Originally Posted by
ezefllying
My theory for the sell-out of F is two-fold:
- The carriers are selling first-class fares for less, given the lack of business travel, so affluent leisure travelers are finding the prices tolerable, and
- More significantly, a lot of well-off travelers have decided they're willing to fly, albeit reluctantly, but only with personal space. Even if people aren't that concerned/scared of covid-19, I think the past year has instilled in people a stronger aversion than ever to being in physical contact with strangers. And, since flying coach often means literally touching shoulders with one or two seatmates, I imagine a lot of affluent-but-not-rich flyers -- especially those who are older -- have decided, "To hell with it; I'm not doing that," and paying the $100-300 more each way for First. I know my own parents would do so. So F sells out while Y is two-thirds empty.
I think #2 is on the money. I have been flying on some domestic 764 routes in the last month, and the large FC cabin is more than 3/4 full before the upgrade windows open.
That's a lot of FC seats being sold!
David