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Comment by AndrewKemendo | Hacker News Reader

Well that is what First Class is for. Oh you wanted it to be the same price?

It has only gotten worse since the 60's because now YOU and I can afford to fly. Back in the "golden age" people flew maybe once a year and saved in order to do so. Even then it was mostly well to do people flying - now it may as well be the bus. The relative price per ticket now compared to the 60's is nickles.

I flew on spirit airlines a few months ago round trip from DCA to DFW for $128. That's INSANE low. In 1960 dollars that would have been ~$16. You weren't flying anywhere for $16 in the 1960s.

People wanted to fly, so the airlines accommodated that by smashing us together and giving us low fares - making themselves not really that rich in the process.

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>> "Well that is what First Class is for. Oh you wanted it to be the same price?"

First class is hugely more expensive than economy. I'm proposing a new middle tier.

I just did a search for a Belfast > New York flight next month.

Economy: £532

Business: £2,636

First class: £6,809

If they added a section with increased space for passengers (no champagne or other extras) and charged £800-1000 for it I'd pay and I'm not someone with money to throw around - that's how uncomfortable I find flying. All I'm asking for is an extra couple feet spacing between seats.

Premium economy?

I usually fly between LHR and SFO on BA premium economy. It's usually sub-£1000. Compared to economy, the seats are wider with more leg room and the meals are better.

It's a pity they still fly creaking old 747s on that route though. One time went to SFO through LAX where the first leg was on an A380 and that completely spoiled 747s for me.

Unfortunately, the A380 doesn't make up for the horrors of connecting onto an AA domestic flight at LAX, so I can't do that all the time now...

I would imagine that you've identified the problem, the price of the ticket is more related to the extra space you take up and the lost revenue they get.

The cost of a few glasses of champagne and slightly better food is a tiny fraction of the cost of flying.

First class is that price because they can, people want to differentiate themselves by paying more, not because they get a vastly better experience.

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