Originally Posted by
elitefreak
My belief is that the concierge exists more for CO's benefit in terms of dealing with overbookings/seat changes/late connecting pax/UG's when coach is overbooked/etc. In today's financial climate, I think CO would have ditched the concierge a long time ago if they didn't see a business value.
Your belief is basically correct.
CO's FlyerTalkers generally have far fewer complaints about major last-minute premium longhaul travel screwups than FTers of other airlines precisely because there is a team of dedidcated staff who do a good job at sorting out various problems before they become a disruption or major hassle.
As someone who has traveled in longhaul J and F on multiple airlines, I've seen firsthand the difference a Concierge (or similar) makes in creating a smooth and pleasant travel experience, especially when less-than-ideal circumstances arise, even when I do not interact with the Concierge directly.