Originally Posted by
IAN-UK
Could have, might have, should have .... who knows?
Airlines probably/hopefully have an inkling. And many have decided that within their alliances they value their most frequent flyers over one-off travellers in premium cabins. At their hubs some carriers break this mould by providing exclusive facilities outside the general Alliance rules.
From a financial standpoint, one long haul first class ticket can cost much more than 50,000 miles of economy flights which are needed for OWS status. If an airline cares about profit, they should give the best treatment to whoever pays them the most.