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Then she has a legitimate complaint.

Some of this is caused by the frequent flyer clubs.

The price of a first class seat is worth what, $80?

But the airlines charge hundreds and thousands more.

Very few people would pay that much more for a short flight.

But those first class seats are filled. They are filled by frequent flyers.

I certainly understand the airlines rewarding frequent fliers, but the fact is, for that particular flight, they paid coach fare for a first class seat.

That keeps the price of first class seats exorbitantly high.

Maybe those smart airline CEOs can figure this out.

this whole thing is blown way out of portion. I seriously doubt if the gate agent "snatched" the boarding pass from her hand. And having watched her on TV, she likely reacted in a very unprofessional way to any sort of direction giving her by the flight attendant.

I fly Delta routinely, they are my carrier of choice. The only time I have seen any issues with flight attendants is when the passenger was being a uncourteous, entitled jerk.

Finally, regarding the cost of first class seats, you know not of what you speak. I'm alone in my heart, and fly almost every week. I typically pay my own upgrade from coach to first, so I don't have to sit in coach. For domestic, It has never been more than $250, and is often less than $100. Overseas flights, onthe other hand, are often quadruple the coach price. Upgrades are only given if the first class fares were not booked.

BTW, I like Ann C for the most part, and agree with much of her analysis and punditry. But I don't know her, and I do know Delta. And Delta has been very very good to me. But not baseball.

If you read Flyertalk or the other websites where frequent travelers hang out they would very much disagree with you about the frequency of upgrades to first class.

Airlines are working with a different business model now. Upgrades used to be very easy to snag - maybe 90% of the time by choosing the right flights. Now you have to be Diamond, Executive Platinum or Concierge Key to *maybe* get upgraded. The airlines are targeting coach passengers via email or at check-in time, offering them first class for $100 or so. Frequently, it’s an employee or some flight attendant’s parents up there in first class, not frequent flyers. It’s not like the old days.