Ding ding, we have a winner!. This is exactly what it's meant to do - project an image which, while you consciously know you're not getting the shower, flat bed or JA (sorry) - makes you feel "good" about the airline overall, and even willing to pay more for economy to be "closer" to the glamour product.

There's a name for that in marketing but I'm an engineer and don't remember just now what it is.

The example I read (some years ago) is that someone goes to the store to buy a gas barbecue, expecting to just get a basic one for $200-$300. At the entrance of the BBQ store, there's a deluxe unit priced at $15,000 with rotisserie, built-in fridge, wine cooler, microwave oven, marble countertops, gold-plated blah blah, etc etc. Just inside the store is one that doesn't have quite as many features and is "only" $4000. As you go further into the store, there's the $1000 bbq with marble counters and the rotisserie. The $200-300 ones are at the back, poorly marked and under a layer of dust.

Here's the thing. No one ever buys the $15k BBQ. Ever. It's just there to (re-) set your price expectations and tempt you with the level of luxury available. A number of people will buy the $4000 one because "it's almost as good as the $15000 one and less than a third the price." A lot of people will pay at least $1000, because the feeling of "bling" rubs off from the ultra-deluxe version. (RadioGirl, a cold hard rationalist who just wants to grill some steaks, buys the $200 one. Marketing people don't like her. )

Comparison to airline strategy is left as an exercise to the student.

(I do fly EK (in Y) because the schedule/product suits me and the price suits my employer. The odd op-up to J is very welcome. The JA ad made me laugh but I'm under no illusions about experiencing the showers or suites.)