Originally Posted by UnitedSkies
Seems like that passenger (paying the same fare) is displacing revenue for a nonstop or "legitimate" connecting passenger on subsequent flight legs.
Unless the plane is overbooked, a mileage runner isn't displacing revenue, he's enhancing revenue. Because if it's a purely discretionary run, the ticket would never have been purchased in the first place if the connection were not mileage accruing.
Originally Posted by UnitedSkies
should an airline reward someone who's taking multiple segments when there is a nonstop in the market?
This is an interesting concept, though it has the potential to backfire. If the mileage accrual terms was point-to-point mileage for non-stop markets, some business could be pushed to competitors who didn't have non-stops. If UA will only give non-stop mileage for SFO-IAD since there are non-stops, and one could get more miles flying AA, CO, DL, NW, etc., a rule like this may discourage travel in these markets, and pehaps encourage hub residents to fly a competitor airline as their first choice.