Originally Posted by
notquiteaff
The current process as I understand it:
- Elite members don't have to buy it, they get it for free from the time of booking
- non-elite members can buy it from the time of check-in
So elites in the past and under the new system don't have to buy it, they still get it for free. But in the past, it was more likely that there were still desirable seats available because non-elites couldn't pick them until check-in time.
Which means that more and more elites will BUY the previously free ELR seats because they KNOW they are unlikely to get an EUA and thus likely to sit in the most uncomfortable Y class of all US legacies. And to make it bearable, they'll begrudgingly pay for ELR at time of booking.
A brilliant chess move by Smisek and his team. Just like with the upgrades (via buy-ups), they are using kettle to get the Elites to pay for what used to be free in the past.
Another item they could monetize like this is the boarding order. If CO heavily marketed an option to board anyone with F and ahead of elites provided they pay for it, it would reduce available overhead space and force some elites to consider paying for early boarding as well.
If I put on my weasely Smisek hat, I can probably come up with a few more outrageous ways to play kettle against elites to mile the latter group, or to pit different elite groups against each other to the same end.