Originally Posted by
sbagdon
In a way, we're already there. I've flown SRs where the change-fee was more then the fare. Once sat next to someone who said they bought 5 tix at that fare, expected to loose 1, could loose 2, and would still come out ahead on that route.
The difference was that you paid a pittance compared to the other fares available on that route. When you buy a $100 ticket and the change fee is $150, you know you are essentially locked in or you throw away the ticket. This really only applies to the cheapest domestic fares. However, the changes to award tickets include even the most expensive award fares available. TATL/TPAC BE in Medium or High is hundreds of thousands of miles at a go.