Flying business class to Doha, our first entre into the world of privilege…

I must say our trip over the pond from the states was almost as surreal as our first full day in Qatar. With the exception of a flying complication bump to first class for a short flight in the US several years ago, neither Belle nor I had experienced the true luxury of flying business class. It all started with our arrival to the ticket counter where a huge line of international passengers were waiting patiently to check-in. With our new found travel status we were able to skip that entire line of approximately 100 coach passengers to the business class line of only 4. While checking our bags, we also noticed that the airline had placed orange “priority” stickers on our luggage. Within minutes we were passing through security on our way to the gate – but it gets better! We don’t have to wait in those dirty airport seats with scores of other travelers…we get to hang out in the Business Class Lounge. Inside we find free internet access, leather seats, and of course all the free food and drink you could ever want including fresh fruit and liquor. I had to resist my economy class instincts to eat until I was sick, after all it was free. However, I soon realized that if I get all this free stuff now I’ll probably get it on the plane as well – boy was I right.

If you’ve never flown business class on an overseas flight, I almost feel guilty telling you what’s been happening on the other side of the “curtain” all this time. The quote in “Jerry Maquire” makes total sense now – “It’s not just about a better meal, it’s about a better life.” Our seats were spacious and comfortable recliners that could be adjusted to meet the individual preferences of any traveler(including nearly flat for a bed) and complete with a lower back massager, personal pillow/blanket, and interactive audio-visual center. You could literally pick from a huge selection of movies, television shows, cd’s, or video games whenever you felt like it. On our trip over the pond I watched Wild Hogs, Blades of Glory, and 300. But it gets better…

When I noticed a new menu(just like from a restaurant) in front of my seat I thought to myself you’ve got to be kidding me. It was like eating a three course meal at a four-star restaurant at 35,000 feet. We started with an appetizer and drinks(including wine), progressed to the main course, and of course finished with dessert. Belle and I felt like the Beverly Hillbillies so we naturally decided to take photos and steal a menu – just so we could share them with all of you – enjoy!

The final privileged experience that I’ll share from our trip took place when we landed in Qatar. First and business class passengers are taken off the plane first and put on a bus that takes you to immigration. There was a young Asian women who had our names on a sign to make sure we got on the correct bus. Then when we arrived at the immigration area, another young Asian women escorted us to a comfortable waiting area complete with chairs, snacks, drinks, magazines, etc. while they reviewed our visa materials. Ten minutes later, she escorted us through a separate customs line and led us to baggage claim where all four of our bags (clearly marked with the orange “priority” tags) were some of the first to arrive. I can’t remember a more stress free or relaxing flight.

Needless to say privilege has its privileges. We got our first real taste of what it must be like to live between two different social classes. In the states we would never fly business class or be waited on like we were on this trip. There were several times when we both felt uncomfortable and guilty about passing people in line or thinking about the folks crammed in coach but that didn’t stop us from taking full advantage. We both knew coming in that the concept of privilege would be a part of this experience in Qatar but maybe didn’t fully understand the magnitude. It will certainly be interesting to see how these experiences change some of our perceptions and behaviors in the time to come.