Who Deserves to Fly Business Class?

Does paying for business class mean you’re entitled to a quiet, peaceful flight—or is sharing the space with all kinds of travellers just part of the deal?

Who really belongs in business class? Is it the quiet, well-behaved traveler who keeps to themselves, or can it be anyone who can afford the ticket—loud, disruptive, or otherwise?

I found myself pondering this exact question recently. What are we really paying for up there? Is it the extra legroom, the quiet, the exclusivity—or just the seat itself?

And who gets to decide who’s "worthy" of sitting in the front of the plane?

On a recent six-and-a-half-hour flight that crossed multiple time zones and landed in the middle of the night, I was hoping for a bit of shut-eye and maybe time to get some work done. Spoiler alert: that didn’t happen.

At check-in, I was told I'd been moved up a few rows to accommodate another passenger’s accessibility needs. No big deal. I was still in business class, so I wasn’t too fussed.

I chose business class for this flight because I had to work the next morning, and the price difference was small. I wanted the extra legroom. That’s how I ended up in the front row, next to a man traveling with his wife and their daughter, who was seated directly behind us.

Their daughter, as I quickly learned, was in her twenties, severely autistic, and nonverbal.

We taxied out to the runway, and at first, everything seemed fine. The daughter was excited—maybe a little too excited. But as soon as we were in the air, that excitement quickly turned into anxiety.

The girl’s mother, seated behind me, was trying her best to calm her down, but the daughter was having none of it. She kept trying to unbuckle her seatbelt, push against her father’s seat, and occasionally hit herself on her legs with closed fists. She was shouting every few minutes, clearly upset and overstimulated.

It was tough to watch because you could see how much her parents were struggling to manage the situation—and how apologetic they were, even though there wasn’t much they could do at 30,000 feet.

What made things worse was the peanut gallery sitting behind the family. Two older men—one of whom had already told me during boarding that he was retired and enjoying some “leisure travel”—were loudly voicing their displeasure.

They switched between English and Portuguese, and every now and then, I’d catch a snarky comment about how they paid for business class and shouldn’t have to “deal with this.” One said loudly in English that “some people” didn’t deserve to fly business class.

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I listened to see if the mother would respond, and she didn’t. I said nothing, not wanting to escalate the situation.

Honestly, it wasn’t even the girl’s behavior that was getting to me at that point. It was the complainers. They weren’t quiet about it. They were rude and loud. Loud enough to disturb everyone around them, myself included.

At some point, the girl’s father switched seats with her mother, so they both sat next to me during different parts of the flight. They each apologized more times than I could count. They explained that they hadn’t flown with their daughter since she was a small child, and they’d prepared as best they could—keeping her on a strict schedule, giving her a light sedative, even bringing her favorite snacks and tablet for the journey.

It worked on the way over, but for whatever reason, nothing was helping this time around.

The father said the sedative they’d given her—something mild—seemed to have the opposite effect. I could relate. I’ve taken things like melatonin or Gravol before, and if I don’t fall asleep in that initial window of drowsiness, I get stuck in this weird, alert-but-tired state that’s worse than just staying awake.

So here we were. The daughter was clearly distressed. The two guys behind them kept up their complaining, occasionally making snide comments. And to top it off, someone else nearby was watching a movie without headphones. Who does that? It’s basic airplane etiquette—use headphones, people.

Another passenger refused to close their window shade, so there was sunlight beaming in. The whole cabin was a mess of sensory overload.

The family had done everything they could to prepare for this flight. They paid extra for business class to ensure their daughter would have a more comfortable experience. They brought along her tablet, snacks she liked, and even tried a light sedative to ease the journey. But none of that mattered, because the environment around them wasn’t conducive to calm—quite the opposite.

I can at least manage my own discomfort with an eye mask, earplugs, and some patience. This girl didn’t have those tools at her disposal. She lacked the ability to self-regulate in a situation that was overstimulating for anyone, let alone someone dealing with her condition.

Now, let’s talk about this whole idea of "deserving" to be in business class.

These grumbling passengers seemed to think their money bought them the right to absolute peace, free from any disturbance.

But newsflash: buying a business class ticket doesn’t come with the power to hand-pick your neighbours.

And you know what? If we're questioning who "deserves" to be in business class, maybe it's not people who don’t work and incessantly chatter at 130 decibels.

Out of curiosity, I posed the question on Facebook—who do you think deserves to be in business class? Here are a few of the responses:

“Anyone deserves it. No one is better than someone else. My opinion is that if you can afford to purchase business class tickets, good for you. just as you can buy a certain VIP seat at a concert, good for you. It’s a privilege. Some can afford and choose not to have the extra fluff that’s ok too. It’s a privilege either way if you have the choice.” ~ Cheryl

“Not babies and children.” ~ Jessica, mother of 5

“No one. The entire plane should provide the same level of care and service to every one who flies. More people would fly if they were treated like a first class customer. Means more planes and a whole new business model but imagine being the first to knock the class division out of flying. Wow!” ~ Ellen

“Whoever pays for it.” ~ Tim

“I didn’t realize you had to be eligible to sit in business class. If you can pay for it you get that seat.” ~ Susan

“I say anyone deserves to be there if they pay. I have to say, my last flight I paid for business class and it was amazing! There was a single mom in that class too with 3 young kids. I can totally see why she would choose that. More space, close to bathroom and exit, not to mention a meal/snacks that would keep kids from being hangry.” ~ Leanne

“All good answers above as well as people who are working - like doing business while on the airplane.” ~ Maria

What say you?

Listen, it was a rough flight. Yes, it was frustrating for everyone. But no one "deserves" more than anyone else when it comes to sharing a public space like an airplane cabin.

We’re all in this tin can together, so a little patience, understanding, and kindness can go a long way.

If that doesn’t work for you, I hear chartered jets are pretty nice. ✌️