Originally Posted by
Firewind
Just in case anyone still doubts that the airlines are intimately aware of our little secret, or that they are watching closely... And in case anyone still believes that a "FT hotfix" of requiring 90 posts - or even a hundred times that (see number of posts at comment #150 above) - would be an effective way to keep the secret safe...
This continues to be a source of misunderstanding, and loose statements from all sides are to blame, so let us review the landscape again.
It is not a matter of airlines finding out, but too much publicity in general. A very good restaurant I know offers a low price on Tuesdays (their weak sales day) and even lower deal on people's birthdays (goodwill, plus they hope friends and family may join). This will obviously not last if people only wanted to visit on Tuesdays or their birthday.
In the present case, the airlines obviously
knew but were content to let it slide as long as:
(1) It was less expensive to sell a few cheap tickets than to fix the problem, renegotiate agreements, and whatever else may be needed. Publicity will create demand for these cheap tickets, threatening the bread and butter sales.
(2) They were occupied with other pressing problems. Publicity makes
this a pressing problem.
(3) The issue was coasting under radar, causing no embarrassment to people and departments. With publicity, they are embarrassed and have to act.