First Class Flyer founder Matthew Bennett was a pitcher in the Kansas City Royals' minor-league system. The players were allocated travel money to fly to Spring Training every year, yet were allowed to "keep the change" on their tickets.
They flew a lot and as Matthew puts it, "I got hooked on the challenge of getting a really good deal. I'd save 25% often, sometimes even as much as 50%. Don't ask me why, maybe I was born with the upgrade gene, but this happened so much, teammates started asking me to get them deals too."
The idea then became about enjoying air travel, not enduring it. He began specializing in wholesale Business Class and First Class travel, then it became obvious he could reach tens of thousands more with a newsletter.
So, in August 1996, it all began.