Originally Posted by
Steve M
Actually, it is an apples-to-apples comparison. CO sells BusinessFirst as an enhanced Business Class product. The name is meant to conjure up "First Class at a Business Class price." It's priced similar to, if not identical to, AA's business class product. The vast majority of purchased tickets (that is, purchased in the fare flown, not upgraded) in Business on any US-based carrier for overseas travel is going to be for business travel, and most travel departments these days won't pay for first class tickets, perhaps except for top executives. The fact that AA has a higher class of service and CO doesn't is largely irrelevant to a corporate travel department that will purchase only business class fares and has to decide which airlines' product best suits the needs of its travelers.
I think it matters a lot more than you admit; AA has 47 777s outfitted with industry-leading flat suites in F, flying to key business-intensive markets (as well as the longest-hauls). Not every full-J fare buyer is held hostage to a non-flying travel department drone. Some of them get to pick their airline, so on their flight to PVG, they might choose UA or AA or CO or DL(NW). Which one of those airlines often allows upgrades from full-J to flat-bed F and gives their top-tiers eight one-way upgrade certs with which to do so?
To be certain, AA screwed up by adopting the wedgie seats. But for high-fare payers whose flights are operated with 777s, salvation is possible.