Originally Posted by
climmy
I feel your pain. I think the OP is simply looking at the opposite side of the same coin. After being crammed into full planes forever, it's just a bit of relief to get a bit of extra room and perhaps an upgrade.
That said, it's horrible for the airlines. I've been watching a few flights' status over the past few days. Routes that are normally impossible for upgrades are going out with so many open seats.
SFO-FRA for example, yesterday, normally one of the hardest upgrades in the entire system, half full in the front. Even less full in the back. SFO-IAD and VV yesterday HAD OPEN SEATS IN THE FRONT. That upgrade list can easily reach 50/60/70 or more.
Let's hope this all ends soon.
Agreed, but it will get a lot worse first. The last two weeks have been the window of opportunity to travel and conclude business. The risk of going on a trip now is that, when you want to return in a week's time, it may not be possible - either the USA or Germany might be in lockdown, you might be required to self-isolate or there might be no flights. Few people will want to take the risk of starting a large business trip at this stage - even if their company is willing for them to run that risk.