To miss refined air travel?

I’ve just landed- flew in cattle class with not a gut in sight.

I’m very surprised at your experience of the first class lounge and also wondering if you’re getting mixed up with the lounge you can pay to get in. My husband often drags me into those lounges for short haul flights. I find the excitement around free food and drink off putting and often wish I could have just gone to Pret! I have never been in the first class lounge, but husband goes regularly through work, and it sounds amazing!

I totally agree with you in principle though, standards seem to generally be slipping! And you can be comfortable and look smart, although my smart may not be as dressed up as you’re describing?

This is the inevitable consequence of affordability - as soon as bread became affordable (I still remember 24p loaves in shops) it became inedible. People stopped respecting bread - and you could see people feeding ducks with these loaves or just throwing bread away in bins!!!!!

Then restaurants became available to the great unwashed (like me) and crisp linen tablecloths disappeared.

Same went for clothes - as soon as clothes became affordable, it turned into shit (same for shoes).

Same with theatre. Same with air travel.

You can't expect the same standards after you lowered the offering.

I always travel economy but still like to dress up- smart but practical is possible.

You don't have to be rich to have a little sophistication - I'm pretty sure those travelling in skin-coloured cellulite revealing leggings with their fat stomach hanging out and a crop top and matching hoodie and crocs will have paid far more for their outfit than I did.

I'd remove those diamond shoes before you board the flight if I were you OP, or they might start to feel a bit tight.

I mean, it annoys me too how many people go everywhere in sportswear these days and make zero effort. But quite honestly, if the biggest problem in your life is that you don't think standards of dress are up to snuff, think yourself lucky.

It'll have to be a hot air balloon from now on.

Last time I flew, was a long haul and business class (not paid for by me).
I think it important to wear comfortable clothes and layers, and the temperature where you are going could be very different to where you left.
Short haul economy usually no longer get meals, and any time difference may mean missing meals at your destination

I can recommend city airport.

btw, isn’t the removing shoes about dvt? I always take my socks and shoes off on a flight and put compression stockings on.

at one point I’m sure the airlines gave them out.

So you mean you miss class segregation?

Never flew as a child - too poor.
but I miss people dressing nice full stop. Sitting a nice restaurant and people wearing tracksuits and baseball caps. People wearing jeans to a wedding etc.

I love this thread, mind you I am the exact kind of person who will put a packet of crisps or biscuits in my bag after paying for lounge access. I hope my ‘guts’ are never hanging out but I definitely don’t notice if other peoples are.

Why do you care so much about what other people wear OP?

If you are travelling in First with your children you can enter and use the Concorde lounge as there is no minimum age, you don’t even have to have blue or bronze status just fly in the cabin and you all automatically get access. Nothing to do with Tier points, it’s the cabin that gets you access.

Yes we need to keep the poors out. They should know their place.

This. Be nostalgic about the past if you like but try to remember what a privilege flying to anywhere is.

The art of dressing well, in general, is lost…

How exactly do you dress for Whetherspoons, OP?

I suspect this is just a goady thread.

Why would you think you are any better than anyone else because you want to dress formally to sit on a plane? Imo, people dressed like that just look stupid compared to people actually dressed suitably for the occasion, which is comfortably and suitable for public transport, which is what it is. Until you are flying in your own private charter plane, you aren't better than anyone else transport wise.

“I’m sure”

You flew from Gatwick though, which mainly handles low-cost airlines and leisure flights.

Was Heathrow out of budget?

I wear whatever is comfiest. I’ve only ever done first class long haul and I’m not going to dress in anything fancy for a flight!!

Isn’t that just saying “ I want people to dress a certain way and they don’t like to do that that so don’t “

who made you the style police ? Yourself ? Ah

No you dont - Virgin dont have First Class

They have Upper which is like Business

Ah feck right off 38 😂😂 no one was dressing for the occasion for a flight in the 90s 😂 christ we were all dressed like spice girls.

I would say you are either a snob or on the wind up.

But then if you see getting on a plane an "occasion" maybe you aren't as well travelled as you thought? 🤷

Is someone stopping you from dressing yourself in the way you prefer?

You're showing your youth.

Back when I first flew, air travel used to be part of the holiday, not an ordeal to be got through before the holiday started, with a repeat to get home again.

It was around about the early 80s when we started to refer to economy class as "cattle class" because of the way we were being treated.

If you’re 38 you can’t really have lived through
the golden age of air travel.