Originally Posted by
crflyer
I’d say a reason is most people don’t care enough to want to pay for domestic first class when economy is free.
Commuting home one time, last flight of the night, so if I don’t make it home I spend the night and the gate agent said I was #2 (of many) and not going to get on (there was a senior pilot already in the cockpit jumpseat). All of a sudden I hear her say to her colleague, “We have one seat left. Lets call the standby and close the door.”
She called my name (I was #2 on the list).
I asked why me because I was #2. She said that the #1 person was listed for coach and I was listed for 1st and she has to follow that. The open seat was a 1st class seat. So they put me in it and closed the door.
So from then on I always list for 1st. You can always tell them you want coach and they will move you there if you want to save the $. But I have 25+ years so its free for me anyway.