Lets get one thing clear at 33 im not to old
From 97 till 02 i use to fly first class twice a year from NZ to London or Frankfurt as i was at hotel school in Switzerland. I was gold or gold elite and all of my old mans flights were in first so he had no use for his upgades.
I remember at the time thinking economy was 2k business 6k and first 10k but i could be wrong.
I remember the seat went far enough back that you could sleep on your side something I couldnt do in the old business class seat.
Also the food was a huge step up from business class then and in my opinion food in NZ business was better then than it is now. However I do remember some old American winging his food was not cooked fresh on the plane.
And the champagne was Dom or Krug vintage. I remember as a 18 year old asking what one was best and the FA laughing at me and saying she thought they were both ok
I also remember the space. With no pods like today and the middle a open space you had atmosphere that can not be matched by any modern product.
I remember chatting with a young German couple with a baby that was just crawling from Frankfurt to Auckland and they said they felt so lucky they could afford first because it made it so much easier with the kid. And it was true. for 24 hours when it wasnt sleeping it crawled around that huge open middle space and never cried once.
So yea give me todays NZ business seat but apart from that old first was better.
And the joke is at 17 I was flying first at 33 business is a bit of a treat