The US used to see itself as a middle-class country, united by common aspirations, shared pastimes and mass-market brands. Now companies are working overtime to stratify consumers, separating the haves from both the have nots and the have yachts, as they seek to extract as much money as possible.

You can see it at Disney World, which once used phrases like “everyone is a VIP” and eschewed line-skipping services. It now offers VIP tours priced at up to $900 an hour, admission tickets not included. Warehouse club Costco not only charges people to shop at its stores but also offers special reserved hours for those willing to pay for a higher priced “executive” membership.

Delta Air Lines has turned differentiation into an art form with deluxe “Delta One” lounges on top of its ordinary airport clubs. It told investors last month that it will soon start making more revenue from premium tickets than all of its main cabin customers combined.