Originally Posted by
Sopwith
There are many modern corporations who don't seem to understand that in cases like this the amount of money on a single transaction is trivial, but the irritation factor is ***really*** high. Yes, if you multiply it by a million times it adds up, but then you have half a million customers irritated at you. It doesn't seem to faze airlines, possibly because having irritated customers doesn't affect business because all the other airlines irritate their customers just as much. Banks are notorious for this attitude. The problem is that we customers keep coming back because the (apparent) price is low.
They look at it as say $20 a seat times that million times is $20,000,000 something which they want, e.g. moolah. How is multiplying by a million = 1/2 a million customers? If you mean 50% won't complain then they make $10 million non complainer dollars and suffer (slightly) and make another $10 Million complainer dollars. Seems logical.
People want the illusion of a $200 seat and the features of a $500 seat. If luggage, seat selection, hot food, better service and all that means something to a passenger, WS offers Flex, Plus, Flex Plus for obtaining them by paying for them.
As a Gold I'd be happy with lounge access and baggage for paid Plus and not metered out lounge passes (for Gold) , and the 3X or 5X $/mile or whatever the formula is and the rest, pay for it with the seat or by transaction.