AEW’s MVP recalled how he confronted WWE about its top stars flying in economy.
On a recent episode of Marking Out with MVP & Dwayne Swayze, MVP explained that things changed when WWE got rid of private charters for its wrestlers.
“They stopped the private charters,” MVP said. “They started getting us economy class tickets. So why are we top stars of this company flying in economy?”
MVP said he took the complaint to John Laurinaitis, who was in charge of talent relations at the time, comparing how WWE treated its wrestlers to how the major sports leagues treated their athletes. He then demanded business class in his next contract.
“So then when my next contract came, nah man, I need business class because that’s how they did it back then,” he said.
This isn’t the first time Laurinaitis has been at the center of one of MVP’s travel stories on Marking Out. In August, MVP revealed that a few months before he asked for his WWE release in 2010, he missed a flight to a show in Denver. Laurinaitis then told him he should have hired a private jet.
According to MVP, the jet from Houston to Denver would have cost between $20,000 and $30,000, and Vince McMahon would never have covered it. He might have made $2,000 or $3,000 for the show.
Damian Priest also addressed the issue in his WWE contract. Speaking with Cody Rhodes on What Do You Wanna Talk About? in 2025, Priest revealed that he asked to be booked in first class as part of the deal he signed in 2024. He was tired of flying in tight seats while in pain after matches, and WWE agreed right away.