Originally Posted by
curiousexplorer
True, I wouldn't be too shocked if they increase the XP thresholds for all Elite status levels. It would be more surprising if they simply add benefits without increasing the "cost".
Not saying I'd be surprised, but depends on whether the benefits actually cost them anything. C+ seating for Gold/Silver only costs them if those same Golds and Silvers were paying for the seats before the change. I don't fly nearly as often as many here, but my recent short haul sectors would suggest that they don't - C+ is still available to pay for deep into check-in, but fills up with people who presumably check-in late and have to be seated somewhere. They're not all boarding in Zone 1/2, so aren't late-booking Plats. I suspect the fact that they're introducing this at all points to the seats rarely selling - no idea how different it might be on long haul though. EDIT: which is to say - might as well give them to Golds/Silvers rather than Exporers/Nobodies.
Free stopovers also strikes me as something that probably won't cost them that much, but I'm completely guessing there. Probably most useful for the Leftpondians throwing credit card transferred miles around than it is for actual FB fliers [I'm assuming the nerfing of domestic segments means there aren't many US based FB status members, all told].