First Class Baby

I am fascinated by luxury travel, first class flights are so eye-wateringly expensive they are usually reserved for the rich (or influencers travelling on a freebie) So I want to know what happens at 40,000 feet above sea level in the luxury seats. Who better to ask than a member of cabin crew who has wracked up 30 years of airmiles, with the majority of them in the first class cabin. We have chosen to keep this person anonymous as they are still working in the upper echelons of the industry and we wanted them feel free to tell us the juicy bits.

Tell us the best bits about first class travel, What are we missing when they turn left?

The main thing is more space meaning more room to move around, you are not hemmed in to your seat, but there is also the added advantage of the luggage allowance which is more than triple what economy allows. The check in and boarding is of course priority and the airport experience is premium too including access to the airlines airport lounges where you can eat the choice of food is much better than in the air and while you wait to board you can play games, take a shower, get a massage or a haircut.

When board you are greeted with Champagne and a luxury amenities kit and your suite with lie-flat bed has a quilted duvet and pillow for your comfort. Customers in first class will undoubtedly feel more attended to, the ratio of cabin crew to passenger is much higher, a la carte dining is served to your suite on ceramic plates with cutlery and crystal glass ware, you can sit and dine opposite your travel companion which allows those travelling in couples to sit and gaze at one another romantically across the table if that is what they wish for.

As cabin crew you have to be diplomatic when asking first class passengers to do what you want them to, we are aware they have paid a lot of money for the experience of travelling this way but our obligation is to their safety and to get them from A to B. There are times when passengers think paying more for their ticket means they can ignore regulations, such as not fastening their seatbelt when asked, but on the whole passengers are generally well behaved. As you can imagine the bad behaviour happens when people drink too much and or take sleeping tablets and then they want to pick a fight but that can also happen on any aircraft in any cabin but crowd control can be more difficult to manage in the first class because they have the option to move around. 

Passengers often get into conversation with each other, that's when any one-up man ship can start, it's often bragging about the level of luxury they will be enjoying on their holiday / work-trip, but with alcohol involved it can turn into " my Ferrari is bigger than your Ferrari" scenario. This can become unpleasant so the crew in first and business class cabins find themselves playing referee and diffusing awkward situations.

Tell us the most famous travellers you have had on board?

Oh there have been a lot of famous faces on board over the years but especially on the LA flights during awards season, I remember Emma Stone was on our flights after her Oscars win for LA LA Land, she was lovely. We get a brief before passengers board, we know who to expect so there are no surprises. We have had some very “needy” famous people who can be a bit more Diva-ish than our non-famous passengers. 

Have you had any passengers who have gotten a little bit too comfortable on board?

Yes, I wont go into detail but we have had a famous passenger who got far too comfortable in their cabin bed and the clean up operation was not pretty! 

Do people really try to join the mile high club or is that an urban myth? 

I have witnessed 2 people coming out of the first class toilets in full view of other passengers, I was junior crew back then and my manager at the time waited for the culprits to take their sears and proceeded to make a PA announcement to congratulate the couple on having joined the mile high club! Back in the 90s it felt a bit more acceptable and everyone applauded, it was funny, but that type of behaviour wouldn't be tolerated now, we would probably have to report it so luckily it's not a regular occurrence, plus the one place that doesn't have more space in first class is the toilets, they are as poky in upper class as in standard. We know have double suites on some aircrafts that are totally private so if that is what you fancy, book one of those.

Secrets about first class travel only frequent flyers would know?

The only difference with frequent flyers is that first class experience becomes second nature to them, they board and make their “nest” ready for the long haul which can be anything from 6 to 12 hours, They often don't take advantage of the complimentary drinks and then asked not to be disturbed, pop on their eye mask and you don't hear from them for the duration until perhaps its getting close to landing when they might want a light refreshment. 

What outrageous things have happened on board?

I can't think of anything I would call outrageous, we have had some things that would be considered unusual, a death on board and the odd adult tantrum but nothing too outrageous. 

Is it true that “dressing up” for your flight gets you an upgrade at check in?

Absolutely not. Upgrades do happen, travelling cabin staff are entitled and often their friends and family might be lucky enough to be upgraded too (perks of the job) but we don't upgrade based on people dressing a certain way. If there are spare seats we may offer them to a solo traveller or the person who paid the most for their standard seat. We have noticed a rise in people bringing treats such as boxes of sweets aboard for the cabin crew, again a nice thought but it wont get you an upgrade. It's worth enquiring but there will more than likely be a cost involved. 

Has there ever been a request made by a first class passenger that you can't fulfill? 

Chips! But we only have the equipment we have on board and so there are a few things we can't do and one of them is chips, the others are a runny egg and toast. There are airlines who have a chef on board but I am not even sure they can make chips at 40,000 feet. I was once asked for an entire bottle of Cointreau over ice, I have since heard this passenger now brings her own bottle on board and sips it the entire way to Los Angeles...