Originally Posted by
Rebelyell
Most people aren't going to reveal their income. I will pay a little extra for first class, but usually it costs substantially more. I can't imagine having an income of $75,000 and paying a lot of extra money for first class tickets. For the purchase of first class tickets on one's own dime to be reasonable you need an income of five to 10 times that.
Generally agreed, but I fly mostly domestic short-haul flights. First class is often about $120 more, vs. using E-upgrades that would cost $90 for the trip if I paid for them. It's an easy choice to just book first class in that situation.
For international flights, I usually just use miles and pay the cash co-pay. I don't think that I've ever paid cash-only for an international business or first class trip. A few thousand dollars, invested wisely, could certainly help with retirement planning.