Originally Posted by
ralfp
Arriving slightly more relaxed & rested before a meeting could easily have a real monetary value of far more than $10k. I know a few people who travel to meetings/negotiations/etc. about contracts, etc. worth millions of dollars. Being in slightly better mental shape could easily increase your ability to negotiate a 1% higher margin.
The OP's question pertains to personal leisure travel. Businesses have their own (poorly-justified, in my opinion) reasons for flying their employees in premium classes.