A person has to have serious audacity to sneak into business class on a flight. Cabin Crew are trained to spot interlopers from steerage, ejecting them quick smart in a no nonsense manner. Some people manage to go unnoticed, as I witnessed myself on a flight once.
I had elected fly British Midland on a return trip to London, as I’d never flown with them before. Yes folks, I flew a Star Alliance airline (Gasp! Just what will the neighbours say?!) and it was memorable – thanks to one guy.
Can You Really Sneak Into Business Class?
After a busy weekend in London, I boarded the Airbus A319 just before 9pm. Settling myself into 5A, I noted the curtain separating business class and economy class in front of me. So near and yet so far!
During boarding, a guy puts his bag above row 4 and settles himself into 5C. The middle seat remained free and it stayed that way until boarding complete. Score! I love having a seat free beside me – it’s like a poor man’s business class, and damn was I poor!
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- The cabin of a BMI Airbus A319 – you can see the curtain at the front.
Immediately after the safety demonstration, it seems the coast was clear. Obviously watching for his opportunity, 5C is up, steps, and settles into 4C, the last row of business. Was he a dancer? It was a swiftly graceful move, almost blink and you’ll miss it. A hush descended upon the economy class cabin as we all witnessed his brazen act.
Would he be found out once service began and have to do a walk of shame in front of an entire cabin full of people? Absolutely not. During the flight, our man was served drinks and food just like everyone else. I naturally sat there jealous as all hell, behind the curtain and within touching distance, wishing I’d tried something like that. Especially if they weren’t going to notice!
Overall Thoughts
If you were the person on BD133 that fateful October night in 2009 who decided to sneak into business class, I have one thing to say to you. Well played sir, well played! Nobody said a word, the economy class cabin complicit in the deception.
No doubt everyone was silently congratulating his move, being both admiring of his chutzpah and jealous that he was not discovered. He could have at least passed me a sneaky drink for not ratting him out to the Flight Attendants, right?
Have you ever seen anyone sneak into business class and not get caught? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image by Niklas Kull – Ostersund Photography via Wikimedia Commons.
BMI Cabin by Konstantin von Wedelstaedt on Airliners.net via Wikimedia Commons.
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Pair of Americans tried it on an OS flight I was on last fall. They were either truly clueless, or they acted clueless. Flight was really empty, so they “thought we could sit anywhere.”
FA would have none of it. And so, the business curtain closed behind me and just one other person in the whole cabin.
Hahahaha! I’m sure they were were acting it… I mean, how can you mistake business class seats for economy class seats? Not at all surprised they were sent back to their own class. I guess it happens quite frequently.
I will say for U.S. travelers flying in Europe, short-haul business (especially if the seats do not have middle-seat trays/dividers) is confusing. But there is a curtain, and often a different color scheme.
Yes, they do try to do something to differentiate it sometimes. The curtain is the main thing… though on SAS it’s just a placard attached to the back of the last seat in the Plus row. Much easier to see on US airlines, that’s for sure!