Originally Posted by
psychtobe
I've never understood this logic. Essentially EVERY NW flight is to/from a hub, where there are a 'ton' of elites. We are all competing against many elites.
If you're going from NYC to MSP/DTW/MEM, you're only competing with the NYC residents that have chosen NW as their primary carrier. They could just as easily choose UA, AA, CO, etc., so your highest revenue flyers and elites are likely spread across a larger number of airlines. However, MSP residents are faced with >80% domination by NW and thus, assuming they care more about nonstops and variety of destinations, more people -- on a relative scale -- will be elite on NW than there are out of NYC.
Originally Posted by
psychtobe
this makes a lot more sense to me. Flying FROM MSP on Monday morning is different than flying TO MSP on Monday morning.
Well, using your first statement and logic that everyone is competing against many elites, they would both be the same. On the one hand you've got all the MSP-based elites going FROM MSP on Monday morning. On the other hand, you've got the 'ton' of elites from every part of the country coming TO MSP on Monday morning for connections. I fail to see, based on your logic that it doesn't matter where you depart/arrive from, why this would be any different.
(I think it IS different, but because of the hub-captive elites I described earlier)