mellowg,
your point is salient and intuitive and dead-nutz *on*. The "cost" to give that unused and unsold seat away is essentially zero if it was unsold, and I can think of industry after industry that gives its product or service away as a benevolent function and *doesn't* ask for an off-setting donation. Drugs (pfizer et al), hardware (Home Depot/Lowers in hurricane aftermath), pro bono work by legal firms all over the US (I use the US for example)...the list is endless. Heck, even my small business gives away miles, points and some of our product to local schools, charity auctions, etc, and I DONT go out begging my customers to pay for MY donations in what, bluntly, is an outright scheme, conniving or otherwise. I have never heard of ana irline donating seats. Maybe it happens. Dunno.

And we should be impressed that the airlines have "formalized" a method that WE, their customers, can GIVE BACK through them something they themselves scheme against us to use on our own in an efficient manner (AA's milesaaver is a classic) ? Further, we should then trust these same airlines to *efficiently* give away what we donated back through them (did they donate back the money they sold the affinity points and miles for - of course now) and they get sole credit for ? No thanks. Paint me cynical.

Test case: Wonder if they *burn miles* when they fly kids and families such as Make a Wish trips ? or do they donate the seats ? Sure would like to have my faith restored in today airlines...