Originally Posted by chicagorich
Well aside from the ethical arguments for or against ff programs, from a pure economics perspective, they don't make sense.
I see all kinds of posts on here about people looking for cheap trips for their year end "mileage runs"--or MR's to maintain elite status.
Now--in a perfect world-economically speaking anyway, the only time that you would get on an airplane for a trip is to--well--go somewhere you need to be.
With the ff programs, now you are getting on a plane for the sake of getting on the plane. On a MR, you may travel far distances then turnaround and get on the same plane to fly back home. One of the posters even asked what to say to crew members if they asked him if he wasn't just on the flight to that destination as he boarded the flight in the opposite direction 45 minutes later.
So that pax common sense is asking--"does doing this make sense"..? Of course, everybody says--don't worry about it--everybody does it.
Hmmm....
And--if you read the threads, the other common theme is the book the least costly MR trip to maximize miles.
So, the airlines have set up a system where by their customers can pick and choose their lowest priced offerings--probably flights they are losing money flying--and qualify for the extra elite freebies that cost the airline more money the next year...
What's wrong with this picture....?
..
from a layman's standpoint it is totally whacked and makes no sense. From one who does it, it is perfect savvy which is WHY it is so great!
I think it is done out of necessity--like having to get the next microsoft patch to make sure your computer can survive... and yet, 20 years ago, who even did any of that? And if you are on a mac, its not even needed!
Well, all of this Mileage run stuff makes me think of cars with intermittent windsheild wipers, credit cards and college degrees.
20 years ago, the only cars that had these special and very necessary wipers were luxury models. But how many times have you found it to be both safer and easier to drive and focus on the road BECAUSE your car has these wipers? many auto advocates said that all cars need to have this as a standard, and not just expensive luxury models. It is a matter of necessity.
Credit cards: It used to be a luxury for the rich. i remember when my parents got the first Amex green card. they had the sears card which was big in those days, but then they got the green amex. Wow. like the 1970s... Now, you NEED one to do everything and it had BETTER BE platinum super gold deluxe!
College? Dont even try getting a job at the local machine plant without a master's degree. Now you need a PHD to get most high end jobs, right? Well, almost.
the anti is up but some things have become standard. Like everyone being ABLE to get credit cards, or everyone having those wipers on every kind of car today.
In order to fly and just get the treatment most people think you should get anyway, you HAVE To have status! It is true! Sure, I fly econ a lot and am ok with it, but when you get screwed or something goes wrong, you are worse than the level of the coal shovelers on the Titanic! YOu are last to win back any life out of your experience. BUT if you have status with the airline, at least you may have a leg to stand on to save your self and either keep away from these situations. And if something does go wrong, they havent totally wittled away the value of someone with 100,000 miles being used on a RT fllight sitting in first class with elite status...YET.
And that is why the economics of MRs and other savvy tricks works out so well. If anything, the airlines should at least be given some credit for finding a way to FORCE everyone to not just become well vested in all their poromtions to get miles, but by making it only possible to fly with status and hundreds of thousands of miles on the line ready to use, they have made it so only the elite can fly. they figure that while these people may know all the tricks to get free miles, they are also the smart ones, willing to invest time and money into things, and at least on paper, they look like they HAVE the money to spend, which makes their investors be more willing to float these airlines' needs and let them fly to begin with! Now, if we can all become that luxury level, we all win!
then they will up the anti again, right?
right.