<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by brooklynflyer:
I disagree with people who say that CO is trying to "make" people spend more money. I think even Bethune realizes that no company is going to allow employees to book into higher fare classes solely so that they can get full elite miles.</font>
Not so sure.
He is on record stating that he believes that if one needs to be in SFO the following day, they will pay $1800.
Is it too much of a stretch to believe that Mr. Bethune thinks that business will spend an extra $100 a ticket to maintain elite status - an elite status he is waving around as a justification to spend more to fly CO?
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I think, instead, this is an effort to be able to reliably deliver upgrade benefits to CO's best customers (in revenue terms). </font>
Yet by allowing the "riff-raff" elites to continue to be elites if they book online (and I bet most do, since you get miles for the purchase), the only elites they are reducing are those that fly on a mix of low leisure and high business fares and demand full credit for those leisure flights. Travellers who generate more revenue to CO then the "riff-raffs" who always fly on low fares.
Now in theory this will change in 2005, when the "riff raff" get cut off. Though if CO changes their mind, again, and continues to offer full credit, then the problem continues.
[This message has been edited by SEA_Tigger (edited Nov 17, 2003).]