Originally Posted by
DreAAmliner
My 10,000ft take is everyone is losing out. With no more 500-mile stickers, Gold/Platinum are likely more incentivized to take a buy-up in an amount that would be more than the cost of what the stickers would have been, so as to not see their names so far down the UG list (thinking of a $250 buy-up, vs what would likely have been a $120 gamble). And, in doing so, they are "taking" CK/EXP/PPRO comp upgrade seats. The house always wins?
yup, I did this for an upcoming flight traveling with a companion. The cost of the upgrade for him ($90) was actually less than it would have been to buy more stickers ($120). Now I also had to pay $90 for myself, so I'm still out $60, but that seemed decent for a guaranteed upgrade for 2 people.