{"id":534182,"date":"2025-08-20T10:43:43","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T00:43:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/?p=534182"},"modified":"2025-08-20T13:00:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T03:00:23","slug":"farting-on-flights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/farting-on-flights","title":{"rendered":"The $9,000 Problem No One Talks About In Business And First Class Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Business Class passengers paying up to $9,000 are still subject to the worst airborne etiquette: farting.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Cabin pressure makes everyone\u2019s gut expand by around 30 percent, increasing the urge to let it out.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>From Qantas lounge squid to airport burritos, food choices before boarding can decide whether your flight is smooth sailing or a gas chamber.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul><p>There are very few things more confronting on a plane than when someone in your row decides to fill the cabin with the smell of deep regret. As I write this, the culprit sits in either 8K or 6K, smug in the belief that their silent bombs are going unnoticed. They are not\u2026 and this inescapable sensory ambush has to be called out once in a while. <\/p><p>When you are locked into a pressurised tube with recycled air being pumped around at 40,000 feet, a single person\u2019s digestive rebellion quickly becomes everyone\u2019s problem. It\u2019s enough to have your <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/steven-rothstein-american-airlines-lifetime-ticket\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">first class ticket revoked<\/a>. <\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Qantas-Flight-Sydney-1400x933.jpg\" alt=\"Qantas Flight Sydney\" class=\"wp-image-534191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Qantas-Flight-Sydney-1400x933.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Qantas-Flight-Sydney-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Qantas-Flight-Sydney-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Qantas-Flight-Sydney-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Qantas-Flight-Sydney-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Luxury travel promises space, comfort, and civility. Why do people lose control? Image: Qantas<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>We do not <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/british-airways-business-class-review\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hand over thousands for a seat in Business Class<\/a> just to suffer through someone else\u2019s bad manners. The average return ticket on a long-haul Business Class flight sits somewhere between six and nine thousand dollars.<\/p><p>For that money, Business and First Class passengers should feel entitled to a sense of comfort, space, and a touch of luxury, not the sensation of sitting in a dutch oven with flatulent strangers, whose own bowel movements can be the differece between an enjoyable in-flight experience and the plot of a straight-to-streaming horror. In a world <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/how-i-booked-a-15000-british-airways-business-class-flight-for-159000-qantas-points-with-one-ugly-catch\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">where airlines monetise every inch of the cabin<\/a>, basic courtesy should be non-negotiable.<\/p>    <div class=\"content-subscribe\">\n        <div class=\"subscribe-box\">\n            <p class=\"subscribe-title\">Curated news for men, <br\/>delivered to your inbox.<\/p>\n            <form class=\"subscribe-form\" method=\"POST\">\n                <div class=\"subscribe-input\">\n                    <label class=\"screen-reader-text\" for=\"subscribe-email\">Email:<\/label>\n                    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" id=\"subscribe-email\" placeholder=\"Enter your email\" required class=\"form-control\" autocomplete=\"on\" \/>\n                    <button type=\"submit\" class=\"button button-primary subscribe-button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"source\" value=\"article\" \/>\n                    <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"_wpnonce\" name=\"_wpnonce\" value=\"e2df992756\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534182\" \/>                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"form-result\"><\/div>\n            <\/form>\n            <p class=\"subscribe-copy\">Join the DMARGE newsletter \u2014 Be the first to receive the latest news and exclusive stories on style, travel, luxury, cars, and watches. Straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-flying-turns-your-stomach-into-a-balloon\">Why Flying Turns Your Stomach Into A Balloon<\/h1><p>The uncomfortable truth is that farting on flights is not always about poor manners. It is also science. At cruising altitude, the drop in cabin pressure causes the gas in your intestines to expand by around thirty percent. <\/p><p>What felt like a manageable twinge on the ground suddenly turns into a pressing need to relieve the pressure. Multiply that across hundreds of passengers and you can imagine the unseen struggle happening behind every tray table.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"788\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-3.png\" alt=\"A Qantas First Lounge salt and pepper squid platter\" class=\"wp-image-534189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-3.png 1400w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-3-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-3-640x360.png 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-3-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-3-480x270.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Qantas First Lounge salt and pepper squid platter \u2014 delicious in the lounge, regrettable at 40,000 feet. Image: DMARGE<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>That means the chicken korma you wolfed down at the airport food court is going to do its best Houdini impression mid-flight. Every single human on board is battling the same physics, but some choose to play it discreetly while others go full open-throttle like they\u2019re gunning for a Guinness record.<\/p><p>And then there are the indulgences we convince ourselves are worth it. For me, it is <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/food\/cooking-steak-fire\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Neil Perry\u2019s<\/a> salt and pepper squid in the <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/is-this-the-worlds-best-airline-lounge\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Qantas First Lounge<\/a>. It is fried, iconic, and impossible to refuse. Ten minutes of bliss in the lounge turns into ten hours of trench warfare once you\u2019re strapped in at 40,000 feet. It\u2019s proof that even the fanciest pre-flight meals can set you up for mid-air regret.<\/p><h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-etiquette-that-vanishes-at-40-000-feet\">The Etiquette That Vanishes At 40,000 Feet<\/h1><p>The science explains the gas. What it does not explain is why so many passengers abandon basic etiquette the moment they sit down in a premium cabin. <\/p><p>You would not let rip in a taxi. You would not do it in the back of an Uber or on a packed commuter train. Yet something about the leather seat, the champagne flute, and the push-button service seems to embolden certain travellers to act like complete degenerates.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1400\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Qatar-Airways-First-Class-1400x1400.jpg\" alt=\"Qatar Airways\" class=\"wp-image-534192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Qatar-Airways-First-Class-1400x1400.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Qatar-Airways-First-Class-960x960.jpg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Qatar-Airways-First-Class-640x640.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Qatar-Airways-First-Class-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Qatar-Airways-First-Class-480x480.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">There\u2019s nowhere to hide when gas spreads through recycled air. Image: Qatar Airways<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Maybe it is the lifestyle. Maybe it is the sense of entitlement that comes from pressing a button and having a smiling flight attendant appear at your side with another gin and tonic. Whatever the reason, it strips away the very civility that Business and First Class are supposed to represent.<\/p><h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-real-price-of-poor-manners\">The Real Price Of Poor Manners<\/h1><p>The entire promise of premium travel is supposed to be based on comfort and exclusivity; flat beds, fine wine, and lounge access are meant to elevate you above the chaos of Economy. <\/p>                <div class=\"row row-center collapse\">\n                    <div class=\"column\">\n                        <div class=\"dmg-ad\"><div id=\"incontent-523675375\" class=\"ad-container\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var load_1126446004 = function () {googletag.cmd.push(function () {var slot_1126446004 = googletag.defineSlot(\"\/1017963\/DMarge\/incontent\",[[250,250],[300,100],[300,250],[320,100],[336,280]],\"incontent-523675375\").addService(googletag.pubads()).setTargeting('refresh', 'true');if (gamData && gamData.sizeMap && gamData.sizeMap.hasOwnProperty('incontent')) {slot_1126446004.defineSizeMapping(gamData.sizeMap['incontent']);}googletag.display(\"incontent-523675375\");});};adsQueue.push(load_1126446004);<\/script><\/div><\/div>                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <p>But <a href=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/travel\/if-you-only-fly-business-class-once-in-your-life-make-sure-its-with-this-airline\" target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">no amount of champagne, caviar or Qatar-branded pyjamas<\/a> can mask the discomfort of being trapped in a sealed chamber with someone else\u2019s digestive fallout. It only takes one inconsiderate neighbour to ruin a journey you paid handsomely for.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"933\" src=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Singapore-Airlines-Suites-Bed-1400x933.jpg\" alt=\"Singapore Airlines Suite\" class=\"wp-image-534198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Singapore-Airlines-Suites-Bed-1400x933.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Singapore-Airlines-Suites-Bed-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Singapore-Airlines-Suites-Bed-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Singapore-Airlines-Suites-Bed-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Singapore-Airlines-Suites-Bed-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 640px) 600px, (max-width: 768px) 700px, (max-width: 1024px) 800px, (min-width: 1025px) 1000px, 2048px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Indulgence and entitlement often collide in premium cabins. You\u2019re not at home, even if there is a bed. Image: Singapore Airlines<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Flying already tests patience through delays, queues, and security checks. By the time you make it to your seat, all you want is to relax. Instead, you find yourself sitting rigid, trying to inhale through your blanket, praying the offender runs out of ammunition. This is the reality of airborne bad manners.<\/p><p>So next time you feel a little turbulence in your stomach, remember: the seatbelt sign may be on, but consideration for your neighbours should be too. Or at the very least, skip the squid. Especially if you\u2019re in 8K.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Flying Business Class should mean comfort, not crop dusting. Cabin pressure, bad food choices and worse manners are turning premium cabins into biological battlegrounds at 40,000 feet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":534195,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[237],"tags":[],"coauthors":[146525],"class_list":{"0":"post-534182","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-travel"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=534182"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":534199,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/534182\/revisions\/534199"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/534195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=534182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=534182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=534182"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmarge.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=534182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}