Do you think ANA will follow suit and abolish upgrade points? Up to a certain point, JAL and ANA have always done the same... Would be a major drawback, though.
Then again, reasons for JL seem to be the lower number of C seats once they get their full flat seats in '13. NH does not have that problem as they are almost done refitting with staggered C.
Any thoughts?
Most of NH's elites are based in Japan, where upgradeable int'l tickets come at a v. high cost...especially if the person is paying out of his/her own pocket.
So if NH abolish upgrade points, I don't think it will affect the majority of their clientele. People may be upset that they can't upgrade on domestic flights, but who knows? They might implement a new system for domestic flights (like JL have done with Class J coupons?)
For those of us who live abroad where Y/E/B/M/U/H tickets are more affordable, it would be unfortunate to see upgrade points go...
Personally I'm prepared for the worst..JL and NH have a "me too" business strategy where they like to copy each other. . . .