His company has eliminated first-class flying and the other trappings of what he calls the "utopia feeling" that dominated business dealings in recent years.
The president of an e-commerce business tied to an established brick-and-mortar industry said he had eliminated the first-class flying privileges and the use of a limousine service that he had demanded in contract negotiations.
While its hard to predict exactly what the future holds for first-class travel, it doesnt look like there is much to look forward to with domestic first-class flying.
It may not be exactly like staying in a five-star hotel after all, there are no king-size beds and Jacuzzis on board but with all its lavish amenities, first-class flying comes pretty close.
"Well, some business travelers have been spoiled," said Matthew J. Bennett, publisher of a paid-subscription weekly online newsletter, First Class Flyer, that is marketed to the relatively small segment of airline passengers whom the airlines consider "their bread and butter".
"It's an us-against-them mentality," said Matthew Bennett, publisher of First Class Flyer, a newsletter based in Monterey, Calif., that highlights strategies for using mileage promotions to obtain upgrades.
On 30 May he was graded First Class Flier.
If we cannot afford to buy a new car, we buy a pre-owned car rather than a used car; if we cannot afford to fly first class, we fly coach rather than second class (Burkhardt, 2010).
Before Rolling Stone, Mick Jagger said, "Rock performers were treated as third-class fly-by-night citizens having a hard time to form one brain between them".
For example, if you are normally a first-class flyer perhaps you could think of allocating more money into a higher class resort with the money you would save flying coach.
I asked travelers if they would be willing to pay $12 annually for a newsletter that could help them upgrade to first class and fly free to Hawaii.
