"In second class, people are unruly";"They’ll steal your wallets" - When Venus and Serena Williams explained why they preferred flying first class

Serena Williams once opened up about why she didn't enjoy flying in economy class to tournaments. Venus Williams shared similar feelings, but their mother Oracene Price explained why she didn't want her teenage daughters to travel in luxury.

Venus and Serena Williams took the tennis world by storm when they broke out on the scene, making headlines with their impressive wins. While they earned immense media attention, substantial prize money, and lucrative endorsements from brands like Reebok and Puma, their mother made a conscious effort to keep them grounded.

In a 1998 interview with Vogue, Oracene Price disclosed that she didn't let her daughters fly first class, even during long journeys, because she found it unnecessary to spend that kind of money.

"I’m just not going to pay all that money. I feel like I’m cheating somebody who needs it," she said.

However, Serena Williams, who was 16 years old at the time, asserted that the people in second class were "unruly" and complained about the quality of the food. In contrast, she pointed out that first-class travelers were served sundaes, had comfortable seating, and could recline without worrying about getting hit.

"In second class, people are unruly; the bread is hard and cold. In first class, on the other hand, they serve you sundaes, it’s roomy and spacious and comfortable, and you can lean back without having to worry about somebody hitting you," she said.

Venus Williams echoed her sister's sentiments, expressing her belief that people in first class were focused on business and making money, while there was a risk of being robbed in economy.

"In first class, everybody has their business papers and stuff. If you could lean over you could probably learn to make some money. In second class, if you don’t watch out, they’ll steal your wallets," she said.

"If it were up to you, we’d all be eating rice and barley" - Venus Williams teased her and Serena Williams' mother Oracene

Venus and Serena Williams with their mother Oracene - Source: Getty

Despite Venus and Serena Williams extolling the virtues of first-class travel, their mother Oracene Price remained undeterred and asserted that if she had her way, the then-17-year-old Venus wouldn't even have a car of her own.

In response, Venus Williams playfully teased her mother, joking that if it were up to Oracene, they would be surviving on nothing but barley and rice.

"If it were up to me, Venus wouldn’t even have a car. But it wasn’t up to me," Oracene said during the same interview.

"If it were up to you, we’d all be eating rice and barley," Venus Williams chimed in.

Despite her mother's views, Serena Williams eventually embraced luxury travel. She began flying on private jets, even sharing a glimpse of herself doing her makeup with her brand WYN Beauty during a lavish journey.