This is some of the most flawed logic I've read on these boards. You all can go on for as long as you want about how you've never purchased more expensive tickets to benefit yourself. In my previous job, just five years ago, I worked as a corporate travel agent. I worked on four different accounts in four years at one travel company and at each account the majority of the travelers would spend alot more than necessary to fly on airlines where they accrued miles in their preferred programs. Prior to working on specific accounts I worked in the companies emergency call center that serviced ALL of the companies accounts. It was standard practice for just about every single company we serviced. Because of this, and because of the downturn in the economy, companies began to DEMAND that their employees start accepting the lowest airfares without exception, based on the companies travel policy, whatever that may be. When that started happening and the legacy carriers (AA, UA, NW, CO, etc.) began seeing the drop in revenues they began cutting the frills to match the fares they were being forced to charge to keep up with their new low cost rivals. While there are many problems in this industry, most caused by poor management, it is a real stretch, one that just doesn't work, to try to blame the airlines on employees all of a sudden possibly resorting to the unethical practice of soaking their employers for more expensive tickets just because they can't upgrade or accrue status miles on the lowest fares. Employees have been doing this for years.


[This message has been edited by AS Flyer (edited 09-19-2003).]