Carol,
I totally DISagree with you re the free booze being. You will never convince me to give up a planned trip just because there’s no booze available - free or otherwise, First, Business or Coach.

And beyond that, someone once told me that typically about a quarter to a half of those coveted seats are filled with FFers cashing in some of their accumulated miles. I can’t prove that one way or the other but I do know many here on the forum often do that, myself included. If the free booze was really about selling FC seats, I think they might stop letting you use FF miles for them.