Originally Posted by tlhanger
When airlines become partners, why in marketing, don't they grant recipocity on their partner airline? You are sometimes put on those flights when you reserve a flight and it helps them out. Why wouldn't they want to keep the passenger happy? I know it comes down to $ and cents but some of us hate being treated like cattle.
There are three reasons for not granting complete reciprocity. (1) It's a bureaucratic nightmare to synchronize benefits across multiple airlines (just look at how much trouble Skyteam carriers already have just getting "preferred" seating to partner elites--now imagine if they were supposed to do upgrades, too). (2) Airlines want to give their FFers an incentive to fly the "home team." (3) The more airlines that give reciprocity, the more dilluted elite benefits will be.