Does it seem silly to you that ONLY people in 1st Class on an airplane can use that bathroom?

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Zeekster

While I have traveled quite a bit (80,000 miles in the past 23 months), I've never flown first class. With that being said, I don't personally have problem with there being a "1st class only" bathroom. These passengers (or someone is) are paying a significant price for those tickets so it should provide them with more amenities than others who are paying way less. What the airlines need to do is add more bathrooms. 2 up front and 2 in the back should work.

However, as in many cases, I think it's OK to bend the rules every once in awhile. In the case of the older gentleman wanting to use the 1st class bathroom, the attendant should have shown a little more grace and class by letting him use the bathroom.

Bizjet Flyer

First class tickets are expensive because the airline is basically promising a better experience (bigger seats, better meals, less passengers per flight attendant, etc.). This experience is devalued if there is a steady stream of people beelining to the nearest bathroom. This becomes even worse when people congregate waiting for the lavatory to free up. I've been in the back two rows of a plane plenty of times, and have always had "company" standing in line in the aisle right next to me.

With that said, here's where it gets difficult. Should airlines make exceptions when it makes sense? There's a very delicate line when trying to balance standard procedures and common sense. The procedures are there to create a standard of quality (yeah, I know, airlines don't seem to set that standard of quality very high). Common sense would say "let the poor man use the nearest bathroom"... The problem is that as soon as one exception is granted, EVERYBODY now has some kind of excuse - small children, imaginary medical problems, or whatever it takes to bend the rules. Now every person who paid for a first class ticket (usually the frequent fliers the airlines rely on to subsidize all of the cheap tickets they sell) is complaining to whoever will listen in airline management... It's just not a pretty picture.

J-ville boy

I thought it was 1st preference for 1st class. But I guess now it depends on the attendant.

jeebus

You get what you pay for. International first class can cost over $10,000, with the domestic one being $1,000-$2,000. When someone pays 10-20x more for a ticket, they should have their own bathroom. Plus, once the old man gets to use it, others inevitably will try to bend the rules.

TexasTrev38

Yes, just about everything associated with "first" class seems silly to us "coach" types. It's all about perceived treatment.

I have had the privilege of flying first on both international routes as well as domestic. The only thing I can appreciate in both cases is the extra room (I am 6'6" and push the limits of comfort in coach). Other than room, every thing else was silly fluff to me. The pinnacle of unnecessary fluff is the "exclusive" toilet. About the only benefit I see there is shorter lines. The food isn't any better, but you do get extra "treats" internationally. I don't drink alcohol much, so getting it free makes no difference to me. I can definitely do without the hot towels. The person you are sitting next to in first usually wants nothing to do with you, or what you might want to chat about.

Guess I am just not easily impressed with what impresses "first" class people. I wouldn't feel too bad about flying coach the rest of my life.

tuppenybitz

if you paid the price of first class you would want all the perks it gives you also

they paid for excellent service and amenities so they are entitled to it

MikieB

Yes, the first class section is only for the first class passengers. This rule is strictly enforced since the first class paid extra for the privilege of being separated from the "common" folk. Seems silly since the entire plane is going to arrive at the same time. I guess the front of the plane does arrive instantaneously first, but just slightly ahead of the rest of the plane.

silentnonrev

I am surprised to read this, because AA actually dropped that policy, officially. Of course, many FAs tend to make up their own policies as they go along.

While I understand that people paying for F (with $ or miles) or even snobby nonrevs want the "exclusiveness" of that bathroom, I also think it's kind of rude to take pleasure from some old guy's discomfort. Who would it have hurt to let him pee?

GreyToes_99

I think it is ludicrous to restrict access to the front lavs to only 1st class. Especially to someone who is only a row back.

I have flown 1st class and I am not so snobbish to object to a couple people who need to go be allowed to use the forward lav. If your ego needs that much gratification, I feel sorry for you.

There can't be any lines up at the front lav (FAA regs) and as long as the person who is going to the front lav is courteous about not bumping anyone, not playing loud music on a player, or bordering on obnoxious (extremely drunk, loud, etc) why stop them?

I do believe the policy is individually controlled by the airlines, so I would communicate with them directly about your observation, it may be that someone was too 'enthusiastic' in protecting the 1st Class section

tbugs

First Class ticket holders pay for the privelege of not having Coach Class passengers "invade" their space.

It may sound like a crass idea but they paid for their semi-private space and "thumbs-up" to the stewardess who turned the Coach Class passenger back to his own bathroom.

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