kangdarus.com – I flew in business class for the first time. It costs $6,000 and was the best flight of my life, but I wouldn’t do it again for 5 reasons.
kangdarus.com –- I took a 12-hour, business-class flight from Los Angles to Auckland, New Zealand.
- Air New Zealand’s business-class seats on this route typically cost about $6,000.
- It was the most luxurious flight of my life but I can’t justify ever paying that much in the future.
Minutes after settling into business class on an Air New Zealand flight, I had the realization that this plane ride was going to be unlike any other flight I’d taken.
Before I even found seat 1A on the Boeing 787-9 aircraft, I was already being treated like royalty.
One flight attendant was pouring me a glass of Champagne and another one was helping lift my carry-on into the overhead bins. A third stopped by soon after to introduce herself and welcome me onboard the Air New Zealand flight from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand.
If those first few minutes on my first business-class flight were an indicator of the rest of my ride, I knew I was in for a glamorous flight.
I cherished every sip of bubbly since sitting in business class was a rare luxury experience. And it’s one I’m unlikely to go again soon.
As I settled into my lie-flat seat, I was acutely aware that this is how a slim population of the world travels.
The business-class passengers around me had likely dropped around $6,000 for their one-way ticket, as according to Air New Zealand’s website, one-way business-class tickets from Los Angeles to Auckland typically cost about $6,000. Round-trip tickets are often closer to $10,000.
While some people might be able to afford that, I’m not one of them.
I was sitting in business class because I received a press rate for the trip and was off to New Zealand to cover the airline’s redesigned cabins. Prior to this flight, I’d never spent more than $1,400 on a plane ticket, and most of my vacations involve free campsites and nights spent in a $20 tent I bought off Facebook Marketplace.
So while I was appreciative of the indulgent luxury flight, I knew it was something that would never become routine for me. And by the end of the 12-hour flight, while I was rested and relaxed, I was also convinced that there is no plane ride on earth worth $6,000.
Every expectation of business class was met, but I’d ultimately never shell out $10,000 for a round-trip ticket. It’s not like the plane will get there faster than sitting in coach.
I was handed a warm towel before a three-course dinner. I received a turndown service and flight attendants converted my seat into a lie-flat bed. I slept better than I had on any flight and woke up to a fruit smoothie and warm coffee.
But even with all those perks, it was hard to ignore the fact that the flight was the same 12 hours as in coach.
No amount of wine could distract me from the fact that I was still confined to a tight space, and no number of free toiletries could make me ignore the fact that I was about to be jet-lagged.
And I was going to feel cramped and jet-lagged whether I sat in the front or the back of the plane for 12 hours. Like every flight I’ve ever been on, I was still anxious to get off the plane the moment it landed.
Now if my business-class ticket came with turbo speed that could transport me to New Zealand in fewer hours than by sitting in economy, perhaps I’d think twice about the cost.
For the same price as a round-trip flight, in theory, I could’ve paid for another three weeks in New Zealand, covered months of rent, or put a down payment on a new car.
