Get a look at perks in airlines' high-flying first class
While most airline passengers are feeling ever more cramped in coach, for big-spending flyers in the front, the high life is in full swing, reports CBS News correspondent Kris Van Cleave.
For $229 million, the Los Angeles Delta Air Lines terminal was upgraded to appeal to elite flyers. It has a premium check-in area and access to a special lounge.
Etihad Airway's A380 plane has an apartment in the sky.
Airlines are racing to update their cabins and service with luxurious, new options for a select few.
"If someone is going to pay $23,000 for a round trip to London, you know what? They can throw in a Porsche to take them to the plane," CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg said.
For the everyday passenger, it can seem like airlines are asking more for less. Customers shell out money to check bags, to eat on-board, and sometimes even to choose a seat.
"I'm small and yet you know you're just crammed into these seats, so it's terrible," traveler Susie Day said.
Several airlines have gone to new so-called slim-line seats because they take up less space, enabling more to be squeezed on board.
"For a lot of people, once you get above a 6-7-hour flight, they just cannot even bear the idea of being in the back of the plane, so they will step up [in class]. That is what the airline is hoping for," Greengberg said. "It is additional revenue for the airline."
In fact, on long-haul flights, a number of carriers are finding a way to cash in on economy-flyer fatigue with a premium economy at a cost far below business class, but more than the cheap seats.
Singapore Airlines lets premium economy passengers order a meal ahead of time to be delivered to their seat during the flight.
"Whether it's dining, or entertainment, or the actual space you have at your seat, we've taken the product to the next level," Singapore Airlines' James Boyd said.
A Fortune Magazine headline is raising questions about whether travelers flying coach are helping pay for the luxury of first class passengers.
In a statement to "CBS This Morning," Airlines for America, a group representing U.S. carriers, said the travelers paying the big fares at the front of the plane help keep prices low for economy travelers.