Originally Posted by
mahasamatman
Sure, and stores should give their products for free to anyone who asks.
This is different.
a) It is spoiled inventory. Once the door closes, the seats are useless. It's not like products at a store. And, at grocery stores, before a product is about to expire, it is regularly offered free or at a significant discount.
b) This isn't just anyone walking in. This is an elite customer who does lots of flying with UA's partner airlines, and it would be decent to do it for free and would incentivize flying UA, but since UA has no competition, they have no motivation to do that.