Originally Posted by
channa
That's a very CO tactic that CO has used for a while.
In routes where there is little direct competition, they like their 3-day mins and really ream you if you don't have it.
This is also one upside or downside (depending on your viewpoint of them) of the B fares. CO's lowest fare is a B fare, so you're getting a free, immediate upgrade if Elite and available. So they're not really monetizing anything their for their F cabin since you're not paying more for it. You're only paying for the B because that's the fare.
Oh, I'd very much love to book that B fare, take the extra 50% eqm and the instant upgrade, but the competitors on the route are asking for less than $400 w/ one stop. I can get a lot past my travel department, but a $1200 difference for a domestic mid-con is just not going to happen.