The first time I was upgraded from economy to business class and was offered wine, I asked: “How much is it?” The stewardess – it was the 1980s – looked at me and said: “Oh, you really don’t belong here.” Flying business class is a social minefield and how to behave changes all the time. After three decades travelling at the pointy end, here is my guide to the etiquette of turning left.iStock
No photos. Nobody wants to see you posing for your in-suite selfie – especially if you have snuck into business class early like one influencer on Emirates recently, who pretended she was travelling in style before heading back to economy.Do not bother the celebrities. I’ve flown alongside Gwyneth Paltrow , Raye and, er, David Hasselhoff . They’re wracked with shame for slumming it on commercial flights and do not want to be reminded of it.