I think so.

At the end of the day, some given PAX is out, at worst, a few thousand dollars. AC might be out millions.

Without irony or prejudice anyone who might claim personal hardship to miss some close family event across the Pacific should consult with those intimate connections not even a generation older then them.

Measured on any personal, or global community scale these are exceptional times. ACs motivation might well be preserving there ability to fly USB cables East, but if that is your world view then you should be even more grateful they have any kinds of seats at all.