can anyone argue against the point made that the budget brands in a hotel chain are categorically designed to offer travelers a "budget" price hotel stay? A one-off comparison of a single evening notwithstanding, a night's stay at a Ritz-Carlton will always cost more than a night's stay at that chain's "budget" or "downscale" roof.

More to the point, Ben(s), is that the comments you are hearing is that you've created a budget model for you without the convenient by-product of creating a budget model for PAX. I applaud your attempts to try and bring AC out of the red, but don't try and convince pax that it's a good deal to book ROUGE for the same price as what the former mainline version of that flight once cost.

However, if you were to offer a genuine stand-alone LCC, with it's own booking engine, infrastructure, etc..., then the comparison would be valid. Oh wait, that wouldn't work as it wouldn't pencil... So, we are left with the very unsatisfying hybrid model. And it is very unsatisfying because the move to Rouge has upside on only one side of the equation.

And for the record, I have just booked 2 returns on EVA for March 2015 in J at $5150 vs $7243 for AC. I know about the pros and cons of this decision, but frankly, I'm happier to see EVA get my 10K than AC, and I'll still collect my QM. I don't even pay for my own tickets, but after getting hosed on a flight pass that went ROGUE, it feels good to let my money talk instead of just whining.

However, I do appreciate the BENS standing on the firing line.