First Class vs World Class
A frequent flyer’s case for less cringe and more grace in the skies
Ever since I came to America, I’ve started caring a lot more about flying. Planes always fascinated me as a kid but now that I have to take 16-hour trips just to go home, flying and managing jet-lag has become an actual responsibility. Even the smallest things make a huge difference on an ultra-long-haul flight, so it’s one of the few things I’m extremely picky about.
I grew up in Dubai and Singapore, so given the choice I’ll fly Emirates (EK) or Singapore Airlines (SQ). Yes, there’s loyalty and nostalgia but there’s also a baseline standard: what I’d call world class. Not in the sense of caviar and champagne (which I’m not getting in economy anyway), but in the sense of grace and hospitality. On EK and SQ, you’re always greeted with a smile and treated with dignity. The luxury, the food, and the endless entertainment is great, but it comes second.
True class shows in the little things. Every time an SQ flight lands in Singapore, the first thing you hear is: “Welcome to Singapore, ladies and gentlemen — and to all Singaporeans and residents of Singapore, a warm welcome home.” At the peak of my powers, I reached Emirates gold status which came with perks like lounge access and priority bags. However, my favourite perk was the unadvertised tradition that someone would always come by to check on me personally during the flight. They’d even address me by name — a rare delight for someone stashed away in economy. As a final example, go watch the Singapore Airlines safety video, which just oozes class and grace. Even something routine like that is done with such care and thought. All of these things do a lot to make you feel like you’re at home and not lost in some insane metal tube for 16 hours over the ocean.
I started to fly more within the US in grad school and the switch to American carriers was a bit shocking. It’s less snazzy of course, but that doesn’t really matter much if you’re flying economy. What stood out was something deeper: even if United or Delta somehow matched SQ or EK in hard product, they still wouldn’t be world class.
Why?
Because no one really cares about the passenger. The staff aren’t expected to be warm. The whole experience is engineered around cost-cutting and upselling. You’re bombarded with endless “upgrades” and “extras” (Economy Plus™??), not to mention the dreadful deluge of lounge passes, credit cards, and subscriptions. No wonder the lounges are overcrowded. Pay extra money to keep your shoes on at the security check℠ — a “luxury” that’s standard everywhere else. TSA Precheck? Clear? Global Entry?? Help!
This is an actual picture I took from a United lounge in SFO, overcrowded to the point of bursting. The one redeeming feature — a view of the runway — is conveniently blocked by a jet bridge. This lack of attention to detail is exactly what I’m talking about.
To be fair, U.S. airlines are mostly running domestic networks where margins are razor thin and competition is brutal. That makes upselling and cost-cutting almost inevitable. But even so, I’m a little dismayed at how little attention is paid to warmth and hospitality — things that don’t necessarily cost more to deliver. The difference is perfectly captured in this Instagram reel by @febbylyan, who used to be cabin crew for SQ:
I’m not saying airlines need to be altruistic — I love capitalism. Fortunately, being profitable doesn't require being cringe and tacky. It just so happens that Emirates is the most profitable airline in the world and Singapore Airlines isn’t far behind. Clearly world class is also good business.
There are many other ways in which American carriers fleece their passengers that EK or SQ (or Qatar/Cathay/ANA/whoever) wouldn’t dare dream of. For example, I have SQ gold status now which gives me access to United lounges thanks to Star Alliance. However, an actual United gold member can’t use United’s lounges on domestic flights without paying or — gasp — getting the credit card. If I were a United flyer, I’d hate knowing the airline treats me worse than alliance partners. It takes real gumption to take loyalty for granted when your product is worse. And before the smug Delta and AA flyers chime in, your airlines also play similar games. Maybe there simply isn’t room for an airline with class in the world’s richest consumer market?
World class doesn’t mean lie-flat seats or fine wine. It’s a certain ethos. A dignity in how you do things; a quiet attention to detail. Of course this applies far beyond flying, but the contrast between American and Asian airlines just makes it especially visible. Despite their tackiness, American carriers are obviously successful and profitable — I suppose in that respect they’re first class. The Asian carriers however are just as, if not more, successful without sacrificing grace, hospitality, and attention to detail — that’s world class.