ATOBTTR

It amazes me how a forum filled with so many people who supposedly travel frequently for business don't seem to understand business, the laws of supply & demand, or understand that the goal of a business is to maximize revenue and achieve profits. Instead they think airlines should return to the business models the airlines were employing when they were losing billions of dollars and when operational reliability was often far worse. These people also only complain about things that were "better" back then but have gone away but think the things that have improved about airline travel should still be given away for free to "loyal" customers. Take for example business class products today. Maybe international business class upgrades were a little more common 20 years ago as a courtesy, even if still unofficially, but business class hard products also sucked 20 years ago compared to what they are today so it's no wonder the airlines are less hesitant to give away the product to customers who aren't willing to pay.

This doesn't mean one has to like the changes or can't be upset at them, but they at least need to come to grasp with terms that airlines are a business and not a charity and that an airline is only going to extend perks to people if it thinks it will achieve more revenue and profits by offering those perks than save by not offering those perks and obtain revenue through other channels.