Thanks for your input...
I said "some impartial way", like order of check in... Admittedly, that may not be the most fair...perhaps a RANDOM drawing to determine who gets to snap up those ten seats would be more fair. Or what about an AUCTION, right there at the gate... Airlines do this all the time to get volunteers to give up their seats... why not simply have an aution at the gate... those who bid the most, get to take the first available flight...all the money goes right to the airline. May not be perfect, but at least it's fair...
And YES, many frequent flyers know the pecking order, but it's NEVER been disclosed on any ticket, or anywhere else. Therefore the airlines have a REAL obligation to DISCLOSE to people exactly what they are buying... if you are buying a ticket with MORE rights, you may want to have that chance... at LEAST, inform the ticket buyer exactly what rights they get or don't get on a particular ticket, and let the consumer decide if they want to buy the ticket or not.
Remember, FIRST CLASS passengers are paying for more ROOM, and better FOOD ONLY... they are NOT paying for the right to bump other passengers...especially when the airlines don't disclose openly that one ticket has a better chance of getting "accomodated" in unusual airport situations.
And yes, everyone had a RIGHT to pay 10 or 20 times and BUY a first class ticket, I agree with that... but it STILL doesn't mean you have bought the right to have priority in unusual situations... Just because someone bought a discounted ticket, even a consolidator ticket, DOES NOT MEAN they have FEWER RIGHTS, becuase THE AIRLINE NEVER DISCLOSED THAT. If airlines DID disclose that, and informed passengers at the time of ticket purchase something like "just so you know, your $200 ticket will give you LOWEST priority in denied boarding situations... if you really have to get there, we highly recommend buying our $3,000 First Class ticket...the choice is yours". If the airlines did that, AT LEAST THEY WOULD BE GIVING FULL AND REASONABLE DISCLOSURE. Right now, it's all a big secret, and it's NOTHING SHORT OF FRAUD not to inform people exactly what they are buying.
And if someone is a LOUNGE CLUB member, and has the right to get to a ticket agent with no line, perhaps that is their right. BUt quite frankly, to be fair and equitable, in unusual situations, LOUNGE members should have to get in the same line as everyone else.
Yes, I've been on this board since 1999, and I am a frequent flyer... about half the time I fly First class, and the other half I don't...
I can tell you that the only time I feel TRULY FAIRLY TREATED, is when I travel on Southwest, which is ONE CLASS... I may not get as wide a seat as on other airlines, or as good a meal, but I DON'T feel discriminated on Southwest. I don't feel like someone has a right to cut in front of mine, which is wrong.
Thanks for your input.
Jim