Originally Posted by
turkeyRIOO
There is a slippery slope here. If DL 360's are currently the highest revenue customers, $7.5 K J international and $2k+ transcons, and they are now guaranteed upgrades, they may switch to the $1.5K Y fares international and $500 transcons. If this happens, DL loses massive marginal revenue. This is one of the main factors that kept SWUs YBM. You need to keep the high revenue from the HVCs.
turkeyRIOO, you are thinking too much here.
The "vast majority" of these folks are
(a) OPMs, who have their assistant book travel based on policy. The assistant is allowed to book J/F, the assistant books J/F. This flight becomes part of the overall travel scheme. The person flying (HVC) has no idea of the fare or fare code or anything else. They are too busy, to worry about such trivial things
or (b) typical high earners, this is of minimal worry. When you earn in excess of €1million/year+++ (most) people don't sit around analyzing such things, unless, it's a personal interest and hobby (of which, it is NOT for the vast majority of people who fly).