Originally Posted by
YOWgary
In the world of relative ethics, I have no issues about behaving exactly the way the airline does, but it would be a particular drag to end up getting sanctioned by the airline and then having to fight it.
There is zero evidence that sanctioning has ever happened. At least with end customers. With TAs perhaps. But then the TAs are under an agency agreement with the airlines so they are contractually bound to enforce the rules.
Airlines obviously don't want their pricing model to be tested in court since they might well lose. Intimidadation obviously works though.
"Sir, your hamburger is 4$. But it's 6$ if you decide to throw the second half in the garbage."