http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/travel/whatever-happened-to-first-class.html
I remember the first time I got bumped on a Continental flight into the good cabin. They had sold too many seats and since I was travelling in uniform (this was 1999) they just let me move up for free. One of the better experiences in my life aside from that MILF in Vegas.
Food, service, seats, everything was awesome. I could totally understand why some people paid extra.
When I finally decided to move back home with mom a couple years ago and go to school I gave myself one last treat before going back to the grindstone. Got a first class ticked on United. Boy did that suck! Absolutely nothing special about it. Only difference was I had been moved a little closer to the cockpit (big fucking deal) and got enter and leave the plane first. OH WAIT! No I didnt! They didnt bother enforcing the boarding procedure so it was a giant clusterfuck. Why the hell did those rich assholes pay for first class? Were they like me? Were the treating themselves one time and didnt know how shitty it was? Was the company paying for it? Did they get something special and I missed it? I watched pretty closely, we all got the same crap.