IELTS Essay # 89 - Nowadays airlines provide more benefits to the rich, often achieving this by reducing areas used by the economy class to provide more comfort to the 1st class passengers. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give your own opinion.

Essay # 89

Nowadays airlines provide more benefits to the rich, often achieving this by reducing areas used by the economy class to provide more comfort to the 1st class passengers. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give your own opinion.

There are obvious differences between facilities provided to first class and economy class passengers in flights, with the first class passengers mostly getting preferential treatment. However, I think reducing the seating area of the economy class passengers can hardly achieve any significant comfort for first class.

First of all, the sections for first and economy class are separate. Even if the seat sizes and distances between them are reduced, it would not affect the premium travellers at all as they would have their own comfortable seating in their first class cabin. The only thing experienced would be discomfort by the economy passengers in terms of sharing armrests, or having lesser leg room. Maybe even, the width of the walking corridor is lessened so that only one passenger at a time can go through it. If by reducing the area in economy the airlines wish to increase the space between the first class seats, then yes there would be more room in that cabin, but not much difference can be made according to me.

However, I do believe that some facilities given to first class make those passengers have a little more advantage. Premium cabins are lower-density, so it will be faster for passengers to exit the plane, even in case of an emergency. Since they have less passengers, the amount of passenger noise is marginally reduced, ensuring a more comfortable journey. Some airlines also have seats in the premium class that can face backwards, significantly improving crash survival rates. Therefore all said and done, there are some evident benefits that first class passengers enjoy.

To conclude, I’d say that as first class passengers pay more for their tickets, they naturally get more convenient amenities than economy class. However, I do not think that reducing the area used by the economy class can contribute to that at a noticeable level.

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