Sorry, but you don’t understand business or marketing or sales basics. Business transactions aren’t just about convincing the “purchaser” or the one with the checkbook. Yes it’s a factor but it’s also about convincing the decision maker, who is often NOT the purchaser. As for DL, they aren’t stupid. They know changing to awarding MQDs and RDMs to the purchaser of airline tickets would be a terrible decision as business travelers who travel on corporate accounts would be far less incentivized to choose DL (assuming they have options) since the traveler would have no benefit.

It’s not gouging. Time is money, as is employee satisfaction and travel rewards are one way of keeping employees who do travel more satisfied. We see it as our perk/reward/tradeoff for having to spend time away on the road. Take away that benefit and you may find such employees are less willing to travel or you’ll have to offer other forms of compensation such as a higher paycheck. Based on your attitude too it’s obvious you don’t travel for work. Maybe if you did your tune would change.