There is, and always has been, a tendency to treat the rich with suspicion and derision. This is true of air travel to. This has led to the belief that most advances that have been made filter down only to those playing to be seated in the first class. While there might be some truth to it, I feel the reasons behind it are more practical than anti-poor.

When it comes to understanding the advances made in air travel, most of us are unaware of the technological advances. We instead focus on the advertised advances like pull-out beds, private work-areas, personalized menus, private washrooms, onboard WiFi connections, and  the like. While it is true that all these along with access  to private lounges are available to paying customers, we also need to understand that providing all these cost the airlines companies money, and giving it to those who cannot afford them does not make for good business sense.

On the other hand though, the technological advances, that are usually subliminal are enjoyed by all. Air travel is the safest method to travel, and this is true for everyone aboard. Although the seating area in the economy class may cramped all the passengers still enjoy the enhanced safety features like pressure controlled cabin, in-flight infotainment systems, even better lighting. In fact, these creature comforts are not available on any military plane in the world despite the fact that the soldiers are fighting for the safety of their countries. 

Finally, the most important reason why people opt to travel by air is speed. And no matter how much one pays, everyone aboard travels at the same speed. So, while first class passengers might enjoy some perks, I believe the advances in air travel have been to every traveller's benefit.

Word Count: 290