Originally Posted by
fakecd
as someone said earlier if bidding was needed, cx is mispricing its product in first place.
No, not at all. It's called multiple pricing. You have lower fares with more restrictions and higher fares with few restrictions, and in the same way the proposed (even-lower-cost) bidding option involves booking a lower class and then taking a chance, i.e. jumping through hoops. All these pricing plans may be needed to fill seats in such a way as to make money. Lowering the list price for all may be the best way to fill seats, but it's not the best way to maximize revenue.
Also since the bidding option will only be available at the last minute, it lets the airline fill unsold seats if any---by then it is too late to change the published price. The pricing models are never perfect.
Of course, if the goal is maximizing revenue, why ask on FT what we think? It's irrelevant. In the US 99.99% of people would say they hate checked bag fees, but these fees are making the airlines a lot of money.