<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Then they shouldn't offer it at that price...but wait, isn't that the rate set by the market?
By your reasoning, it seems UA should be the one to suck it up in the face of reality.</font>
I love this oft floated "But it's the market!" argument. Yes indeed it is, but not in the way you think.
The argument you presented is perfectly valid if, upon UA changing a policy or rule, you switch to another carrier, and begone. United will have decided that they don't want a customer of category X and that'll be that.
But the funny part is, there's always the people who complain, and DON'T leave UA, screaming about the market.
If it's "the market", switch and stop complaining!