. But when I upgrade to a higher class, it's basically less people competing for a bathroom. Most flights, however, I think you can go to any bathroom. Sometimes they'll block off-
Lizzy: Sometimes they'll block it off.
Lissa: ... the first class.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: But yeah, there's more access. You don't have to wait in the line so much. And I feel like that is worth it for me because there have been on flights where I've had a UTI or something where I'm just struggling health-wise.
Lizzy: Or got a food poisoning one.
Lissa: Yeah. Food poisoning.
Lizzy: Or an international flight from Shanghai.
Lissa: Oh my gosh.
Lizzy: Oh my God.
Lissa: And you're having to wait in a line to deal with that.
Lizzy: It was brutal.
Lissa: Again, I don't know if I've just become more bougie the older I get or it's really a comfort thing and a health thing, and the peace of mind knowing that if I have a stomach ache or if I have to go, I can just go. Because it's like almost-
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: ... a dedicated bathroom.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: Something that makes me a little uncomfortable is, like you said, the flight attendants are kind of different in each of the classes. Yeah, flight attendants are nicer, I would say, to people in the higher classes. I think they're trained to be.
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: But it kind of feels uncomfortable because I just feel like everyone should be nice to everyone. Every staff member should be nice to every person flying, and every person flying should be nice to every attendant. You don't get that, but that's something that makes me a little uncomfortable that like, "Oh, you're treating me royalty now."
Lizzy: And you get additional service, right?
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: As soon as you sit down, you can get a drink. Get free alcohol.
Lissa: They give you hot towel to wipe your hands.
Lizzy: Yeah, hot towels.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: There's some other little benefits that just make the experience very high-end.
Lissa: Yeah. I mean, okay. I don't know if I'm... It's not like I'm trying to sell this experience to everyone.
Lizzy: No, but a lot of people don't know.
Lissa: Yeah. So that's been my experience. And I've mentioned this on the pod many times, but I was in a long distance relationship for a while with my now husband, Allan, and so I would fly from Los Angeles to London pretty often. And I wouldn't fly first Every time. There were a few times I got a good deal or I was able to use miles. And most other times I'll just fly premium, which is still nice. You still get more space. I would say that that was around the phase where I had just been in a car accident. I had gotten hit by a car, and so my body was just uncomfortable. And so that was part of my justification to, yes, spend a couple hundred extra dollars, or even if it was a thousand extra dollars. Do it so that... You're going to feel good once you get there. And then I think from the last couple of years it's just carried on.
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: So that's kind of part of why I'm here.
Lizzy: And how do you personally evaluate which flights you will do it for? Is it based on the additional cost? Is it your personal financial situation at that moment?
Lissa: Oh, yeah. Everything.
Lizzy: Your feeling?
Lissa: Yeah. Definitely personal, financial, my finances at the moment, how much extra cash do I have guides every decision with the added factor of what is the trip for. So a prime example is we just got back from my bachelorette party. It was in London, but I also went to Amsterdam right before, because a couple of the other girls wanted to go meet up there. And I'd never been there, and I really wanted to go. And it was only a two-day trip in Amsterdam followed by a weekend of festivities, right?
Lizzy: Many festivities.
Lissa: Fun things, but we'd be out a lot, dancing a lot. So I wanted energy. I didn't want to feel tired. I wanted to beat jet lag, and I wanted to be ready. I actually booked an economy flight. Because when I booked the flight, me and Allan were kind of going through our finances like, "This wedding's going to cost a lot." I can do economy. It's fine. And then, I later on decided, "You know what? I do want to feel more comfortable."
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: So I upgraded to premium for... It was a few hundred dollars for the round trip. And then when I got closer to the trip, I was like, "You know what? This is my once-in-a-lifetime bachelorette party. I want to feel good at least on the route there, so let me just try upgrading one half of it." So it was like $600, which was actually way cheaper than had I booked the first class flight at the very get-go.
Lizzy: Originally. Oh.
Lissa: Because it's like a demand thing, right? If they still have seats to fill and it's like two weeks before the flight-
Lizzy: Good to know.
Lissa: ... it could potentially bring the cost down. Most times you see prices go up closer to the flight because seats get filled and there's less availability. But on a rare occasion-
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: ... it can actually go down. And that happened to me, so I was like, "Easily, I'll pay this to have a lie-flat, my own pod experience."
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: Awesome.
Lissa: And better food.
Lizzy: Definitely better food.
Lissa: Better food.
Lizzy: Different blankets, different headphones.
Lissa: Oh, yeah.
Lizzy: All the little things.
Lissa: Oh, man. Headphones. That's something that I didn't even recognize. You get kind of like over-the-ear headphones. They're not nice enough that-
Lizzy: You'd keep them.
Lissa: ... you keep them.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: But when you get the regular headphones, at least in my experience in economy, when they're either earbuds or the small ones, after wearing them for a few hours, they hurt my ears. I know these sounds like these are such first world problems.
Lizzy: They are. But if you can afford it...
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: Yeah. Just to be transparent about the benefits. The other one, I think, if you're someone that's not really comfortable in public spaces because of the germs, the being so close to other people, it's not to say you're not still on a plane, but you have a little more personal space. You're not literally breathing on each other.
Lissa: Someone's coughing on you. Yeah.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: So there's that perk as well.
Lissa: Yeah. But yeah, the cost though, like I said, I lead with that because there are instances where the first class... The economy flight is $500, and the first class flight is $8,000, right?
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: Sometimes it's so egregiously more that it's like, "No, I'm not going to do that." Or I'll fly another time because depends on what you're flying for, if you have flexibility of when you fly. But also, it's just like, "No, I can suck it up for that one trip."
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: Or whatever.
Lizzy: Sure, sure, sure. Yeah. I think when I was looking for my flight to London... I can't remember what the flight originally cost. I think I paid for it with points, so I don't totally remember, but it was going to be another $2,200. And I was like, "Yeah, no."
Lissa: [inaudible 00:22:56].
Lizzy: "No, I don't need to do that."
Lissa: Yeah. But it's all relative, right? Like you said, if your income and wealth is in the millions, 2,000 doesn't feel as much to you as-
Lizzy: Sure. Yeah.
Lissa: ... for someone who doesn't have that.
Lizzy: Yeah. Again, or if this is... Even if you're not that, but it's like a once-in-a-lifetime trip, right?
Lissa: Yeah, and it's the most important thing to you.
Lizzy: I think I would be more likely to do it for international trips, even though it's that much more expensive, because that's part of the experience. And to your point, when you land, you want to hit the ground running and be rested and feel well and get the most out of that trip.
Lissa: Yeah. So part of my, I guess, travel strategy and feeling refreshed and not being defeated by jet lag is I actually use this app called Timeshifter. I wouldn't say it's groundbreaking, but it is kind of cool. It has a small subscription fee, but you basically put in your flight details and where you're traveling for the entire itinerary. If you have multiple destinations, you put it in. And then it helps you shift your circadian rhythm and your sleep schedule in the lead-up to your trip a couple days before. So you start sleeping earlier or later depending on where you're going.
And then once you get there, you still have to follow the schedule for a few days, but you basically... You have more energy overall and beat jet lag faster than if you just sucked it up. And my issue is, part of it is like, "All right, sleep for eight hours of this 10-hour flight." I'm like, "I can't do that because my brain thinks it's noon right now. How could I do that?" But if I take some melatonin and I have a lie-flat bed and it's comfortable, I could actually do it.
Lizzy: Sure. Sure, sure, sure,
Lissa: But on the other side, I know some people who can fly economy internationally, middle seat, and they'll knock out the whole flight and they'll be fine.
Lizzy: I usually can sleep pretty well on a flight. This past time I did not sleep well. But I got one of those inflatable pillows that sits on your tray table and you put your arms through so you go like this. Game changer.
Lissa: Really?
Lizzy: Yeah. It's so much more comfortable than just the neck one or trying on the window because you can sit more in a natural posture and it gives you something to brace against. So, Amazon.
Lissa: Did you have to blow it up?
Lizzy: Yeah, but it just deflates real quick, blow it up.
Lissa: Oh, okay.
Lizzy: And then just deflate it.
Lissa: Yeah. My neck. My neck, man. That's another thing.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: I've flown flights where my neck has been messed up the whole trip because I slept weird.
Lizzy: For real. Yeah.
Lissa: Yeah. So just those small details and benefits.
Lizzy: Any other costs?
Lissa: Oh, costs.
Lizzy: Besides the financial costs?
Lissa: Besides the financial cost? That's an interesting one.
Lizzy: I have a really small one.
Lissa: What?
Lizzy: When I am boarding a plane, I look at all the people on first class.
Lissa: And judge them?
Lizzy: And either judge them or I'm like, "What do you do?" I'm very curious. What did you do to get here? So yeah, there's maybe some perception.
Lissa: Yeah, perception. I'd say I don't think of that as much, but I will say another very minor cost of first class... I don't know if this is true or not or if it's just my perception, but that you're more likely to encounter complainers in first class.
Lizzy: Oh.
Lissa: I don't know. Now that I'm thinking about, maybe you can encounter that anywhere, but it's like people who want what they want, right? Especially sometimes I've been around that, and I'm like, "Dang. In order for them to be this much of an asshole, they must be like a billionaire." But then why would they be flying on a flight?
Lizzy: This is funny because you had a similar sentiment or observation when we talked about luxury gyms.
Lissa: Oh yeah.
Lizzy: So I could see that. There's a sense of entitlement for some people who are... Entitlement in the sense of they're used to getting what they want and then having high expectations, or I paid for something, and so then I-
Lissa: Why is it subpar to my expectations?
Lizzy: Yeah. I'm going to care more. My expectations are higher. And sometimes that's fair and sometimes it's not.
Lissa: Yeah. No, that's a good point. I guess the actual financial cost may be the major and only downside to flying first class. Because if you had unlimited... Well, if you had unlimited money or if you had unlimited, frequent flyer miles where you can fly first all the time, would you do it?
Lizzy: Right. I think that's a good way to frame it. Because money, there's always an opportunity to cost. You could spend it on something else.
Lissa: Something else.
Lizzy: But miles, you're essentially going to only spend on that.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: I don't see why someone wouldn't.
Lissa: If it's a limited amount of miles that you have, I could see people justifying, "Well, I could get more flights out of it if I use economy."
Lizzy: Sure. Actually, yeah, fair.
Lissa: But let's just say you had unlimited miles.
Lizzy: Unlimited.
Lissa: You would, right? You wouldn't say no.
Lizzy: I wouldn't.
Lissa: Yeah, I wouldn't either.
Lizzy: I wouldn't say no.
Lissa: Okay. Would you feel bad if there's, I don't know, someone with a child or that had a disability that you could give your seat to?
Lizzy: Yeah, I was going to say there are a couple things like that. So for example, I think we've flown on the same flight where you had first class and I didn't.
Lissa: Awkward.
Lizzy: Yeah. Or it's just like, "Okay."
Lissa: Yeah, I've had that. Yeah.
Lizzy: If you're going to travel with a group, is everyone traveling that way? Or if you're traveling with a partner, do you both have to do that? That can be a little awkward. If you're a family traveling, can you get enough seat? You know?
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: Again, not the end of the world, but things that come into play.
Lissa: I kind of struggle with that. Because on the rare occasion I travel with friends, it's not like they have... It's not automatic we have the same status and the same-
Lizzy: Sure. Yeah.
Lissa: ... seating. So a lot of times it is like we're together all the way up until, "All right, I'll see you later. I'm on this row. You're in that row." But it's really not-
Lizzy: I think that's fine.
Lissa: ... a big deal. And for the most part, I'm luckily able to bring one or two friends into the lounges. So for the waiting for your plane to take off-
Lizzy: Yeah, we got to do that in London.
Lissa: Yeah. Oh yeah, we got to do that in London. So it's just chill. You got somewhere to hang out as opposed to... I don't want to say I get anxiety. I know some people do, but a little bit with the crowds that are all over-
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: ... walking around near the gate and the airport. Yeah.
Lizzy: All right. Not a lot of costs.
Lissa: Not a lot of costs. I think there's more benefit. However, interestingly, I don't have many friends who have the same view as I do.
Lizzy: I think if you take a utilitarian view of it... And I often and historically have done that with things like. The value of a flight ticket is to get from point A to point B, and so the incremental cost feels not worthwhile. I can still accomplish this without paying-
Lissa: That's true.
Lizzy: ... hundreds or thousands of dollars. But it just depends on how you look at it. If that's not the total value or there's other factors coming to play, like, okay, but are you going to arrive there in the same condition as you were when you left or other parts of that experience, then you're just viewing value differently.
Lissa: Right. And that's the whole point of this podcast. It's because like I've mentioned in many episodes that comfort is so important to me. It outweighs even fashion and-
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: ... other elements, beauty, services, things like that. I'll pay more for comfort. Actually, we're going to a concert later this week. And we had a concerts episode where I think I went net negative that I wasn't-
Lizzy: You did. Yeah.
Lissa: Right?
Lizzy: Which is funny.
Lissa: Because I have no plans to go to concerts.
Lizzy: But you said you didn't plan to go out of your way. This one wasn't your idea.
Lissa: Yeah, this wasn't my idea. My husband wants to go. He's excited. And I showed him, "Look, this is what it would cost to sit here where we're in bleachers and side by side with people, and this is where we're in a tiny box where we have a little more space to ourselves. Difference is like a hundred, $200 per ticket. All right? Which one?" And we both agreed that the one with the more comfort is better.
Lizzy: And fortunately, you guys are aligned generally around those things, because otherwise that could create a lot of conflict.
Lissa: Well, where we're not really aligned, though, is the need for comfort on a plane.
Lizzy: Oh.
Lissa: Allan is very chill with any seat. He'll make it work. He's comfortable. His body isn't as, I guess, fragile as mine, like my knees, you know?
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: And he's fine and he can sleep wherever. So if we fly together, I will only upgrade if we have the funds to upgrade both. It's more a preference for me to sit next to my husband in any class than to be in first class while he's back there-
Lizzy: Sure. Sure.
Lissa: ... just for my own lay-flat comfort.
Lizzy: Have you ever had a first class experience where afterwards you're like, "Oh, that wasn't worth it"?
Lissa: Not one that I... Oh, once. Initially I was going to say not that I've paid for. Because sometimes I've flown first, like I said, within the U.S. domestically, and there was nothing really special about it except that I got to board first and be the first off the plane. But if you check a bag, you're still waiting the same amount of time for your checked bag.
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: So whatever. So I was going to say that. But most of the time, like I said, I don't go out of my way to pay for...
Lizzy: Right.
Lissa: I just get the upgrades when I can. There was one that I do remember... It was one of those London-LA trips. It was just me. And I decided to fly either premium or first. I can't remember. And it was fine. You do usually get a bit better food in each class. Oh, I was first class. I remember because I was so excited about the food, but I got food poisoning. Yeah. I couldn't pinpoint it to something else. Maybe I ate something else before then-
Lizzy: Oh my God.
Lissa: ... but I'm pretty sure it was from the plain food. Which could happen in any class, but it just so happened to be-
Lizzy: Oh my God.
Lissa: Yeah. When I flew first class, I was so excited, had the food, thought I was going to feel good after the flight, and then I was sick for a day or two.
Lizzy: Oh my God.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: That's awful.
Lissa: But how can you predict that?
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: You can't. Yeah. It's like I still... Whatever.
Lizzy: Dang.
Lissa: There's always that risk. So that's the risk of even if you value comfort, and even if you have the income and budget to support it, it still can not live up to your-
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: ... needs.
Lizzy: Yeah, like with anything.
Lissa: Yeah. There was another time where... I don't know how this happened. Both Allan and I got upgraded to first on a international flight.
Lizzy: Oh, wow.
Lissa: Yeah. I'm pretty sure Allan didn't have status. But we booked together, so maybe that was it.
Lizzy: Maybe that's why.
Lissa: And maybe there was two seats together so they gave it to us as a couple because we have the same last name, which is another benefit of changing your name. We've had a Name Change episode. So in rare occasions when people know you're married, you get some benefit out of it.
So this is silly though. It was a pro and a con, but like... This is stupid. This is dumb. So in some first-class cabins, there's... The seating is always different, right? Sometimes it's one near the window, one in the middle, and one near the other window. This particular one was... There was one seat near the window and then two in the middle aisle and then one on the window. So me and Allan got sat in the two that were in the middle so that we were next to each other.
So you still have your own little pod, but there's a barrier in between. And so in my experience in these first-class cabins, a lot of times they're pretty easy to navigate. You pull them up or you put them down. It's very easy. This particular flight, it was a situation where the barrier between us was down. So I could see Allan to my left, and we were getting our hand towels. They were giving us drinks because we just arrived. And it wasn't a situation where you pull up the barrier. It was a situation where to put it back up, you had to push down and then it released it.
Lizzy: Oh, okay.
Lissa: I accidentally hit it while I was leaning over to him, because I was just being silly. I was leaning over to him and I hit it, and it hit my eye. And my eye was bleeding. This was crazy. This was sometime last year. And I was like, "Oh my God. We just got upgraded to first class and this is what I do."
Lizzy: I was like, "You've been here before."
Lissa: I didn't act like I've been there before. My eye was bleeding. I had a black eye for the next week or so. But on the flight... Because I was in first, they were so nice. They brought me ice for the first few hours. When my ice would melt, they bring me some more to ice it and give me Band-Aids and stuff. So I felt like I was taken care of, but it was still stupid.
Lizzy: Girl.
Lissa: Anyway. So yeah, these are just my random stories.
Lizzy: That reminded me... This is so random. I think my first perception of first class was based off the movie The Wedding Singer.
Lissa: Oh, I was going to say a different movie, but yeah.
Lizzy: Oh. Where Billy Idol is in first class and he says, "Well, since we let our first-class passengers do basically whatever they want..." And he comes out and sings a song.
Lissa: Oh, also, on Home Alone where the parents fly first class-
Lizzy: Oh, yeah.
Lissa: .. and they don't notice that Kevin's gone because they're like, "Oh, the kids are all in the back."
Lizzy: Right. Yeah.
Lissa: I don't think I would leave my kids in the back.
Lizzy: Well, that's why it was-
Lissa: It's like all or nothing.
Lizzy: ... [inaudible 00:36:49]. You switched with me.
Lissa: Right. It's because they want to be with the kids.
Lizzy: Yeah, but that's a challenge with a family, right?
Lissa: Yeah. I think it's got to be all or nothing for me. All of us or none of us.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: I think. Yeah. Or one-
Lizzy: Or one parent and one kid.
Lissa: ... parent and kid, but not two parents in first class.
Lizzy: Yeah. If you're like two kids and a parent and two parents-
Lissa: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Lizzy: ... one of each go one way, one of each go the way back.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: Yeah. All right.
Lizzy: All right.
Lissa: 20 cents?
Lizzy: 20 cents.
Lissa: 20 cents is the segment of the show where both Lizzy and myself, Lissa, each get 60 seconds to give our 2 cents on today's topic, whether it is a net positive or net negative for flying first class. Where does 20 cents come from?
Lizzy: Because you get the opinion of two dimes.
Lissa: Two dimes. Lizzy, you're up first. 60 seconds on the clock. For you, right now, is flying first class worth it?
Lizzy: I will say it is not worth it for me right now. It's just not a priority. Will I keep my eye open if there's a great deal on it? Probably, especially for an international flight. And I think as my disposable income goes up, I'm more likely to do it in the future because I understand the benefits, but it's just kind of relative to the cost right now, how I'm weighing it out.
Lissa: Yeah.
Lizzy: So yeah, net negative-
Lissa: Net negative.
Lizzy: ... right now. Maybe in-
Lissa: It could change.
Lizzy: ... the future.
Lissa: Okay.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: Nice.
Lizzy: All right, Lise.
Lissa: Yeah, this might be no surprise, so I'll preface it by saying, yeah, I feel like this whole episode was just me explaining. I feel this is maybe a side cost is feeling-
Lizzy: Guilty.
Lissa: ... guilty.
Lizzy: Yeah.
Lissa: Right? Because people will be like, "Man, must be nice." It's that same stuff. Once you start to be able to afford things, other people feel left behind and I don't like that feeling.
Lizzy: Yeah, it is a privilege.
Lissa: It's a privilege.
Lizzy: A luxury.
Lissa: Yeah. So I'm going net positive, but with the caveat that I mentioned earlier that, yeah, I'm not going to break my budget, go majorly in debt and make myself hurt financially for it. I'm always going to weigh the finances with the goal of is that the right trip for it and what it's worth it for me in that moment. Maybe I have time to recover so I don't need it. And yeah, depends on the cost. Maybe if it's a couple hundred dollars, absolutely not. If it's like $10,000...
Lizzy: Right.
Lissa: Right? I have my boundaries of what that-
Lizzy: Sure.
Lissa: ... actual cost is.
Lizzy: So just makes me think in general, when we talk about these different things, your money is yours to spend as you see fit. And for the people that are like, "Must be nice," if you were to not make the choices that you wanted because of them, they don't gain anything from that. It's not like you're giving them that money. It's just yours.
Lissa: I know.
Lizzy: You know?
Lissa: I mean, I still struggle with it too. As a financial expert, it's just a thing, right? It's my upbringing. It's like if you had those messages growing up or ever had anyone jealous of you or envious of you, or if you've ever suffered in some way because of your success, you sometimes still feel that. So it's real. But I agree completely. And theoretically agree. In practice, sometimes-
Lizzy: It's hard. Yeah.
Lissa: ... I still fall back.
Lizzy: And I guess one more thing about first class in particular, it is a very well-known, clear status symbol, and it has a lot of connotations. And for many people, it's very aspirational. But there is a downside to that, of it can make other people feel othered and less than.
Lissa: Yeah. One more side note on that is it's weird. You'll rarely see me post about it, if I ever do, to make a point or in one of my TikToks or something. It's like it took me a lot to get to the point of being able to share that because I don't want to come off as braggy.
Lizzy: Which is interesting because it's this balance of you have also earned... It's not like you were born into wealth.
Lissa: Yeah. But even if you were...
Lizzy: Right. But you have created a life where you can have these experiences and there's nothing wrong with sharing that.
Lissa: Yeah. But it's a journey.
Lizzy: It's a journey.
Lissa: So I'll get there eventually.
Lizzy: All right.
Lissa: Well, this is what we think right now at this moment in time. Liz is a net negative. But with more disposable income-
Lizzy: One day.
Lissa: ... she'll be positive. For me, net positive, and you guys know why. I like comfort. But for you, no one can make that decision but you. So what do you think? Is flying first class worth it?
Lizzy: Hit us up. Let us know what you think. DM us on Instagram at netnetpodcast or email us at hi@netnetpodcast.com. And if you want to follow us individually, here's where you can find us.
Lissa: I'm @wealthforwomenofcolor on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Lizzy: And I'm @live_well_lizzy on Instagram and TikTok.
Lissa: All references, statistics, and resources mentioned can be found in our show notes. This podcast is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only and should not be constituted as financial advice. Remember to always do your own research, consult a professional as needed, and feel empowered to make your own damn decisions.