Originally Posted by DJ_Iceman
My guess, based on nothing more than a hunch, is that most people on a plane aren't even earning miles at all, very few folks pay the high fares, and most people choose based on price and/or convenience (nearby airport, flight times, # of connections, etc.)
This may be true for many airlines, particularly LLCs, but I would say that CO likely has a high percentage of FF that are earning miles. When the boarding gate announces Elite Access and half the folks at the gate board or when the gate agent announces that since 90% of the flight is Elite Access they will only board by row - then CO has a high number of FF.
I would say that CO has a small base of travelers who travel frequently, versus NW, for example, with a large base of travelers who travel infrequently. CO likely developed a loyal following after bankruptcy due to the superior FF program at that time. If One Pass becomes non-competitive with the other majors, then what will happen to loyal followers.