Pucci, I'm sorry if my fact-checking for that little rant was inadequate; I tend to associate the saturday night stay rule with American Airlines, who, quite undisputedly, invented modern yield management with highly restricted fares, frequent flier programs and advanced distribution systems. This started in 1976 when fares were first deregulated in the U.S.

I frankly have no idea if European carriers used this particular restriction earlier than the americans. Regardless, the fare structures and yield management methods airlines employ today can accurately be said to be the legacy of Bob Crandall, then-CEO of AA. And that's the picture I tried to paint.

Of course, I have a great excuse for not remembering all the details as well as you seem to -- I wasn't even born at the time...