You'd probably have better luck buying first class off one of the passengers in most non-third-world-corruption-bribery-or-special-favors-are-normal-and-accepted situations.

I was on a flight with Little Richard and he paid one of the first class passengers for their seat. (He was in a bulkhead in coach, his boduguard went to the front of the plane after the door closed, came back, Richard took out a BIG roll of cash and handed it to the bodygard, he moved up front and the first class passenger took his coach seat.)