Before finding the 1st seat on the Boeing 787-9 plane, it was already being treated as royalty.

A hostess was serving me a glass of foamy wine. Another was to help lift my handbag in the containers above. A third soon continued to introduce himself and welcome me on the flight of Air New Zealand.

If those first minutes were an indicator of how the rest of my trip would go, I knew I was in a glamorous time.

I also knew that business class passengers had probably fallen around $ 6,000 for their ticket, which was the flight cost in 2022 (Business Insider received a media rate for a round trip).

As of May 2025, the airline has redesigned its business class cabin, and round -trip flights from Los Angeles begin at $ 7,000.

Before this flight, I had never spent more than $ 1,400 on a plane ticket. Most of my vacation involve free camps and nights spent in a $ 20 tent that I bought on the Facebook market.

I appreciated the indulgent flight: years later, I am still thinking about the chocolate cake served for dessert.

Even after all the advantages, I am convinced that Flying Business Class is not worth it.