Posted on: Tuesday, July 10, 2001
Want real first class? Better catch a flight out of the U.S.
USA Today
First class isn't what it used to be.
So say fliers, airline consultants and flight attendants who remember when the front cabin of a commercial jet boasted uniformly solicitous service, populated by the smartly dressed and well-behaved.
"In the old days, it was grand," sighs veteran comedian Joan Rivers, who has flown in the big, cushy seats up front since early in her career.
On recent trips, she and other frequent first-class fliers have seen sullied lavatories, chintzier food, loud drunks and children scampering noisily in the aisles. Slippage is most noticed on domestic flights, where proliferating frequent-flier upgrades and awards are credited with nearly doubling the number of travelers flying in premium seats in the last decade — from 24.8 million in 1990 to 47.8 million last year, according to the Air Transport Association of America.
Those flying coach on major carriers increased 29 percent in the same period. Figures aren't available for international first class, where upgrades are harder to snag and the level of luxury remains high.
Carriers don't reveal what passengers pay, but Arlington, Va.-based airline consultant Morten Beyer estimates that just 15 to 20 percent are ponying up full fare to fly first class domestically. "First is now almost 100 percent full because of awards and upgrades," he says. "They just pack 'em up front. The cattle car extends all the way to the front of the plane, to the cockpit door."
Unfortunately, so does cattle-car behavior.
Flight attendants tell of a new breed that strides into first class in shabby shorts and shoes, putting feet up on the seat in front while playing the game of "gimme, gimme."
Delta flight attendant Maureen Dumbaugh notes: "Passengers who are receiving their first-class travel as a reward for frequent-flier miles tend to want it all. Of course I can appreciate their excitement, but sometimes enough is enough."
Also, when people expect perks without paying, there's a cost.
"You're slowly starting to see things go away — especially on shorter flights," says Daniel Baker of Austin, Texas, a technology consultant. "You're less likely to get meals, or a hot towel before dinner. Cabins aren't cleaned as well. There are plastic glasses before takeoff." (Airlines say they're meeting Federal Aviation Administration requirements that serving items be stowed before takeoff, since a bag of discarded plastic is easier to secure.)
Cabin crews say shorter turnaround times at airports mean they're monitoring catering and doing safety checks instead of fussing over passengers. Airlines say they're pouring millions into first-class amenities, but getting smarter about what passengers want.
United decided hot towels and table linen weren't essentials on short hops. This spring, Northwest removed one of two glasses that graced dinner trays in domestic first class because most passengers weren't using both, and the airline is saving $150,000 yearly.
On the other hand, while many carriers cut food costs, Northwest dished out $23 million to enhance first-class meal service last year. It also added 3,200 front-cabin seats to its domestic fleet in recent years; now, 12.3 percent of Northwest domestic seats are first class.
Since the mid-1990s, carriers on international routes have been wooing the well-heeled with "flying beds" — sumptuous seats that convert to flat sleepers at the flick of a button. The trend began on foreign carriers, but U.S. airlines are jumping aboard.
Other carriers — including Delta, Continental, Northwest — have made international front cabins gussied-up business classes to lure luxury lovers with less stratospheric fares.
