No question about it.

I saw the piece in the Sunday NY Times and I agree with Turnbull. Tickets to the Met are astronomically high. I did get one for $47.50 plus tax, but was in the nose bleed section not far from the standing room row. Good seats run $250-$300
each.

This critic forgets tha origins of opera. It began as a working class form of entertainment, often done outdoors.
Crowds were raucus, and would cheer if they liked something and literally throw rotten fruit if they did not. To some extent some of this (on a lesser level) still goes on in Italy.

At the Met on the other hand, I'd say 35% of the people there are as impressed with themselves for attending the opera as they are interested in the performances.

BTW when I saw Siegfried, it began at 11:00 a.m. and I was by no means dressed to the nines.