She gets to take advantage of my perks, including extra checked bags and lounge access, for free.
I get a lot of judgment about my decision to fly separately from my kid, but I have no regrets.
I receive a ton of side-eye glances of disapproval on international flights because I travel in business class and leave my teenager in economy.
And, yes, strangers have called me a "bad mom" for leaving her in the economy cabin for as long as 13 hours while I sit in business class.
Nothing, however, can persuade me to join my petite 16-year-old in a narrow seat in a cabin with hundreds of other travelers for a long-haul flight. I'm not going to pay hundreds to upgrade her ticket, either.
I feel the judgment, but I don't let it get to me
My daughter gets to take advantage of some of the perks business class gives me.Andrea Dixon
Before the flight takes off, I always explain to a crew member that my daughter, a seasoned traveler, is on her own in economy and that I'll be in business. I also give the crew my seat number.
I've often noticed eavesdroppers giving me judgmental glares while my sad-looking daughter receives sympathetic looks. I've even seen onlookers shake their heads at me with disgust.
Still, without feeling the slightest bit of blame, I joyfully trot up the aisle to my business-class seat, excited to convert it to a bed and enjoy the pleasant dining experience that comes with the upgrade.
My business-class status also comes with perks and freebies for my daughter
Airplane meal in business class - food on oval white plate, bread and butter, glasses of wine
Sometimes, I'll share parts of my business-class meal with my daughter.Andrea Dixon
Fortunately, I can share a number of business-class perks with my kid without having to pay for two business-class tickets.
Recently, when heading to a British Airways flight from Sydney to London, we dodged a 100-person queue at the economy check-in desk. The business-class counter had no line, and the staff happily checked us in together even though my kid's pass was for economy class.
My daughter has also benefited from my generous British Airways business-class luggage allowance. In economy, you can only check in one complimentary 51-pound bag, but you get to check in two 70-pound bags in business class.
On one occasion, I checked her bags because I had just one 51-pound bag, and she had two heavy-shell suitcases stuffed with clothes. All three pieces of luggage were marked "first-class priority," and she wasn't charged extra for checking her bags.
I can also usually take my daughter with me to business-class lounges, which are great places to relax in airports and avoid the temptation of duty-free stores.
When on the flight, I make sure to bring her my complimentary business-class amenities bag, usually filled with a fabric eye mask, lip balm, socks, a dental kit, and moisturizer.
Sometimes I share my food, too. On one 13-hour flight, I received an elaborate breakfast with overnight oats, slices of sweet white dragon fruit, and a chive omelet. I sent the vegan items to my daughter, and much to her delight, the cabin crew delivered them to her on a linen-covered tray with a mug of steaming herbal tea.
Otherwise, my daughter and I have no contact from when the flight is about to take off to when we disembark. Occasionally, I walk back to check on her, and sometimes, I just find her sleeping.
My daughter isn't always thrilled with our flying arrangement, but I think it's a pretty fair deal. And she certainly doesn't seem to mind it when we disembark to find our priority-tagged bags first out on the luggage carousel, courtesy of my business-class status.
Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton had a big fall out regarding Princess Charlotte in the lead up to Meghan and Prince Harry's wedding, causing a 'rift' between the pair
Jay Slater, 19, was last seen leaving an Airbnb in the north of the island, close to the village of Masca, at around 8am on June 17, and now a new theory has emerged in the search for the missing teen
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made a silent alteration to Archie's birth certificate, it has been revealed, amid speculation of tensions with the Royal Family
Queen Camilla was seen 'scolding' Princess Charlotte and issuing a two-word command to Kate Middleton after she had a 'disagreement' with her brother, according to a lip reader
Emma Raducanu is back in action at Wimbledon today as she faces Maria Sakkari in the third round of the women's singles amid speculation over relationship with Man Utd legend's son
British politics has hardly covered itself in glory in recent years. After the shame of the Corbyn years was punctured by the glorious Tory victory of 2019, we were subjected to a veritable gallery of disgrace: soaring immigration, Covid authoritarianism, Partygate, the Truss-Kwarteng interregnum, Gaza fanaticism. But the true nadir was the election of George Galloway in Rochdale.
Eamonn Holmes made a savage dig at new prime minister Keir Starmer this morning as he announced the results of the General Election on GB News. The former This Morning star, 64, branded the Labour leader "deadly dull" as he fronted his Vo
Zara Tindall and her husband Mike were among the royals who attended Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018 - but the experience was not an easy one for the Queen's granddaughter
The rush to effect “change” in the next 100 days will become irresistible and the need to tear up the Labour manifesto to justify painful taxes on pensions, savings and “wealth” held in assets will play out.
Keir Starmer's wife Victoria, an NHS occupational therapist, made a terrible first impression on his now wife which included a sweary and tense phone call...
Great British Bake Off star Dawn Hollyoak’s final Instagram post before her death showed off her incredible baking skills and was captioned with the words “I’ve been a bit poorly”
Migrants in northern France celebrating Labour’s landslide victory have given Sir Keir Starmer a nickname and have vowed to cross the Channel at the “first chance” they get.