If you've been on hold a bit longer than usual in the past day or so since Gordon's
"announcement," the cause may be the increased peervasiveness of The Fare Desk.
From what I have gathered, a directive has gone out to all agents to refer over any and all fares that have any discounted component and let everybody sit on hold and twiddle their thumbs while the gurus on high pass on the acceptability (in the new scheme of things) of any discount whatever, no matter how cut and dried some of these deals have always been.
I would guess that all the extended period on hold before the agent comes back on and confirms the original quote as having passed muster does is to waste everybody's time and effort and very likely do little or nothing for CO's bottom line.