Originally Posted by
Herb687
It is true and I have proved it. I book DL instead of AA when flying to BOG. Ergo, AA has lost revenue on the route.
I didn't claim that MIA-BOG wasn't a profitable route. I stated that AA's N.Rim SA upgrade policy causes them to lose revenue. And my purchasing behavior proves my statement.
No, it does not prove your statement by pointing to one out of the ordinary situation.
54% of all traffic between the United States and Bogota originates in Miami in the first place, so most people aren't going to use another airline except Avianca and LAN.
If AA offered an "easy upgrade" policy they would lose on a significant amount of paid J seats on the route, becuase AA sees significant paid J on the route. If AA did not see significant paid J demand on northern South American markets, some of which - like Maracaibo - have over 70% local traffic, then AA would go to an easier upgrade policy because it would not adversely effect revenue.