(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Before the pandemic, first class on an airliner was a luxury that was reserved for a relative few. Now, though, major airlines are staging a fierce battle over those first class tickets.
DePaul University transportation professor Joe Schwieterman joined the WBBM Noon Business hour to discuss the trend.
“We had the road warriors, we had the super rich buying first class and, of course, frequent flier points,” he said.
Business travel, though, hasn't recovered as quickly as leisure travel, and Schwieterman told WBBM that airlines have responded by making it easier for vacation flyers to buy their way into the front of the cabin.
“Post-pandemic, it’s interesting because suddenly there’s huge demand to be up there,” he said. “It’s not really your road warriors; it’s everybody else.”
Without that traditional business traveler, Schwieterman said airlines now have to be a little more creative to appeal to a different kind of traveler. That’s part of why airlines have been in a rush to add more premium seats.
“Some of the old days — where you got steak dinners and lobster and stuff up front — doesn’t seem the direction they’re going,” he said. “People just want a civilized experience when they get there.”
He said passengers feel the first class upgrade is worth it, especially on flights to the west coast or europe.
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