Lufthansa opened in 2005 a separate terminal in Frankfurt for first-class ticket holders and very top-tier frequent fliers, offering white-tablecloth dining, baths with rubber duckies, cigar rooms and fancy bars.

WSJ: The Tarmac Express: A Porsche to the Plane

Raburn's goal is to supply America with an "air taxi service" that promises to fly passengers point-to-point (say, from Fargo to Mobile or from Des Moines to Charleston) for the price of a first-class ticket.

FORBES: Magazine Article

When a president uses Air Force One to travel to a campaign event, his campaign must reimburse the government the approximate cost of a first-class ticket for the president and all the political aides traveling with him.

CNN: The perks of presidential travel

Although Air Force One's operating costs per person far exceed the cost of even a first-class commercial ticket, the logic is that it's unfair to charge the president's campaign for the full cost of operating Air Force One because he has no choice but to fly on the presidential plane for security reasons.

CNN: The perks of presidential travel

George Osborne was forced to pay for an upgrade after sitting in a first-class train carriage with a standard-class ticket.

BBC: Your highlights of 2012 in drawings