Thanksgiving 2016 air travel - lots of college students in first class
 

I always notice F cabins look different around Thanksgiving--no more dress shirts, mostly--but this year in particular, I noticed a high number of college students who actually paid for domestic first class (I'm guessing, since their seat numbers weren't on the upgrade lists).

Is my observation representative? Or did I just happen to choose flights with disproportionately many F-paying college students?

I realize airlines have been discounting F and promoting buy-ups to F, but if you were to ask me who takes the bait, college students would be my last guess. The price points at which FlyerTalkers would consider a steal--e.g., $99 to buy up on IAD-LAX--are still expensive to most undergrads.

I mean - how many flights were you on 3? 4? Statistically that doesn't even move the needle to be conclusive. Perhaps you were just on a route that has a high amount of wealth on either end (IAD, DCA, SFO, LAX, all NYC airports).

FWIW, when I was a college student I took the bait a couple times when factoring in the cost of my checked bag it was basically a wash.

When college student books the flight too late and only FC is available, student tells mom s/he can't come home for thanksgiving. Mom tells them 'Go on and book fc and let me deal with your father, just use my credit card.'

As a UA Silver in undergrad, I had a surprising number of upgrades, most pretty short but some of them actually pretty decent like SFO-PIT and YUL-YVR (irrops).

I also splurged for a $295 buy-up EWR-HNL after I graduated.

I also knew people who had their parents buy F with miles, and I imagine some of the users here use some of their upgrade certificates on their kids. Aside from some of the loaded international students, I really don't think college students are forking out their own $ for F.

When I was in college my father would occasionally upgrade my holiday trips home with expiring upgrade certs.

I can't imagine he was alone.

how about wealthy exchange students flying home?

or young looking working professionals? im 10 years deep in my career and still get carded when im in america...

How about kids of parents who travel a lot and book with points?

LOL LOL This....a lot...... Hell I used to do that when I was in college and that was 30 years ago..... LOL

At first I thought this was an odd post but then it immediately kicked in the OP is spot on. I flew to DTW and back over the long weekend. Half of the F cabin in the 'bus was college kids both ways. They were excited about it and were calling their buds to exclaim. They weren't disrupting during the flight at all and were polite. I just found it odd that it was so obvious.

Why I asked myself? Simple. FCM at work.

Who gets excited about flying to DTW

I used to do the same. If I had a second checked bag, the $50 same-day buy up was worth it.

When I was a student I went home for the holidays via the Long Island Railroad, which as some of you probably know is always a first-class experience! ;)

Peak leisure-travel periods/routes often leave FC as the best value on the plane. The Y fares are high, but sometimes there's some kind of discounted-F fare ("QUP" or whatever) for just a small premium above that.

The regular business travelers aren't there to buy them, so why not the college kids heading home for the holidays? If you don't have elite status and are hauling home 100 pounds of laundry... ;) :p

I rode a Trailways bus one Thanksgiving during college. Doesn't get any classier than that... :D My only real memory of it was lots of Amish. I thought it was strange but later learned that while they don't own cars, they do use various forms of mass transit when necessary for intercity travel.

Maybe those college students found good prices on F tickets. When my partner and I booked travel a few months ago for Thanksgiving weekend, we found one business saver ticket and no economy saver tickets. Thus we purchased one F seat on points and one Y seat for cash. Several other times I've seen the cash price for F be less than a 50% premium over Y cash. Factor in the ancillary fees airlines hit you with nowadays in Y if you're not an elite (checked bags, preferred seats) and F for 50% more can really be worth it.