FWIW:

... Levine predicted in the future there will be less disparity in the price of tickets in different classes of travel, as prices of the highest priced tickets are reduced. That may mean more large planes, he said, because airlines will need to book more passengers to pay for each flight.

http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/020522/200...2000952_1.html

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I suspect that these programs are here to stay - thankfully!