'I’m not going to miss my opportunity to sit in business class.'
let him have it with their absolutely correct perspectives on why he was an asshole and how a healthy marriage would have looked in this situation. Let's break it down...First of all, not only did the OP abandon his wife in economy seating, but he also made fun of her feelings about the situation.
"'Just' a 12-hour flight isn't a sentence I hear that often. I've done 12-hour flights several times and they suck even when you have company you love. That flight is going to be even more awful for your wife if she's stuck next to a stranger. Whether you understand why or not your wife has made it clear how she feels and you're the asshole if you ignore that.
"Why wouldn't you want to cuddle, talk, and be with your wife too? Aren't one of the perks of marriage never having to be alone on a plane again?""You're the asshole. Business class comes with more space, better service, and a quieter atmosphere. You're sending a message to your wife that you deserve all that but she doesn't.