I Flew Economy Class To Europe, And I Don't Understand Why People Blow $US5,000 To Fly Business Class

Nicholas Carlson
Lufthansa Economy Class 18Business Insider

Last weekend, my boss flew business class to Germany.

He posted a slideshow about it.

The funny thing was that I also flew to Germany last week. For the same conference, even. DLD bought both of our tickets.

The only difference was, on my flight, I was stuck in economy class.

What the heck, right?

Last Friday night, I had a flight from Newark to Munich.

My ticket was Economy class, not Business Class. That meant no shorter lines…

…no fancy lounge with free drinks…

…no boarding before everyone else…

…and that my only shot at a 'lay flat' bed was taking the empty seats next to mine.

But whatever! I got to Munich quickly and safely, and the ticket was free.

But then my boss, Henry Blodget, posted a slideshow about HIS flight to Munich.

Look at all the room he had!

And all the swag…

…and food!

I was a little jealous. But then I looked up the price of Henry's flight. It cost ~$6,000! You can get a really nice used car for that much. Mine was $US5,000 less.

So, I decided to document my flight back from Munich to show how nice economy class can be.

Economy class is a little bit more crowded…

…but if you're lucky, like I was, you might have empty seats next to you.

Hello, leg room!

You don't get any swag like lip balm or fresh socks -- just the standard pillow, blanket…

…and in-flight magazine.

But the Lufthansa seat-back is actually pretty cool.

There's a place to hang your ear phones…

…a USB outlet…

…and this thing…

…which turns out to be a cup-holder.

And the Lufthansa tray is the epitome of German design.

You can open it half way for just a drink or a snack…

…or all the way when its time for a meal.

The tray happens to be the perfect size for holding up an iPad Mini.

You don't even need an iPad though, with the free movies and TV shows on the entertainment system.

(I watched Notting Hill again -- a lesser Richard Curtis movie.)

Between movies, you look at an animated version of what's outside the cockpit windows at that very moment.

Or use free Internet. It's slow, but still a miracle.

On Lufthansa's international flights, you get free drinks. I got a Dewar's.

There's also free dinner. It was OK. (Where are the vegetables?)

The service was great. They kept pouring me wine.

Probably the coolest thing was the plane itself. It's the one by my thumb.

The plane looks and feels brand new and precision engineered. Also it feels huge.

For example, see that railing on the right?

It leads to a stair case! On a plane!

Walk down them, and there's a little room full of doors to bathrooms.

Truthfully, the only lame thing about the flight was how Lufthansa made me put away my iPad before landing. The rules have changed, hello.

But even then, the in-flight entertainment system was still working. (I watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother featuring this Arianna Huffington cameo.)

So…would I have chosen my economy class ticket over Henry's business class ticket?

No way! But…only because I didn't pay for the ticket. If I had paid for it, I would have saved the $US5,000. For a flight to Europe, Lufthansa economy is better than just OK.

Flying to China, however, I might choose differently.

I Barely Made My $US8,000 Business Class Flight To Beijing -- Here's What I Would Have Missed

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