Unlike casinos, airlines are LOSING $$$$.
They cannot afford to lose eith er a $200 TKT or a $400 TKT. Yet they want to take care of their best customer, and both customers spend $8,000. What is the answer?

Get rid of the $200 & $300 fares and the airline cannot afford to fly the $400 PAX because there is insufficient revenue to make the flight profitable.

Get rid of the $400 PAX and you need 2 $200 PAXs to replace the revenue.

Therefore the airline can't afford to lose either passenger and must treat them equally in general, but if status is equal, the $400 TKT can be treated better on that specific flight.

As a former 2X PLAT, I deserted DL after L fare. I think DL would be better to use the AA formula of Q miles, but Leo always does it his way.

I will say that DL employees were wonderful, but they said it best:

"Delta does NOT listen to their customers or their employees."