Originally Posted by
Gig103
To make that argument is to admit that the policy is for employees to be tortured right to the brink of acceptance, instead of saying "The policy is business class so the employees have it better than I did back in the day". I bet J tickets now are cheaper after inflation than they were in the 1980s, even adding in lay flats and direct aisle access. And simultaneously, Y travel has become way more cramped with 10-across 777s and 30" pitch.
In the 1980's, business class was generally C, not J. They were not very expensive, sort of like premium economy is now. Modern day J class is expensive, just like the old F. Many flights no longer have F because they don't want or can sell a even more premium product than J.
I had a company send me to London on J but they wanted work on the arrival day. They could have sent me economy class if it were a daytime flight and it would have been ok with me. Economy to London from the US on a red eye, however, and I would have dozed off during meetings at 4 pm and during a business dinner.