Writing about The True Worth of Business Class Travel about a year ago, I’d sort of concluded that extra convenience was the only tangible differentiator that airlines could be using to justify business class fares that are typically 3x-5x of economy. Since flying time was the same, I’d noted that business and economy class flyers suffered the same level of jet lag. If only airlines could cook up an anti-jetlag potion exclusively for their business class passengers, I’d mused, that would be enough for them to conclusively tilt the cost-benefit balance in favor of business class.
Now, a year later, looks like an American pharma firm called Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. has come to the aid of airlines!
According to a recent news update, jet setters will be able to fight jet lag by taking an experimental pill (based on something called “tasimelteon”) that may reset the body’s internal clock and improve sleep quality.
Will airlines be shortly negotiating with Vanda for an exclusive version of this pill (Vanda Deluxe? Tasimelteon Plus?) for their business class travelers?