My wife and I make okay money in a middle class area, but, due to a combination of good luck, and contrived to circumstances, we recently got to watch a college football game in the stadium’s super executive corporate sponsor level suite. It was awesome. Open bar, amazing catered food, and people networking all around me who are clearly in the c-suite of their respective companies. I had a list of crazy things I was going to say if someone asked me what I did, but it never came up.
Seat upgrades have been an uncharged for as long as I can remember. At least 30 years. I find it hard to believe they ever gave them away for free.
You bought coach, business, or first. Those were your upgrades from coach. There were no “tiers” in coach like coach “plus” or whatever extra legroom or no checked bag coach is called these days.
Seat pitch was the same for everyone.
They would charge more for window or aisle, that’s been a thing for a really long time.
They have always charged more for exit rows is what I’m saying. Premium economy is just a new tier.