There are things you resist, there are things you seek, there are things that come your way but you look away. There are things that you want but can’’t accept you do. There is attachment when you yearn, seek, crave. Then therei are things that you enjoy in a rather detached way just savoring the moment with gratitude. It is perhaps that last emotion that I can connect with most after my first time flying business class in an international flight after more than half a million miles in the air.

I have been a jet setter from early on in my life, as an 8 year old. In fact i must check my facts, but a ballpark 60% or more of those miles have come from flying internationally, that is from a country that is home base at that time to another country. So, over these decades, I have always passed the business class seats, mostly in a rush, as I have enjoyed “Group 1” or early boarding previleges for most of the last decade where I have done most of my flying. Truthfully, there has never been that yearning to sit in one of those plush seats. How come?

A couple of reasons. For one, I have a mindset to spend consciously on things I enjoy or things I think justify the price tag. I have never been able to justify 5-10x the pricing for business class. Why? Let us evaluate the things you get from business class in chronological order.

• Premium Lounge Access, I have enjoyed this as Star Alliance Gold for several years, savoring decent food and drinks prior to flights. I do like this benefit as I don’t like hanging out in crowded airports without a seat. I work or write in lounges. But I have it, thanks to Singapore Airlines or Chase Sapphire Reserve Score: (B-E) (0-0)

• Priority boarding - I covered this above, I board (almost) with the elites. I like this benefit as well. I enjoy the fresh scent of a brand new clean flight. I am usually the first one in the block of seats beyond row 30 or 40. Where I am, not may pass me before I find my way to my window seat. Again, thanks to all this flying, I have this.

• Pre-departure drink - yes, I did notice those clink sounds of glasses of champagne that air hostesses prepare for the business class passengers. Don’t have it, but never really cared nor have been a big drinker in flight. Having flown so much, I don’t have much jitters or nerves of flying. Yes, free is good, but I look more forward to getting to the back of an empty airplane.

• Comfortable seats - no argument here. Odd row, a large seat to yourself, width 2.5x of economy seats and legroom 5x. No doubt, this is a win for business class.

• Amenities Kit - those tooth brushes, little combs, light blockers to help sleep better. Okay, I am a sucker for those tiny zipped bags. What I do with those, who cares ;) ****

• Noise Cancelling headphones to watch in-flight entertainment - this is good but I guess it would have been better with more entertainment options. Sure you could bring your Bose, but this is convenient and one less thing to pack. ****

• In-flight entertainment - The in flight systems were surprisingly the same across classes. I expected that business class might have more options, but it was the same. This might be an area of improvement.

• Food on a platter and premium drinks: This feels good, must admit. Food is warmed, the high end restaurant like experience is good. Food itself is not very different, serving sizes are bigger, there is a menu to choose from, although not much of a choice for a vegetarian. I found the wine not so bad. Pinot and Chardonnay were better Napa wines than the Cost Plus trash served in economy.

• Saks Fifth Avenue Bedding: Don’t care much about the brand nor the high quality bedding for a 10 or 15 hour flgiht after which I will never see it in my life. Such temporary pleasures do not really hold appeal. No, this does not mean the whole article is moot. Some times these pleasures lead to lasting memories. So, don’t write off the experience as yet.

• Full flat bed - whoa.. this was terrific. Almost like a railway berth on a plane. Yes. I can sleep anywhere in any posture with any amount of noise, but this felt great. A quiet cabin, with all that seat width that afforded roll overs on that luxury bedding, awesome, while it lasted.

• 3 windows to yourself - Not just one or two, but three windows to yourself?? Insane!

• Ability to access restrooms at any time without waking anyone else or being woken, priceless. Higher quality, less frequently occupied restrooms, score!

• Quiet cabin, good lighting, personalized service - all great.

• Arriving fresh - priceless!

To add to my drama in the Polaris experience, we had to deplane and board a new plane before we could take off. So, there was a delay, a 2x boarding and deplaning experience, 2x the amenity kits and welcome drinks. So, it was a gift from nature as if to let me enjoy a bit more.

Overall, it feels justified that business class costs so much. It is a luxury experience that needs to be kept out of reach of many to preserve sanctity and quality of service. In my case, thanks to ultra generosity of a Global Services friend, I got to experience this for free. It was great while it lasted and I savored it to the fullest. At the end of the day of course, as my father would say, it is the same plane, starting at the same time, reaching at the same time as someone who paid a tenth the price. He would continue on to say, with the remaining money, I can do whatever I want and the things I really want. Do we though? Time flies, the money we save gets spent by someone else or somewhere else. We work and work, the money sits somewhere where we don’t reach for it. Before we know it, memories are not collected as much as perhaps money is..

Food for thought. But thank you generous soul for giving me this experience.

There are things you resist, there are things you seek, there are things that come your way but you look away. There are things that you want but can’’t accept you do. There is attachment when you yearn, seek, crave. Then therei are things that you enjoy in a rather detached way just savoring the moment with gratitude. It is perhaps that last emotion that I can connect with most after my first time flying business class in an international flight after more than half a million miles in the air.

I have been a jet setter from early on in my life, as an 8 year old. In fact i must check my facts, but a ballpark 60% or more of those miles have come from flying internationally, that is from a country that is home base at that time to another country. So, over these decades, I have always passed the business class seats, mostly in a rush, as I have enjoyed “Group 1” or early boarding previleges for most of the last decade where I have done most of my flying. Truthfully, there has never been that yearning to sit in one of those plush seats. How come?

A couple of reasons. For one, I have a mindset to spend consciously on things I enjoy or things I think justify the price tag. I have never been able to justify 5-10x the pricing for business class. Why? Let us evaluate the things you get from business class in chronological order.

• Premium Lounge Access, I have enjoyed this as Star Alliance Gold for several years, savoring decent food and drinks prior to flights. I do like this benefit as I don’t like hanging out in crowded airports without a seat. I work or write in lounges. But I have it, thanks to Singapore Airlines or Chase Sapphire Reserve Score: (B-E) (0-0)

• Priority boarding - I covered this above, I board (almost) with the elites. I like this benefit as well. I enjoy the fresh scent of a brand new clean flight. I am usually the first one in the block of seats beyond row 30 or 40. Where I am, not may pass me before I find my way to my window seat. Again, thanks to all this flying, I have this.

• Pre-departure drink - yes, I did notice those clink sounds of glasses of champagne that air hostesses prepare for the business class passengers. Don’t have it, but never really cared nor have been a big drinker in flight. Having flown so much, I don’t have much jitters or nerves of flying. Yes, free is good, but I look more forward to getting to the back of an empty airplane.

• Comfortable seats - no argument here. Odd row, a large seat to yourself, width 2.5x of economy seats and legroom 5x. No doubt, this is a win for business class.

• Amenities Kit - those tooth brushes, little combs, light blockers to help sleep better. Okay, I am a sucker for those tiny zipped bags. What I do with those, who cares ;) ****

• Noise Cancelling headphones to watch in-flight entertainment - this is good but I guess it would have been better with more entertainment options. Sure you could bring your Bose, but this is convenient and one less thing to pack. ****

• In-flight entertainment - The in flight systems were surprisingly the same across classes. I expected that business class might have more options, but it was the same. This might be an area of improvement.

• Food on a platter and premium drinks: This feels good, must admit. Food is warmed, the high end restaurant like experience is good. Food itself is not very different, serving sizes are bigger, there is a menu to choose from, although not much of a choice for a vegetarian. I found the wine not so bad. Pinot and Chardonnay were better Napa wines than the Cost Plus trash served in economy.

• Saks Fifth Avenue Bedding: Don’t care much about the brand nor the high quality bedding for a 10 or 15 hour flgiht after which I will never see it in my life. Such temporary pleasures do not really hold appeal. No, this does not mean the whole article is moot. Some times these pleasures lead to lasting memories. So, don’t write off the experience as yet.

• Full flat bed - whoa.. this was terrific. Almost like a railway berth on a plane. Yes. I can sleep anywhere in any posture with any amount of noise, but this felt great. A quiet cabin, with all that seat width that afforded roll overs on that luxury bedding, awesome, while it lasted.

• 3 windows to yourself - Not just one or two, but three windows to yourself?? Insane!

• Ability to access restrooms at any time without waking anyone else or being woken, priceless. Higher quality, less frequently occupied restrooms, score!

• Quiet cabin, good lighting, personalized service - all great.

• Arriving fresh - priceless!

To add to my drama in the Polaris experience, we had to deplane and board a new plane before we could take off. So, there was a delay, a 2x boarding and deplaning experience, 2x the amenity kits and welcome drinks. So, it was a gift from nature as if to let me enjoy a bit more.

Overall, it feels justified that business class costs so much. It is a luxury experience that needs to be kept out of reach of many to preserve sanctity and quality of service. In my case, thanks to ultra generosity of a Global Services friend, I got to experience this for free. It was great while it lasted and I savored it to the fullest. At the end of the day of course, as my father would say, it is the same plane, starting at the same time, reaching at the same time as someone who paid a tenth the price. He would continue on to say, with the remaining money, I can do whatever I want and the things I really want. Do we though? Time flies, the money we save gets spent by someone else or somewhere else. We work and work, the money sits somewhere where we don’t reach for it. Before we know it, memories are not collected as much as perhaps money is..

Food for thought. But thank you generous soul for giving me this experience.