The Hidden Downside of Always Flying Business Class

I flew business class for the first time a little over five years ago, on an eight-hour flight back to the United States. While I had flown first class on domestic flights before, this was a whole new level of travel for me. A seat that turned into a bed? I was hooked. My immediate reaction was "This is how I always want to fly."

And that's what I've done. Travel is one of the things I don't mind spending money on, so flying in business class is worth it to me. I've also used quite a few travel credit cards to cover the cost of some of that airfare in miles instead of cash.

There's a lot to like about flying business class. The seats are definitely much more comfortable, especially when they're lie-flat seats. The meals can be pretty impressive, at least for something served on an airplane. Most people would probably assume there aren't any real downsides, besides the higher cost.

It's mostly as good as advertised. But when you always fly business class, there is a potential downside that doesn't get talked about much.

Your travel standards go way, way up

A single flight in business class might not change the way you look at travel. It's nice, but you may consider it a one-time thing, or a way to treat yourself on special occasions.

On the other hand, if you always fly in business class, then it's almost certainly going to raise your travel standards. You get used to that level of service and luxury. Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does have consequences.

For one, it becomes normal for you. It's hard to go back to flying economy once you've gotten used to the perks of business class. And even business class loses some of its magic. Don't get me wrong, I still love it. But it doesn't wow me nearly as much as it did the first couple of times. At this point, I know the drill.

It doesn't just raise your standards for air travel, either. It will probably raise them across the board. When you always treat yourself to a nice flight, you may feel like you should do the same with your accommodations. No more hostels, questionable Airbnbs, or budget hotels. If you're going to get to your destination in style, shouldn't you stay in a nice hotel, too?

There's a good chance you'll start expecting more from your travels. To get more, you usually need to pay more. Between airfare and hotels, you could end up spending much more than you used to.

Embrace the change -- or don't

To reiterate, there's nothing wrong with having high standards when you travel. Many people go from budget travel as young adults to more expensive trips as they get older. If you want to fly business class for every trip and stay in premium hotels, you shouldn't feel bad about it. Everyone has their priorities with how they spend their money.

You should, however, be ready for the costs involved. It's not worth going into debt just so you can travel in luxury. Here are a few ways to finance those business-class flights, fancy hotel stays, and meals at Michelin star restaurants.

• Set up a travel fund and contribute to it every month. Open a high-yield savings account to serve as your travel fund. If you already have a savings account, you can also set up a sub-savings account specifically for travel. Then, decide how much you'll transfer to it every month.
• Cut back on other expenses so you have more money to spend on travel. If travel is a priority for you, that may mean spending less on other, less important expenses. For example, I haven't had a car for years because I can get around fine without one. Instead of an expensive car payment, I'd rather have more money I can spend on vacations. Part of improving your personal finances is deciding where you can spend and get the most out of your money.
• Get a travel credit card and use it to pay for all your purchases. Travel cards earn rewards that you can use to cover travel expenses. If you love to travel, it makes sense to have one of these credit cards. You can use it to pay for your regular expenses, and then use the rewards you earn to save on your travel costs.

You may also discover that you're fine with any type of trip. Some travelers don't care about all the bells and whistles. There's no right or wrong way to travel. Just know that if you start making higher-end travel a regular part of your life, it can be hard to go back.