New Rule: First Class eligibility

The Capital Region's own A.K. is on her way to the West Coast. I do not know the reason for the trip, but seeing as how it is around Thanksgiving, I am assuming that may have something to do with it.

Based on anonymous sources and web-based research, A.K. was probably on this flight from Albany to Cleveland early this morning. Notice how the flight path cleverly avoided all that mucky weather in Western New York. Well done, pilots.

And now, she is over the midwest on her way to LAX.

And as she waited for her flight to depart, the A.K. checked in with some thoughts on her travel so far. She reported a situation that frequent air travelers have no doubt encountered but have resisted from commenting on due to the sensitivity of the issue. As the premier airplane and airplane accessory commentator in the Greater Washington Park Area, I have no qualms about tackling the controversial issues and I will say what you all have been thinking.

In a tribute to Bill Maher, I will do in the format of a...

New Rule: You cannot fly first class unless you are old enough to appreciate it.

Not only is it a waste of money to do so, but it's cruel to all the other passengers, like the A.K., who have to parade past 7-year olds in first class on the way to their cramped seats in the back of the plane. What's the point of unlimited legroom if your legs can't even reach the floor?

I'm conflicted about my own mother in first class because I don't think she could reach the floor either. But, that's an issue for another day.

For the record, I am not anti-kid or anti-short people. I was a camp counselor for 6 years (here and here) and I probably would still be one if I didn't, you know, have a mortgage. I just happen to think that a 7-year old in a recliner-size first class seat is a misappropriation of valuable cabin space.

Perhaps the problem is not who is in the first class seat, but the existence of the first class seat in the first place. Let's face it, the class system in airplanes simply perpetuates the divisions between the haves and the have-nots in our society. Isn't it good enough to be better and wealthier than everybody else on the ground? And is the curtain really necessary? Are you all afraid that you're going to catch the "middle-class disease" from us? I hear it's going around.