pinniped

Indeed....we're flying over the Christmas holiday...whole family in F. Cost was exactly the same as it would have been in Y. It's a cruise destination...the Y award inventory was probably gone 11 months in advance.

DavidDTW

Me, returning home from vacation!

krazykanuck

In college, I'd occasionally fly in F using points because there was no Y availability. Especially if I was going back to/from the homeland (Canada). If it wasn't that, I was usually on Southwest (back before it became the complete cattle car it is now) RIP.

Artpen100

My kids generally don't go F (unless they are traveling with me), but one of mine found an F ticket home for Thanksgiving on VX that was cheaper than the cheapest Y fare, so I told her to take it. My guess was that the revenue management software was taking into account that Y was filling up but F was empty.

Of course, this was the same kid who once got an OP-UP to business on a TATL flight with no status. Never happen to me in a million years.

matrixwalker2012

When my sister flew back and forth from college to home, more often than not, she was in First Class because my dad had a pile of RPUs (right around the merger, there was a year 1K could get 12 RPUs), and also when she moved back home and then to her PhD school, also first class because the fare premium more than covered the fact that she would be carrying two bags that were each overweight.

If First Class fares weren't as insane as they were when I was in college, I probably would've flown F too. I've never understood why airlines would price F so high that no one buys it and then have to give them all away as free upgrades. Of course, back then, in coach, bags were free too.

Even nowadays when I travel for business, I'm probably dressed like a college student. My meetings are always M-F, so I'm always traveling on the weekends and I'm not getting dressed up just to go on a plane. Always t shirt and sweats for me, even in F/J because I want to be comfortable when I fly.

MelP

I bought an F ticket for my annual Christmas trip to Florida last year because it was in my budget and cheaper than Y! So the same thing might have happened on your flights, never know.

rankourabu

Daddy's money/miles/upgrades?

pinniped

It was actually more of a cattle car long ago.

Go to the airport, get a plastic boarding card, stand in a herd with others with the same color card... And stand in that herd for 30-45 minutes prior to boarding if you want to be at the front of your given corral. Mooooooooooo....

Today's system is elegant and efficient compared to that. @:-)

Tchiowa

I almost never see "dress shirts" in First Class. T-shirts, polos, etc.UA was advertising $119 for DIA/SFO upgrades to first at the gate yesterday. Only 1 seat available and someone bought it.

televisor

What makes you think they were college students?

Techies make a lot of money, and don't dress all too differently from college students. Young employees in some other vocations likewise.

Can't say the composition of passengers atypical on my recent flights though.

britz

Scientists aren't too different from techies/college kids - I flew F over thanksgiving in my rundown flannel and jeans. The suits would probably thought I was just another lazy college kid flying on my parents money. I second the young professionals, techies, etc thought

beachmouse

I actually really like DTW- pretty much an entire rebuild for the 21st century, and the McNamara Terminal is lovely, spacious, and airy with much improved food options in recent years. If you're connecting on to Escanaba, Alpena, or another EAS town in the region, DTW probably is the highlight of the travel process.

Yoshi212

Could be a combo of miles bookings, rich family, what is available and needing baggage allowances. I've seen many Domestic F fares that were around the price of a domestic ticket with 2 bags.

SpinOn2

Had to laugh at this post as this past week I flew JFK to BCN in J. Upon entering TSA Pre lane, a Flagship Lounge check-in was just coming out, he was a Concierge Key and had a very nice suit on and looked ultra-professional. Then here is me, a mid 20's looking guy in a hoodie and jogger sweat pants. When the TSA worker looked at my bp and saw Business for an international flight, I could tell he was shocked. I travel a lot for work, and judging by how it picked up lately, next year I'm sure to make Plat and maybe even ProPlat. I'd say with the current state of the tech age and social media and all that, their are going to be more and more people in premium cabins who may not look the normal part.

jrl767

"normal" is one thing, "stereotype" is quite another

I've certainly observed that comfortable attire, which has long permeated the aft cabin, is becoming more of the norm in F/J; formerly prevalent traditional (e.g., business or high style or "look-at-me" ego overflow) looks are fewer and farther between, regardless of the age of the travelers