♪ can we pretend this is "nightline." tonight, in the age of air raids, airlines now think they have the antidote. >> my name is jessica. >> but it will cost you thousands and thousands of dollars. first class now featuring strats feoffic luxury. endless champagne, gourmet meals, nice big beds. even somebody to tuck you in. >> good night. >> and "nightline" has a ticket. plus, rock star. the climber on a dangerous mission to conquer one of the hardest assents in the world. this hasn't been done in more than a decade, and never by a woman. will she be the first? >> i heart is in my throat. it's too dangerous to fall. you can't fall. and, 25 years of crotch shots, falls and weird animal behavior, how has "america's funniest home videos" continued

to thrive even in the age of youtube. tonight, what they're doing next. >> pushing a rock, pushing a rock, pushing a rock. >> you b >> but first, the "nightline" five. >> automotive innovation starts right here. with a control panel that can read your handwriting. a wide screen multimedia center. and a head up display for advanced driver focus. all inside a newly redesigned cadillac of unrivaled style and comfort. the all-new c-class. at the very touch point of performance and innovation. >> number one in just 60 seconds.

ed a good evening. we all know the indignities of air travel. no leg room, no space for your

luggage. and then the delays, the crying babies and the rude passengers. well, the airlines seem determined to make flying as uncomfortable as possible for us mortals. they are now falling all over themselves to make first class even more luxurious. we're talking massages, butlers, even private sleep with showers. and abc's alex marquardt scored a ticket. >> reporter: it's the vip flying experience. that private domain of the rich and famous that most of us can only dream of. >> glass of champagne? >> reporter: i'd love one. welcome to one of the most expensive and luxurious flights in the world. for $15,000, you get five-star dining, a real bed -- by far the most comfortable thing i've seen. and endless champagne. tonight, we're getting on board. can i have the caviar? >> absolutely. >> reporter: while most of us are cramped and cranky in coach,

this is how the other half lives. airlines are now forcing more passengers into the ever smaller sardine can known as economy, charging extra for bags, food and even leg room, which has provoked a growing number of incidents of air rage. >> hey, hey! >> reporter: this, as they're pimping out the front of the plane, making more room for the rich, who shell out thousands for a serious upgrade. why are these first class cabins getting more elaborate as more and more people are being cramped into economy class? >> well, it's down to money. these first class cabins are 20%, 30% of the airplane, but they drive as much as 50%, 70% of the revenue. >> reporter: which is why regular first class just won't cut it anymore. now airlines are offering unprecedented extravagance. >> i think in general, the luxury landscape has grown as more people are flying, more people are flying longer distances, more people are willing to pay that price for

that extra luxury. >> reporter: extra luxury means peoples from the top restaurants around the world. >> we really demand the finest ingredients. that's the first step. >> reporter: full-size beds. even someone to tuck you in. good night. >> good night. >> reporter: the fight for those passengers willing to drop serious cash is cut throat. >> it's becoming increasingly competitive. that are all sort of one-upping the services. it went from the screen to the couches to the big screen tvs to the butlers. >> reporter: on virgin, massages as you cross the atlantic. on emirates, a fully stocked bar at 35,000 feet. on etihad, they're about to debut a three-room apartment called the residence, where a butler attends to your every need. >> the resident is made up of a living room, your private shower, bathroom. then you go into a double bedroom. >> reporter: that round trip

ticket will set you back a wh whopping $42,000. >> and this is something absolutely -- it's never been done before. >> reporter: and here on singapore air lines, private individual suites. so, how competitive is this first class market? >> first class is one of the areas where airlines really have the chance to make their mark. >> reporter: while an economy ticket from new york to europe will cost around $800, a seat up here can run you around $15,000. often more. so, normally if you are getting to the airport like this, you are expecting long lines. but i have a feeling that it's going to be very different on this trip. we wanted to experience the suites for ourselves, so, singapore airlines gave us a ticket to fly from new york's jfk to frankfurt. this is your first sign this isn't going to be a regular flight. it doesn't say economy, doesn't say business, doesn't even say first class. it says suites. and as you can see, there's absolutely no line.

good evening, how are you? >> i'm good, how are you? >> reporter: very well, thanks. flying to frankfurt. after checking in, you are whisked ahead of security and then straight to the lounge for the first of what will be many rounds of drinks on offer. when are we boarding? when it's time to board, no need to figure out where your gate is. another escort appears to lead you to the plane. this is clearly part of the service. i only have to carry my little bag here and this gentleman as our bigger bag. good evening. how are you? >> i'm good. i'm jessica. >> reporter: i'm alex. nice to meet you. hi. good evening. the inaugust rat glass of champagne is no run of the mill bubbly. >> care for the dom -- >> reporter: i'm go for the dom. and then the goodies. who is the typical client who is paying many thousands of dollars for these cabins?

>> you have a mix of executives, ceos, many different celebrities, from television, film, hollywood. >> reporter: once settled in, that's when the fun begins. can i have the caviar? and then the roasted tomato soup. dinner, with course after course after course. their signature steak dish is designed at gotham grill. but at 35,000 feet, it's not quite as juicy as on the ground. and once your stomach is bursting, time to slip into your pjs and that famous bed. one of the services that singapore airlines likes to tout is their tuck-in service. this is something they've been doing for years. hi. >> ready for bed? >> reporter: i'm ready for bed. >> can i tuck you in? >> reporter: you can. how do we do this? >> are you comfortable? >> reporter: very comfortable, yeah.

>> have a good night. >> reporter: thank you so much. >> good night. >> reporter: good night. no sooner did i fall asleep we were already touching down in germany. here we are in germany. a flight unlike any other. a great bed, if i have any complaint it's that the flight wasn't long enough. as soon as you get through all the courses of dinner, and then fall asleep it feels like you are waking back up again. i don't know how i'm going to go back to economy class now. thank you. for "nightline," i'm alex marquardt in frankfurt. coming up here on "nightline," the young climber trying to do what no woman has done before. a climb so dangerous, it's been called the madman's journey. can she make it? and later, how the people behind "america's home videos" are celebrating 25 years of excruciatingly embarrassing behavior and how they've managed to survive when you can now get all this stuff any time on ntidepressant worked hard to help with my depression. but sometimes, i still struggled to get going,

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sutrying to mislead you about the effects of proposition 46. well here's the truth: 46 will save lives. it will save money too. i'm bob pack, and i'm fighting for prop 46 because i lost my two children to preventable medical errors and i don't want anyone else to lose theirs.

the three provisions in 46 will reduce medical errors and protect patients. save money and save lives. yes on 46. we are going to the top of the world tonight, with a rock climbing rock star. she's a 21-year-old ivy leaguer who is now tackling the biggest challenge of her life. a climb so dangerous, it's called the madman's journey. can she make it? tonight, we're right there with her. here's my "nightline" co-anchor juju chang. >> this is by far the hardest route that i've ever attempted. about 1,000 vertical feet. and it's one of the world's hardest multipitch climbs. >> reporter: sasha lives for clichs like this.

so steef, p, so remote. >> it's only been done by two men before and that was over a decade ago. >> reporter: that they can even rattle one of the best climbers in the world. >> my heart is in my throat. it's too dangerous to fall. you can't fall. i'll try to be the first woman to do this climb. >> are you afraid of heights? >> no, i'm not. i think it would be really hard to be doing this if i was afraid of heights. >> reporter: at just 21, this world champion rock climber and ivy league junior isn't satisfied unless shell's on top. >> what are you afraid of? >> i'm afraid of sharks. i have small fears, but i don't like feeling not in control. when you're on that edge, you're in control of your own destiny there. >> reporter: sasha is on a mission to redefine what's possible. >> we're at the wall. it's one of these. >> reporter: a year of planning and training, bringing her and a team of expert climbers to the swiss alps.

>> sasha is the forefront of female rock climbers. she's certainly one of the best in the world. >> reporter: one of her sponsors, red bull, hopes to film her attempt to climb a jacked route only a brave few have ever completed. >> this should be the wall with those clouds. the weather couldn't be worse. wednesday, it rained. thursday it rained. this is our fourth day in a row of rain. friday, rain, friday, rain. the weather here sucks. it was so frustrating, feeling like the epitome of cabin fever. we must get out of the house! i wasn't really sure what to do. we're looking for drier conditions. we need to move locations and chase the good weather. so, we're relocating. >> reporter: so, the team takes a huge risk, setting out for an italian island known for its rugged coast and brutal climate. >> i have friends who are climbers, they say, you are crazy to go there.

it's going to be crazy hot. we are finally in sardinia. almost. the route is really intimidating. so, it goes up and to the left. >> it's dangerous. >> reporter: the new climb is perfectly named. a madman's journey. it's 1 tho,000 feet of climb in. it's near impossible. >> it's actually happening, man. i get to the wall, it actually kind of all of a sudden hit me, like, what are we getting into? >> reporter: so few people attempt this climb. sasha and her partner spent days just exploring a wall reclaimed by nature. >> you are essential trusting your life to this person's hands. and when you think about it, it's pretty hefty stuff.

climbing is full of failure. each success comes in really small doses. i don't want to do this. i just can't. >> reporter: every moment of desperation captured on film. >> you are having to really contort yourself in order to stay still and to get these shots in a certain way. >> and that's tough when you're up there, so, you know, these harnesses start to wear on you after awhile and you're squirming around a lot. you are -- all the blood seems to be running from your legs and things are getting numb. a lot of it happens really quickly. somebody could fall at any moment. a piece of rock could break. >> reporter: sasha says the risks she takes on these risks r-kal cue lated and she never climbs without safety ropes, known in the climbing world as a free solo. >> i know how much of an impact that would be on my loved ones if i were to pass. i lost my dad exactly two months ago. it really makes you feel like

life is really sacred. what's special about being here is that he's italian. i know that he would, if he was around, pull out the map and be like, this is where the family's from, and it's nice to think that they're smiling from somewhere and happy. >> reporter: after nine days of preparation -- >> it's coming together. slowly but surely. >> reporter: the team is almost ready. >> once i try the route. >> reporter: they go over the plan and sasha's biggest fear. >> the fifth pitch is really mentally exhausting. >> reporter: the easiest part of if climb is actually the most dangerous. instead of falling into air -- >> you are bay suckly facing, like, scraping down the rock. cheese grate down the painful surface of the wall. >> reporter: one missed toe hold and she could slip 60 feet. it could mean failure or worse. >> my heart is in my throat and it's like -- i can't move,

because i'm thinking, like, if this breaks, then i'm doomed. like, it's too dangerous to fall. you can't fall. >> reporter: fear and uncertainty, even a dip in the mediterranean can't wash it away. >> it just feels so possible. but i also know that it's not certain at all. at all. so, it's been about 12 years since this route has seen another assent. and that's what we're going to try to do today. i'll try and be the first woman to do this climb. >> reporter: with the camera crew in position , they begin. edu leading on the first section. >> it's a really incredible feeling, when you feel like you're in the flow. there's good air. it's windy, not too windy. perfect blue skies. it's like this moment of feeling really limitless.

so far, two down, five to go. >> reporter: more than four hours into the climb, sasha decides to lead the way on the dangerous fifth pitch. >> it feels like free sol lowing. your last drive, like, so many meters away. >> reporter: the doubts that plague her seem to melt away. >> 30 meters away. oh, yeah. >> woo! >> i'm almost like invincible today. >> one more. >> and if i fall, i'll be falling fearlessly. here we are, after six pitches. about to go to the last pitch. and i came over the ledge with my left hand -- we made it!

>> yeah! >> reporte . >> there's edu's face. all we could articulate is "woo!" are you at the top of your world. we did it. it's like -- it was magical. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm juju chang. up next here on "nightline," before youtube served up our daily dose of absurdity, it was "america's fun nest home videos." how is that show still thriving in the era of the viral video? and the new chapter they're not hoping to write. tigers, both of you. tigers? don't be modest. i see how you've been investing. setting long term goals. diversifying. dip! you got our attention. we did? of course. you're type e* well, i have been researching retirement strategies. well that's what type e*s do.

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in the age of youtube, where we can see any ridiculous video we want to see at any time, you'd think the first casualty would be the show "america's funniest home videos. >>" tu turns out, it's thriving celebrating its 25th anniversary, while plotting its next move. here's chris connelly. >> reporter: it was selected the best clip on the first ever episode of "america's funniest home videos." from 1989 until now, its viewer sub milted footage. >> slapstick from your neighbors. >> reporter: chronicling modern life exstayty anding a any. how many crotch hits have you put on television? >> more than i care to remember. >> reporter: now the show is celebrating its 25th anniversary. still making families laugh, even in the age of the viral video and youtube. >> you get funny, funny, funny in an hour, where as you go to youtube and you try to find an

hour's worth of material, good luck. >> ah! >> reporter: after 122 videos are selected, the show gets shot inside this california sound stage, kept at a berg ron friendly 57 degrees. >> the audience is on camera the whole time. it keeps them alert. and it keeps me alert. >> reporter: it was bergeron who stepped into the shoes of the original host who kept the laughs coming for a decade. how did you see the part as host different than what bob did? >> bob would admit this to you, i think. he would try to one-up the videos or almost compete with them. my feeling is, i'm the straight man and the videos are the wacky guy. >> reporter: bergeron says he'll be moving along after this season. a successor has yet to be named. >> it just felt like the right time to pass the pinata stick to

somebody else. >> reporter: eager to remain relevant, the show is joining forces with shea carl. >> you are going to set the pace. >> okay, dad. >> we're a team! >> reporter: for a web series under the at afv" tent. >> i'm going to be creating scripts and bring people to this fun. >> reporter: and like they say, rinse, repeat. >> get off of me! >> reporter: i'm chris connelly for "nightline" in los angeles. >> that is why i never do the dishes. thank you for watching abc news tonight. tune into "gma" first thing in the morning, and, as always, we're

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