Originally Posted by
unavaca
3-4 years ago, tcons were sold at firesale for $250, economy was in the toilet, and there was rampant overcapacity. Economy's a lot better now, tcons are now more like $350, and capacity is much more disciplined.
It's a whole new ballgame; trying to compare this year to 2009 upgrade rates is silly.
^ Many flyers would prefer airlines to return to their unprofitable ways, with a lot of overcapacity resulting in more free upgrades and money-losing fares. Now that capacity is being ratcheted back responsibly, plus a better ecomony, there will be fewer upgrades. Airlines are a business and are supposed to make money. Using experiences from a few years ago will result in unrealistic expectations.