Lowest form of wit aside, will you not entertain the possibility that BA is either on purpose (i.e. fraud) or inadverdently (i.e. misappropriation of taxes for company benefit, which would need to be repaid) collecting these 'taxes' inappropriately?

It's not that a) there's no precedent in BA behaving in an improper manner in its prior business dealings or b) another airline's FFP (BD) doing something similar.

I'm not saying an investigation of the IRS will end up in BA being shut down. But surely, surely surely, if this is going on, it's better that it doesn't -- for all concerned, including BA??! I've no idea why the almost blind loyalty to BA on these issues?

tb