Dear Abby: Boyfriend should pay for her seat upgrade

DEAR ABBY:

Your response to "Not Ungrateful in San Diego" missed the mark. Her boyfriend of eight months is flying in business class to France, but he's only paying for a coach ticket for her? I was a divorce lawyer for 31 years (now retired), so I know a few things about relationships.

While Claude had no obligation to pay her way to France, once he invited her, he displayed a troubling character flaw. If he was going to pay her way, he should have paid for her to sit with him in business class. Her seat in coach is a warning sign: She'll always be in the back of the plane, the bus or his life. Of course buying business-class seats for the two of them is expensive, but if he's going to take her to his family's château, he should treat her as an equal - or not do it at all.

- Paul in Saratoga, Calif.

DEAR PAUL: I appreciate your viewpoint, one that is shared by many other readers. The responses to that letter were an interesting mix.

DEAR ABBY: My husband always sits in business class while I sit in coach when we travel long distances. He has a back problem and I don't. Why spend a lot of money on something so fleeting? We have plenty of time together once we arrive at our destination. I have never thought of myself as subservient - just practical.

- Enjoys Life in Coach