There are obvious perks that come with being an Instagram influencer, but these perks don’t always include those closest to you. As the spouse to an Instagram influencer, how would you feel about flying in coach while they enjoyed the luxurious amenities of first class?

Ask an influencer

The question comes as a result of a recent Business Insider interview from Instagram influencer Naomi Isted, a fashion journalist and TV presenter. With close to 100k followers on Instagram, Naomi is living the influencer’s dream life being able to travel around the world for work.

Naomi is married and has two young kids, aged nine and three. On some of her world excursions, she brings her entire family along with her. On other trips, her husband tags along for the work vacation. Most times when traveling, Naomi is the only one in her family that can be seen in first-class. Her husband and kids are left to survive the flight in coach en route to their latest exotic destination.

During the interview, Naomi shares her point of view on why she prefers to fly alone in first class. The main reasoning is for productivity and to avoid getting sick. And as for her kids, she says they’re too young for perks like big first class seats.

First class provides an atmosphere conducive to getting work done during a flight. For the busy life of Naomi, the flight itself may be the only downtime that she gets for preparing for her upcoming trip. Some of the tasks involved with her job include creating content ideas, scheduling posts, research and writing scripts. First class seating provides the necessary space, charging ports, and quiet that she needs for completing such tasks.

Another reason for opting for first class seating for herself is to avoid the chance of sickness during the flight. She states, "As a presenter, the main thing for me is preserving my voice and not catching bugs or colds from nearby passengers who could be in a very close proximity if travelling economy."

A privilege to travel

Naomi considers it a privilege for her husband and kids to travel along with her around the world, so doesn’t feel any guilt for flying in separate classes. While she’s in first class working, her husband would be in the back taking care of the kids.

She does mention that if it is just her and her husband traveling, she’ll attempt to get him upgraded to a premium seat as well, but it’s not always guaranteed.

What would you do?

View From The Wing raises some interesting questions and thoughts about spouses flying in different classes. Usually it's the husband that gets the more premium class while the wife tends to the kids in coach, but in the case of Naomi, the roles are reversed.

When an influencer gets perks such as first class upgrades during a flight, it’s usually because of their relationship with the airline or a company sponsoring the trip. The person bringing value to the company is the influencer themselves, so the perks are always directed to them. Naomi doesn’t always get free upgrades, however. Sometimes she pays for the upgrades herself and for her husband if traveling together.

One option is to opt to fly coach along with your spouse and kids. You’ll remain together with your family, but in terms of productivity, you may find it a bit more distracting when flying in coach.

There’s always a dilemma on taking advantage of perks given to you, while also being fair to your spouse if you invite them along for the trip. How would you feel if only your spouse sat in first class, and would you do the same if you were an influencer?