Did you know that the economy section of an airline is pretty much break-even?

They’re covering costs. Keeping the plane in the air. But they’re not making real profit on those seats.

The actual profit? That comes from business class and premium economy. The smaller sections. Fewer people. But way more profitable.

And I think there’s a huge lesson here for anyone running a coaching or course business in 2026.

Because a lot of us are running our businesses like economy-only airlines. Serving as many people as possible with razor-thin margins, completely exhausted, and wondering why we’re working so hard but barely seeing profit.

The Airline Industry’s Profit Secret

Here’s what’s wild: overall airline profit margins are razor-thin—we’re talking 3 to 4% net profit margin. And when you dig into where that profit actually comes from, it gets really interesting.

The economy section—the bulk of the plane—there’s very little profit there. In fact, economy class is basically covering the cost of running the plane. That’s it.

The actual profit comes from the premium cabins.

United Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer even said that their Premium Plus product—their premium economy—is their most profitable cabin. Not first class. Not business class. Premium economy.

The section that takes up way less space, serves way fewer people, but charges significantly more.

The Two Models Most Businesses Are Running

Here’s what I see happening in our industry—and why so many people are struggling:

Model One: The Economy-Only Airline. Serving as many people as possible as cheaply as possible with razor-thin profit margins. One slow month and you’re scrambling. One failed launch and you’re stressed.

Model Two: The Private Jet. All premium, high-ticket everything. But you have to charge massive prices just to keep the plane in the air. Your market becomes tiny. And you’re usually trapped in your calendar doing one-to-one work.

Both models? Exhausting in different ways.

The Magic Is In The Middle

Here’s where the magic actually is: you need both.

You need the economy cabin covering your costs and bringing people in. And you need a premium cabin delivering real profit and giving people the support they actually want.

Not a private jet. Not an all first-class experience. That premium economy sweet spot.

Something that’s still scalable and leveraged, but that people are happy to pay 3 to 5 times more for because of what they get—more support, more attention, better results.

And suddenly? The math makes sense. The business is sustainable. And you’re not exhausted.

Why This Works Right Now

The market has matured. People have been burned by too many low-ticket courses they never finished. They’re willing to invest more if it means they actually get the support they need.

And the economics have shifted. Ad costs are up. If your business model requires hundreds of new people every quarter just to hit your revenue goals, that’s getting harder to pull off.

But if you can add $200K to your business by enrolling 10 to 20 people into a premium offer? The math changes completely.

I’m seeing people add another $200,000 or more to their business by adding one intentionally designed premium offer. One offer that’s not more work. That’s actually easier to deliver.

Want to Hear How to Structure This?

In the full podcast episode, I break down exactly what this looks like in practice, how to price it, and why premium doesn’t have to mean more chaos when you structure it right.

Listen to the full episode here

Drop me a DM on Instagram at @hellofunnels if you want to chat about what a premium offer could look like in your business.