Difference between flying economy and business class

American tourist Monica Humphrie chose two flights at the same time, with different classes, to find out the difference between economy and business class.

Monica Humphries, from Florida, USA, used to think that "all classes of flying are the same" because everyone had the same experience: the same humidity, the same bland food. Then she booked economy and business class tickets to see the difference.

Monica Humphries sits in business class (left) and economy class. Photo: Insider — Monica Humphries sits in business class (left) and economy class. Photo: *Insider*

The first time, she flew from Los Angeles, USA to Auckland, New Zealand in business class. The second time, she flew economy class from Denver, USA to Tokyo, Japan. Both flights took more than 12 hours.

The biggest difference is the price . A one-way business class flight costs $4,500, while an economy seat costs $2,500.

The second difference is the treatment. Business class passengers get access to a VIP room and a free buffet. The American tourist had ramen, salad, and wine while waiting for her flight on a sofa in the waiting room. In economy, Humphries sat in the airport's common lounge, spent $8 on coffee, and didn't buy food because it was expensive. There are plenty of seats at the airport, but no sofa-style chairs like in the waiting room. So she decided to sit on the floor "so she could stretch before the flight."

When it was time to board, the representative in the waiting room announced the boarding time to Humphries. In economy class, she had to sit and listen to the announcements over the loudspeaker. But the sound was so muffled that she couldn't hear all the information. So Humphries kept checking her watch to make sure she wasn't late.

When she bought her business class ticket, she was almost the first person to board the plane. When Humphries boarded, the cabin was still empty. She only had to walk a short distance to her seat. After settling in, she was served a drink by the flight attendant.

In economy class, she was one of the last passengers, given alcohol wipes instead of wine, and walked "most of the length of the plane" to her 50th row seat.

When the plane landed, as a business class passenger, she was one of the first passengers to leave the plane. On the other flight, she was the last to leave.

The next difference comes from the seats . The business class seats are large, with two armrests, a large TV screen, and a large tray table. The legroom is wide enough to stretch both legs comfortably. She can also recline the seat into a bed to sleep.

The economy class seat was small, the tray table didn’t have enough room for a laptop, her legs couldn’t stretch out and she couldn’t recline comfortably. In both classes, she was given headphones, a blanket, and a pillow.

Business class (left) and economy class seats. Photo: Insider

The next difference is the food . In business class, she can order as much wine as she wants, and other drinks are free. But in economy class, she has to pay for her wine, except for the initial free glass of wine.

Business class dinners are "like a fine dining experience", with napkins, metal cutlery and porcelain bowls and cups, along with hot bread, small salt and pepper shakers, olive oil and a variety of menu options such as Alaskan cod and grilled chicken.

In economy class, she had only two options: chicken or vegetarian. When she chose vegetarian, she found it was just a plate of stir-fried vegetables. The bathrooms were the same size and design. But the business class bathrooms had wallpaper.

After experiencing both classes, the traveler found that the perks of business class were “eye-opening” to what luxury travel was all about. “But those luxuries come at an extra cost—a price I don’t plan on paying anytime soon,” Humphries said.