u/Dianialynn

So this isn’t a wealth complaint. Many fly business class on points or upgrades. Some also pay top dollar or use a consolidator. But what drew me to business class wasn’t just the seat. It was the unspoken code.

People let each other board in order. Nobody rushed the jet bridge. No one thought they were better than the other passengers.

I swear if one more person shoves past me yelling “business class” while everyone in business class is standing in the exact same line, I am going to lose it. Shouting the fare class you paid for does not create a separate line. We are all waiting for the same door.

The code that once existed seems to be eroding. People stand and block the aisle the second the seatbelt sign turns off. Others don’t help each other. They don’t even acknowledge each other. I used to have some of the most interesting conversations with at least one or more passengers. We used to sometimes have little parties on a light flight. Or if there was a tarmac delay the champagne will flow. Overhead bin space now becomes debatable even though there is plenty of it.

Is it because there is more and more business class space on flights? Is it that no one taught the common code? Is it because airline services are degrading every day but one is doing anything about it?

I guess the difference used to be a shared expectation of how you behaved once you got there. That expectation feels thinner every year and can vary based on airline.

Curious if others are seeing the same shift, or if this was always more romanticized than real and I’m just realizing it.