Who’s really in the wrong when a model refuses to fly coach? What does it say about our relationships when we disagree over which cabin to travel in on a longhaul flight?
Model Dumped For Refusing To Fly Coach With Boyfriend
A Brazilian model with around 2.5 million Instagram followers says her boyfriend of three months dumped her, all over flight class. The couple planned a romantic trip from São Paulo to Paris, each paying their own way. She booked business class for the comfort, while he chose economy, saying business was “too expensive.”
“I allow myself that luxury when I can — I’ve always traveled that way.”
When they compared bookings, tension set in. He grew distant and accused her of lacking “unity.” She, on the other hand, saw it as a red flag. According to her, it wasn’t just about seats, it was about him asking her to “shrink” herself to fit his lifestyle.
“Deep down, he didn’t want to share anything…He wanted me to shrink myself to fit his reality…He tried to make me feel guilty for choosing something better for myself, it felt like he couldn’t handle the fact that I wasn’t depending on him.”
He ended things on a phone call, saying their differing travel choices showed they were on “different levels.” Notably, she claims he could afford business class and had more money than her, but he simply didn’t want to spend the money. She insists this wasn’t about wealth or status, but about personal priorities.
The Real Issue: Alignment and Compromise
At the core of this story is something far more familiar than it seems: differing expectations. When travel styles clash, especially early on, it often reveals deeper mismatches. One person wants comfort, the other wants to save, and neither wants to budge. It’s a red flag indeed.
There were many potential remedies. She could have flown economy. He could have upgraded. She might have even paid for him. Or they could have settled on premium economy, if that was an option. Instead, their first trip together became a metaphor for a relationship going nowhere fast.
Flying separately in different cabins may work for some couples, but on your first trip together? That’s a statement of priorities. And for him, it was a dealbreaker. One Mile At A Time notes:
“It’s noteworthy how the model claims ‘I believe everyone should choose how they want to travel.’ Did the pair also choose to stay at different hotels? Dine at different restaurants? Take different forms of transportation? I don’t think either party is right or wrong here, other than to say that I think they probably weren’t a good match. Looking at this woman’s Instagram, it’s clear she likes flashy things and luxury, and if he’s less about that (and not willing to make adjustments), it’s probably not a great fit.”
I fully concur. I also concur that had the roles been reversed and the boyfriend was flying business and leaving the girlfriend in economy class, there probably would be a lot more outrage. When she said, “It felt like he couldn’t handle the fact that I wasn’t depending on him,” I think she’s got a point…
My Experience
As much as I would have loved for my wife Heidi to pay for her own tickets ;), she was a student when we started dating and I purchased her tickets. I remember when she first came to the USA I sent her back from Los Angeles to Frankfurt on Lufthansa nonstop in business class. She was a bit annoyed that I had “wasted” the miles (“coach is fine”). That’s a keeper!
After our South Africa diversion to get her green card, we flew back on Virgin Atlantic to London in Upper Class and she was initially livid that I booked business class (it was onboard surprise). But she quickly fell asleep, slept like a log for 10 hours, and never complained about business class again.
People have various reasons for flying business class, and I too like to fly up front. If Heidi had insisted that we fly coach, that could well have been a dealbreaker in the relationship.
> Read More: A Million Miles for Love
CONCLUSION
Breaking up over cabin class might sound silly, but it’s emblematic of a bigger issue: compatibility. Travel styles say a lot about someone’s values. When even a simple flight exposes that much friction, it’s probably better to cut your losses early.
In this case, she stuck to her preference, and he stuck to his. But the relationship didn’t stick at all. Maybe the real question isn’t “Who was right?” but “Were they ever really flying in the same direction?”
image: @juisen / Instagram
Assuning this even happened to begin with…
@Aaron … Appears true to me , as I have witnessed uncouth men ‘controlling’ women’s preferences . Let them enjoy themselves and be their own person , I say .
@Matthew … She was correct 100% . She paid for her ticket , and she chose her preference . All good .
The ‘friend’ however , was trying to ‘control’ her by disagreeing with her preferences . She was fortunate the ‘friend’ ended the relationship .
Next time she ought to prefer an ‘equal’ friend , and not a ‘controlling’ one .
The guy was lucky to be rid of her, gorgeous woman or not. If she’s that entitled and unwilling to compromise with someone who’s not so self-important then good riddance.
One values flash, the other values cash. Boo hoo it didn’t work out ( except for the social media attention. )
They did us all a favor by splitting up and not breeding.
If you are truly interested in the other person, it’s the experience together that matters and being together making the most out of the adventure. He will be better off getting rid of a prima donna now as that way of thinking and acting only grows and gets worse. Having been married (to the same woman) for 45 years and traveling the world together, almost as much as you Matthew, it’s the time and experience you share together that is remembered, not the seat you occupy!
I travel constantly with my wonderful partner/boyfriend/mate
We have traveled both separately (me in biz, him in coach) and together in the same class
As I just turned 75, and have the money, I refuse to cram myself in a coach seat, especially on international flights
He insists he doesn’t mind coach, but enjoys it when I can get him an upgrade, which is about 50% of the time. It sounds like this couple was ill suited, but after only 3 months of dating, they probably didn’t know each other well enough to resolve their differences
It’s a good arrangement you have!
I have this issue when travelling with 2 friends who, like me, are child-free and interested in exploring faraway places. We often take different flights even if we only live 100-odd miles apart, and that’s fine with all of us, but hotel bookings can be very complicated. I am not really into luxury hotels but I do want large rooms and a 24-hour reception, one of the others only cares about location (he wants to be right in the middle of the action and basically walk everywhere) and is willing to pay massive premiums for it (like €200+ a night for a room without its own bathroom in an Airbnb flat in S. Sebastian while I was staying in a midscale hotel in the suburbs for a third of that) and the third mostly wants to stay somewhere cheap. We sometimes need to spend lots of time trying to find a combination (whether it’s the same hotel or different places that aren’t extremely far apart) and we certainly couldn’t manage any of that if we were intolerant of the differences in perspective.
My view about this issue is that the couple’s mistake was taking their first trip together to an intercontinental destination. When you’re still getting to know a person and decide to go on a trip with few/no plans for individual activities, it’s not a good idea to travel halfway across the world (unless we’re talking about a long distance relationship, which comes with other complications). They should’ve started with a long weekend trip to BUE, Iguazú Falls, the MDZ wineries, SCL at a push. This would have either confirmed that they’re really incompatible with each other without costing a fortune or developed the relationship to a level of understanding and communication that would’ve enabled them to choose Europe for their second trip together without any issues.
Easy choice for me!!!! I fly STDBY,,,so I get what I get!!!
“Model.” Riiiiight.
Why? Do you suspect she’s an Only Fans entertainer?
“ I also concur that had the roles been reversed and the boyfriend was flying business and leaving the girlfriend in economy class, there probably would be a lot more outrage.”
Absolutely!
Your Heidi story about business class reminds me of my German father thinking air conditioning was s completely unnecessary until he moved to a house with central A/C. Guess who ran the A/C every summer until his death?
Upon further thought, it seems the only reason this is newsworthy (which it is not, IMO) is the woman is/claims to be a model. I suspect her air of entitlement extends way beyond just wanting to fly in biz. Maybe she was angered she wasn’t staying in the Ritz, being picked up in a lime, eating at 5 star restaurants etc. Hard to believe the BF didn’t realize this before agreeing to an international trip.
This ranks up there with old people posting pictures of their Gout toe on Facebook.
I don’t care. I don’t want to read about it. Live your “best life” or “worst life” as you wish. Spare me the details. As long as it doesn’t affect me I couldn’t care less. Not into car wrecks or Gout toes.
It’s definitely not ‘news’ but I think it’s an interesting opportunity to discuss travel arrangements in the context of personal relationships.
I wasn’t talking so much about Matthew posting it here. More so that the woman found a need to share it all with the world. As if it’s some kind of necessary discussion. It’s not.
As to the “personal relationships” that you mention? They should be just that, personal. Everyone will have different takes and needs and it does not require the world to decide for them or shape theirs because of them. You Do You.