Why would you feel the least bit guilty? You made the system created by the airlines out of greed work for you! Trust me this Friday when I fly from PHL to GRR and the fist leg to PIT is in 2C I feel no guilt whatsoever that I paid $177.50 RT. Profit is not a PineyBob problem! No one held a gun to B Ben Baldanza's head and forced him to charge me that price. If he's dumb enuff to sell a ticket for that, then I'm smart enough to buy it, and leverage my status as Cockroach Preferred to get into first. Did I write the fare rules? NO!!! Did I write the FF Program Rules??? NO!!! DO I decide the price of the ticket? NO!!! All of these issues are not my problem. Is it my problem that for years they have spent billions to lobby Congress to gain various things and now when the market changes all their efforts blow up in there faces? NO!!! If the so called majors want to look at why they are where they are I would suggest they stand in front of a collective mirror.

My job as a PAX is to leverage the system to my advantage in terms of what my goals and objectives are. If it's just cheap travel for liesure or business then I buy the cheapest fare from whomever goes where I want to go. If Their are other circumstances that are unique to mt particular situation then I chose what works for ME. I mean I Am not supposed to leverage the contract to my advantage? Fairness and airline profit NEVER enter into my equation ever!

In my profession of Sales Training we have and expression "What's In It For ME"! or WIIFM for short. Every personal or business decision we make passes the WIIFM test! From the basics of brushing your teeth (THe WIIFM is fresh breath). Remember the airlines defined the rules of battle now that the battlefield has changed they want the customers to pay for their folly and my answer is a flat NO!!!! NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT! It's MY MONEY, NOT THEIRS. and if they aren't around in a year, Tough, you reap what you sow!


[This message has been edited by PineyBob (edited 03-08-2003).]