Originally Posted by pinniped
Not to stray too far off-topic, but what exactly is the thinking behind giving away free seats? Do they think those free customers are going to love the service so much that they turn into future high-yield customers?
The customers will get used to flying the airline. Then when they are stuck because they need an immediate departure, they will happily cough up hundreds of pounds or euros more to do it. I think the "free" passengers are also a benefit because each "free" ticket actually pays part of the per-plane taxes that are levied. Also, any passengers that don't show up, which is not unlikely given the stringent rules, don't get their money back, so there's more easy revenue.