Originally Posted by
DLFan2
Before the fuel surcharges, award tickets were essentially paid for through the prices paid for revenue tickets. In other words, paid tickets covered the operating cost of those tickets plus the cost of award tickets plus profits. I fail to understand why the formula should have to change. Operating costs are increasing due to rising fuel costs, but so is the price of revenue tickets. So why is the cost of providing award tickets no longer covered by revenue ticket sales?
The following isn't the reason
Originally Posted by DLFan2
I guess DL is afraid that the ticket price increases that would be dictated by the old formula would so shock the traveling public that they would rather nickel and dime with change fees, baggage fees, fuel surcharges on paid tickets, fuel surcharges on award tickets, etc.
as much as this is:
Having run what is basically turning out to be a Ponzi-type scheme that brought in (and still brings in) beaucoup bucks for DL, DL has used (and continues to use) the DL FFP and the money from the DL FFP to subsidize the rest of the DL operation and partially make up for DL mismanagement across the board. As a consequence of DL having milked the FFP and otherwise failed to properly manage the funds and dividends of the FFP, DL is now left to point the finger of blame for this situation (i.e., this situation of a supposedly "expensive" award program) at anyone but current DL management (even as current DL management continues to play the same game as much as it can get away with it).
To imply that the DL FFP is/was a "too good to be true free lunch freebies program" for customers is a fundamentally irrational classification. The DL FFP has been and continues to be a program exploited by DL for DL's selfish ends.
If the DL FFP is/was a "too good to be true free lunch freebies program" it is/was only in the sense that DL has used it as a Ponzi-type scheme to feed its habits and cover up for its many failings and that its utility for such abuse by DL may be diminishing.