After several hours of delay at IAD, finally departed for DTW in the middle of the night (my home). Beat into stiff headwinds with IMC at DTW. I was in the cockpit jumpseat as it was a full flight. Watched a fairly inexperienced crew get all balled up in decision making, hold over Lake Erie, run into a questionable fuel state, and turn tails all the way back to Dulles with Cleveland as a suitable MVFR alternate.

Sweated bullets all the way back over the Blue Ridge (hint) and we landed at 4am on fumes.. I never even offered "Heys guys, what about Cleveland..." And it never came up. Never again. I would never question a crew about an abort but I now will offer (inquiry, advocacy, assertion) if the safety of the flight is in question. Too many near misses out there that have avoided accidents because somebody said something.