<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by brucemcal:
My guess is that you may see more non-upgradeable fares, but I doubt that you will see miles vanish even for low fares. You may laugh at the family taking two kids to visit Gradma once a year, but that free ticket every third year is important. They may not fly often, but there are lots of them, and the airlines need their loyalty as much as they need the 100,000 milers.</font>
Very good point! The airlines need pax, any pax, human or cargo. However, airlines should not be selling $150 coast-to-coast fares with miles accural. The loophole is too big for the airline to recover the cost.
Everyone is saying that the difference in cost of operating a biz and a coach seat is marginal to the airline. Maybe. But, if the airline can't generate additional revenue from these biz seats, maybe they should install more coach seats instead. The extra legroom in biz/1st class can mean more coast seats, just like SWA.
If airlines want to fill planes, they should do it with FF program
OR ridiculous cheap fares, but not BOTH.
The mileage runners, although small in numbers, are occupying those premium seats at close to - 0 - cost. And they are diluting the quality of service in premium class. That is, diluting the loyalty of other pax paying higher fare for the premium service.
[This message has been edited by FT wannabe (edited 08-21-2002).]
[This message has been edited by FT wannabe (edited 08-21-2002).]