First Class? Pffft, Overrated

If you were to sign up for 2 Citi American Airlines cards you could net yourself 125k American Airlines (AA) miles easily in a year. How would you spend them?

1. 2 round-trip flights from US to Japan in Economy, plus another transcontinental round-trip in Economy
2. 3 round-trip flights from US to Europe in Economy
3. 1 round-trip flight from US to Japan in First class

What good is a lounge invitation when I can have my salted peanuts and the snoring/drooling stranger resting their head on my shoulder?  2 round-trips to Japan in Economy it is!

Let me tell you why I wouldn't choose first class:

Sleep? Who needs it?

If your like me(broke) then you've experienced Economy plenty of times before, and its not half bad on international flights. I like to think of Economy as the "going camping" of the airlines world, and that I would have a far better experience "toughing" it out in seats that recline 20 degrees with my knees hitting the back of the seat in front of me. Economy would make me cherish my destination that much more!

Who needs a good nights sleep in with First class lie flat seats complete with down pillow and comforter shown below. Allowing you to be completely energized for the day ahead when you land.

Save my stomach for foreign food!

Lounge open bar

One of my favorite things about traveling internationally is to eat good food that I can't normally get. Flying First Class really conflicts with this joy of mine because they feed you NON-STOP to the point where you won't want to eat anything when you land! From the departing airport lounge to the actual flight AND the arriving airport, they provide you with food and drink.

Lounge Buffet

Lobster Dinner onboard

I Prefer the Ambiance at Gates Anyways 

For those of you that don't know(I was one of them once), lounges are separate seating areas for either paid members, premium cabin  flyers, or frequent flyers with status, so as you can imagine they are probably full of stuck up snobs. I'd much rather sit at the gate with my wallet friendly priced KFC.

Speaking of lounges they also offer amenities such as multiple electrical outlets, computers, semi-private work areas, and showers like the one below.

What use is water coming out of the ceiling anyways?

I'm on vacation for crying out loud! Why would I want to be connected to technology or bring work with me? And why shower if i'm going to be drooled on by the stranger next to me right?

JK!

In all honesty, that flight that you dread to get to your vacation destination, and the flight you can't wait to get off of to get home, transforms into part your entire vacation experience when you fly a premium class. I actually might have shed a tear when I landed in Hong Kong knowing I would soon depart a mini-world where attractive flight attendants fed me food and beer non stop with a smile.

Yes I can get 2 round trips in economy, but at this point of my life I don't have time to take two big trips in a year, so I might as well do one in comfort and luxury right? I also could never justify paying for a First class ticket, the trip that the pictures are from would have run me over $12,000 one way. Using points allows me to obtain something I normally could not, whereas I could pay for those economy tickets.

In the end, points are valued differently by each person. For those of you lucky enough to have time to travel abroad twice in a year then by all means do it. This is just how I justify my use of them.

Some other perks

• Priority boarding (so you can get your pre-flight drink :D)
• Some airports have premium lane customs/immigrations
• Dedicated Security checkpoints
• SLEEP
• Treated like a rock star. LAX AA Flagship check-in shown below: