The most famous "linear programming" problem one can draw on a blackboard while teaching this stuff is from an ancient paper concerning the Suez Canal. The conclusion was that moving from a daily to a two-day schedule significantly increased capacity.

I'd bet anything CO knows this example inside out, as the airlines are among the biggest optimization software customers. Airline crew scheduling is the textbook "integer programming" problem. On the other hand, gauging customer acceptance of a rotating schedule is a business decision, not an engineering decision.

I'd think that customers would accept a rotating schedule if it came with a better price. And the cargo wouldn't care, where many say the Pacific money really is. (I'm reminded of the midwest farmer's reaction to daylight savings time: "Won't it confuse the crops?")