Originally Posted by
Often1
All they are doing is booking an extra seat in the PNR. Anybody could do it. The $1,500 makes this worth the lack of pitch, the lousier meal and the lack of arrivals suite and the like. To the person suggesting 150% of fare for 2 seats, why would carrier do that unless it has empty seats to fill? Not many want middle seats, but if it's all there is, they sell just fine.
To add to that: the airlines are doing a pretty good job right now as a group of keeping supply tight and loads high. It's a bit different from previous expansionary periods where they all added planes and chased market share at the expense of yields.
Therefore, they're filling most of those middle seats without too much trouble.
Maybe this kind of product would sell better in a softening economy...but one short of a technical recession where airlines are more likely to ground planes.