I do think the episode mentioned by the OP deserves some deeper thought. I could certainly put an extra $3000 on the years' expenses for a Business Class trip to Europe.
But I never have. I will either book an upgraded ticket on Delta or book Premium Economy on Virgin or Premium Coach on United.
That extra $3000 could finance all of the rest of one's expenses on a typical weeklong business trip through Europe. There are few plausible business reasons to not accept five to eight hours in a narrower, tighter space in exchange for that kind of money.