I miss the days when that premium cabin curtain was impenetrable like the "Iron Curtain." Try to cross it and the FA would bark at you to go back to your cabin even pointing their finger in the direction of coach. This was the case when I was a kid flying with my parents. Behind the curtain was the "promised land" which my mom pointed out I could fly sitting upfront and behind the curtain when I grew up if I studied and worked hard. I had a glimpse of the good life upfront when Delta screwed up our coach reservation and gave the four of us the last 4 first class seats up front on their L1011. This was from LAX-HNL. Pre departure drinks were in glassware and my brother and I must have drank every can of Pawberry Punch in first class that day.

Back then, no one from coach dared to come through the curtains to use the bathrooms upfront either. I was in 5th grade then and I still remember being offered lobster, steak, pork chops and a long list of other dishes which I can't remember by the flight attendant when she came over to me and my brother to take our meal order before pushback from the gate.