As airlines cut first class seat costs, freebies will become harder to come by
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...RG7HB6ERM1.DTL
Delta's new airfare structure, which makes first- and business-class seats more affordable for paying passengers, delivers yet another blow to the value of major airlines' already reeling frequent-flier programs. Is it a knockout punch? Probably not. But if other lines copy Delta's new fare system -- and it looks like they are, at least on many routes -- frequent-flier programs will hit a new low in importance to travelers.