I spend more time in December in airports than any other months because Lynnette and I travel to Fort Worth to be with her family and we usually go on our anniversary vacation at the end of the month. I don't mind this since air travel fascinates me. I enjoy walking the concourses to find discarded magazines, see where different planes are headed, and watch fellow travelers as they're trying to get somewhere other than where they are.
When Lynnette and I checked in for our American Airlines flight to DFW before Christmas, we were given the chance to upgrade to first class on our flight to Texas last Friday. It was an extra $90 a person, and totally not worth it since the flight is only about an hour and a half. (On the way back from our honeymoon, however, we were somehow bumped to business class on our flight from Madrid to Chicago, which was completely worth it as we enjoyed the fully reclining seats and free drinks on this ten-hour flight).
Anyway, I was impressed to see American offering their empty first class seats to military personnel trying to get home for the holidays. This was truly a class act on behalf of the airline to extend some comfort (even for a short flight) to these great people serving around the world. They also offer free access to their lounges in airports when these soldiers have layovers.