In an ad for long defunct Southern Airlines, passengers boarding a plane walked into what looked to be a party. Champagne was flowing freely as stewardesses in mini togas frolicked with the passengers, and waiters rolled around plates of lobster tails and shrimp. A plainly delighted gentleman flashed his boarding pass, causing the flight attendant's smile to quickly change to a frown as she pronounced his sentence: "Second cabin, please." She led him a few steps to a curtain which she pulled aside as she pushed him through. He spun around to see a vista that looked like a scene from the Irish potato famine. People in rags wandered aimlessly, a man sat in a corner using a single finger to turn a record on a turntable, and a guy in fingerless gloves dolled out tin cups of mush.
While the real divide might not be that stark, the difference from the front of the plane to the back is growing. Consider the ultra luxury end of the long-haul air market. In First Class of Emirate or Etihad Airlines, you can score your own private suite along with pajamas, luxury toiletries and 32" flat screens. You can even book time in their special shower stalls, allowing you to wash off all that grime that one churns up from the hard, dusty work of flying at 32,000 feet. All it takes is about $15,000 one way.
Meanwhile at the back end they have crammed in as many people as they can. They've narrowed the seats themselves, striped away any excess cushioning and reduced the space between rows so that your knees bear more risk from flying than from being an NFL running back. On all but the longest flights meals are for purchase only. Pillows? Blankets? You'd have a better chance finding a bipartisan bill in Congress.
Seeking to cater to those who wanted something a little better, the airlines created something called Plus or Extra or More Betterer, offering a little more room and a better brand of pretzels. For medium duration lights of 2 to 5 hours, it's not a bad way spend the $35 to $85 or so it costs, especially if it's late or early and you need to catch a little sleep to be able to function once you hit the ground. However having an eyeshade provided free of charge doesn't really help if you're up there for a while. You might be able to grab a nap sitting up straight, but it will usually just file the edges off of your fatigue, and not really give you the rest you need to operate heavy machinery once you land.
Unless you are flying Air New Zealand. They have recently upgraded the design and installed fleet wide their Skycouch seat. Basically they've lengthened the footrest of an economy seat and changed the hinge so that it can be swung up flat against the row in front. Now, for most adults, unless your legs end at the knee, that's not going to do you much good. But with Skycouch you can buy the 2 or 3 seats next to you at a reduced price, enabling you to create a, well couch in the sky.
If you're a traveling alone, buying the two next to you gives sort of a den sized divan to curl up on. If you have 2 kids in those seats, at no extra cost you can convert them to a small bed perfect for them. And if you're a couple, the promotional materials actually show a pair spooning at 35,000 feet, something business or first class cabin customers can't even do. No word on the number of times stewardesses have seen this arrangement and need to avert their eyes.
The cost is about $500 per unoccupied seat in the set. That means a three-seat set for a single traveler will add about $1000 to the base price, bringing the total to around $2500. That compares to about $5000 for a business class seat with a six foot lie flat narrow single. True, in Business Class you do get better food and bigger screens. But were I making the trip, I might book the couch either way. I have problems sleeping on planes, prefer sleeping on my side, and have lots of experience falling asleep on couches at home.
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Marc Wollin of Bedford is spending too much time on planes. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
While the real divide might not be that stark, the difference from the front of the plane to the back is growing. Consider the ultra luxury end of the long-haul air market. In First Class of Emirate or Etihad Airlines, you can score your own private suite along with pajamas, luxury toiletries and 32" flat screens. You can even book time in their special shower stalls, allowing you to wash off all that grime that one churns up from the hard, dusty work of flying at 32,000 feet. All it takes is about $15,000 one way.
Meanwhile at the back end they have crammed in as many people as they can. They've narrowed the seats themselves, striped away any excess cushioning and reduced the space between rows so that your knees bear more risk from flying than from being an NFL running back. On all but the longest flights meals are for purchase only. Pillows? Blankets? You'd have a better chance finding a bipartisan bill in Congress.
Seeking to cater to those who wanted something a little better, the airlines created something called Plus or Extra or More Betterer, offering a little more room and a better brand of pretzels. For medium duration lights of 2 to 5 hours, it's not a bad way spend the $35 to $85 or so it costs, especially if it's late or early and you need to catch a little sleep to be able to function once you hit the ground. However having an eyeshade provided free of charge doesn't really help if you're up there for a while. You might be able to grab a nap sitting up straight, but it will usually just file the edges off of your fatigue, and not really give you the rest you need to operate heavy machinery once you land.
Unless you are flying Air New Zealand. They have recently upgraded the design and installed fleet wide their Skycouch seat. Basically they've lengthened the footrest of an economy seat and changed the hinge so that it can be swung up flat against the row in front. Now, for most adults, unless your legs end at the knee, that's not going to do you much good. But with Skycouch you can buy the 2 or 3 seats next to you at a reduced price, enabling you to create a, well couch in the sky.
If you're a traveling alone, buying the two next to you gives sort of a den sized divan to curl up on. If you have 2 kids in those seats, at no extra cost you can convert them to a small bed perfect for them. And if you're a couple, the promotional materials actually show a pair spooning at 35,000 feet, something business or first class cabin customers can't even do. No word on the number of times stewardesses have seen this arrangement and need to avert their eyes.
The cost is about $500 per unoccupied seat in the set. That means a three-seat set for a single traveler will add about $1000 to the base price, bringing the total to around $2500. That compares to about $5000 for a business class seat with a six foot lie flat narrow single. True, in Business Class you do get better food and bigger screens. But were I making the trip, I might book the couch either way. I have problems sleeping on planes, prefer sleeping on my side, and have lots of experience falling asleep on couches at home.
-END-
Marc Wollin of Bedford is spending too much time on planes. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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