Can someone explain the economics of air travel to me, because I clearly do not get it.

I have averaged probably 50K EQM over the last ten years, and closer to 100k the last couple. I think I'm a pretty typical biz traveller - my priorities are pretty simple. I spend a lot of time in an airline seat and don't want that experience to be miserable. So my first priority is to have enough pitch that I can reasonably work on my laptop, or eat my paid meal without first bringing my fork horizontally toward my belly and then verticayly toward my mouth. My second priority is to have enough width that I'm not toucing my nieghborhor for three hours. Third, I'd like to be able to board early enough that I don't have to worry about having to gate check my carry-on. That's pretty much it. Everything else, club access, award tix, special check-in lines are nice but much less important.

I am willing to pay a little extra for these things - I rarely buy the cheapest tix and will juggle times to get them. I'll be loyal to an airline that gives these things to me, even if it costs me more and is a little less convenient.

No US airline gives me this opportunity. What I'm thinking of is a UA E+ deal int erms of pitch, with added width - maybe a 3-2 config, isntead of 3-3, for slightly wider seats. I'd pay extra for that. Instead I get offered either outrageoulsy expensive first, or miserable economy. My only recourse is to work the FF system (as a US elite) to try and approximate this arrangement through a combination of upgrades, aisles, exit rows and E+ through * Alliance.

There have to be zillions of flyers just like me. Why isn't there a product aimed at us? My only conclusion is that many economy seats are sold below cost to match the true LCC, and people like me pay the difference. Other thoughts?