>>> I LOVE sitting in first class on a ticket that cost my company $300... The real question is how much money I spend per year to travel on a particular airline and what benefit I get for it.

Perhaps it is, to some extent. But sooner or later, the yield ($/mi) and the load (%full) is really what matters to the airline.

>>>What do I get for that loyalty? ...I get to upgrade

Okay, but to do so, you must either 1) use ff miles, or 2) use an upgrade coupon. Unless I am missing something, that means that more often than not, you are sitting in coach.

It is not my intention to re-write the ff rules. I say, keep them. I am just asking the airlines to adopt a more acceptable seating plan -- width so I do not bump shoulders next to the middle seat guy -- length so that my knees do not hit the tray table. In other words, a scaled-down business class for full-fare passengers. On "my airline" I would still allow upgrades to first class.

Another thought -- I like TWA's ff plan that awards a bonus for Y-class tickets. You get miles plus 1 mile per $ spent as a bonus.