People like to sleep on long flights, and United Airlines is hoping that people with plenty of money to spend will be interested in napping their way across the country and around the world in comfy isolation pods. That’s the idea behind the airline’s new Polaris business and first-class cabins, which has seats that fully recline and cubicles for napping privacy. [More]
first class
Sour Over Failed Bid For Virgin America, JetBlue Gives Away Free Tickets
By 4.13.16
You’ve probably seen your fair share of those “(Airline Name) giving away (X number) free tickets if you share this post” promotions that infiltrate social media but are actually bogus. In a new twist — and a ploy to bring over loyal passengers of Virgin America after its announced a $4 billion merger with Alaska Airlines — JetBlue really is offering consumers the chance to win one of 500 free tickets from the carrier, no Facebook required. [More]
Airplane Seat Maker Files Patent For First Class Airbags
By 4.7.16
Travelers willing to shell out the big bucks for seats in the business class cabin typically get a few extra perks: dinner, free drinks, more legroom, and the first crack at boarding. But should they get an airbag when their fellow passengers don’t? That appears to be the idea behind a recently filed patent. [More]
United Airlines Foots The Bill To Fly Dog Missing For Four Years Back To Family
By 4.30.15
It’s not every day you see a dog flying first class – for free – on an airplane. But that’s exactly what passengers on a flight from Iowa to Louisiana witnessed Wednesday, as United Airlines footed the bill to reunite a dog with his family after going missing four years ago. [More]
American Airlines Betting Travelers Will Pay $8K To Sleep Awkwardly In A Cubicle
By 9.19.14
The most expensive airline ticket for domestic travel right now will cost you around $8,000 to fly first class on American Airlines from New York City to Los Angeles. And for all that extra cash, you apparently get some better food and the opportunity to nap in the equivalent of a tiny office cubicle. [More]
United Revamps First Class Meals With Fresh Sandwiches, Salads And Italian Wine
By 8.21.14
Less than a month after American and US Airways announced they would be cutting first class meals for shorter flights, rival United Airlines is gearing up to take its offerings for top-dollar passengers back a few decades – champagne-like drinks and all. [More]
It Only Costs $21K To Get A One-Way Flight In A VIP Three-Room Suite With A Butler
By 5.5.14
Calling all bargain hunters — haha, just kidding, this thing is so extravagant that likely none of us will ever experience such a luxurious set-up, and in the air, no less. Etihad Airways just announced a new set of A380 planes, equipped with digs fancy enough to include a trained butler and a private bathroom. [More]
JetBlue Debuts We’re-Not-Calling-It-First-Class-But-Yes-It’s-First-Class Seating Dubbed “Mint”
By 10.1.13
Flying on JetBlue is supposed to be an equal opportunity situation for travelers, a classless society in which everyone is treated the same. But in a move away from the carrier’s foundations in the single-class experience, JetBlue says it will launch a new premium class next summer. Don’t call it first class though, it’s “Mint.” [More]
JetBlue Goes After A Pricier Class Of Flier With Lie-Flat Seating, Single-Seat Suites
By 8.5.13
JetBlue made a name for itself as an all-economy class airline that provided better service than the usual low-price competitors. Now the carrier is hoping to appeal to those passengers willing to pay some more money for a little bit of extra luxury on longer flights. [More]
American Airlines To Offer PJs, Slippers, Turn-Down Service In First Class
By 8.29.11
While the line between riding in coach and stowing away in the luggage blurs, the chasm between coach and first class grows deeper and wider. The latest perk intended to lure people into those first few rows: American Airlines will soon be offering hotel-style luxuries like pajamas and slippers to first- and business-class passengers on some international flights. [More]
U.S. Airways Adding First-Class Seats To Some Regional Flights
By 4.8.11
In an attempt to compete with some of it bigger, consolidated rivals, U.S. Airways announced this week that it will be adding first-class seats to 110 of the bigger jets in its regional U.S. Airways Express lineup. [More]
Well-Heeled Travelers Hate Flying These Days Even More Than Us Poor Folks
By 3.29.11
Lest you think it’s just those of us eking out a meager living that are unhappy with the growing trend toward stripped-down flights with a la carte fees, a new survey says that those who can afford to fly are even angrier than we are. [More]
Would You Pay Extra For An Adult-Only Flight?
By 2.7.11
In a recent survey of business class travelers, when asked what annoys them about first-class travel, 74% of them said “children.” The respondents are clamoring for airlines to start offering children-free or 18+ only flights. So here’s the question: would you pay extra for a seat on a kid-free flight? Take our poll and sound off! [More]
Some Airlines Jettisoning First Class Seats
By 10.20.10
Global austerity has lead some airlines to chuck first class seats out the air lock. [More]
Airlines Want Air Marshals To Stop Flying First Class
By 10.19.10
The airlines are fed up with with seeing armed air marshals taking up free seats in first class. A trade group representing the major U.S. carriers has asked the Federal Air Marshals Service to consider putting their agents in coach. [More]
United Removes Passenger From Flight After He Asks Whether A Meal Will Be Served
By 7.20.10
Over at JoeSugarman.com, Joe writes that on his way home from a seminar in Austin, he settled into his first class seat–he’s what United Airlines calls a 1K traveler because he flies over 100,000 miles with them every year–and asked the flight attendant, “Are you serving any meals during our flight?” A few minutes later, he writes, “two armed Austin police officers boarded the plane, looked at me and said, ‘Sugarman, follow us.'” [More]
United Says No Track Suits In First Class
By 11.4.09
How casual is too casual for an airplane’s first class section? If you paid for first class, and a bald guy in a Puma running outfit sat down across the aisle from you, would you honestly feel short-changed? United seems to think it’s inappropriate.
First Class Now Includes A Private Cabin?
By 10.2.07
Nowadays it isn’t enough for first-class passengers to separate themselves from coach, they need to hide from each other.
