What about the theory that CO sees the seats as worth the extra cost of the additional miles, and they know that there are a lot of unredeemed miles sitting in peoples' accounts, so this just helps them get the miles off the books more quickly? I don't know how CO accounts for the "cost" of the outstanding miles, but there has to be some calculation that says having people cash more of them in is better for CO.

Also, if you still subscribe to the $.01/point theory, "paying" $2500 for a J ticket to Europe with no restrictions isn't a bad deal at all. Sure, $2000 was better, and $1000 is the best. But the redemption levels aren't horrible values for the miles.

Finally, I have to be one of the naysayers on the zero award availability theory. I've just booked my RTW ticket using CO, and got flights where and when I wanted them. Some are on partners, but overall I got all but one of the CO flights I wanted. And the inventory comes out of the normal bucket, not the Platinum bucket for the RTW rewards. There were actually a few extra flights that had PLT availability but not standard so I have to fly AF instead of CO. I'm not saying that there is always availability exactly where and when you want to go every time, but I've never had trouble coming up with ways to redeem my miles.

S.

sure, $2500 for an unrestricted business class ticket is great.
I generally don't need "unrestricted", I just need to go AROUND a particular time, not a specific time.
$1400 for a restricted first class ticket with decent availability is far better, and since you can pretty much "buy" (via ameniti) miles for 1c a piece, that's how much it costs.

That's actually a pretty interesting point. I never thought of it that way.

If they set the Onepass international rewards at a ratio to actual cost vs domestic tickets the house of cards falls in.

Those of us who are willing to save miles over a year for a family vacation in first will not save for four years. I think that would cross the line and adversly affect the airlines. Airline miles turn into a joke with no reward.

At the point international standard rewards were 400,000 miles demand would fall off, and beyond loyalty inducement, airlines would not be as able to use miles as a customer service currency. (unless it just becomes inflationary.. IE three hour delay = 50000 miles)

Well, part of the problem is that earning miles generally gets easier with each passing year.

Good point - and airlines are more than willing to dish out more and more miles these days, from triple miles to double this and fly X times by August 31 and earn this and that... you get the picture.

At some point you have to accept the fact that as a whole, mileage balances have become inflated, but by far not equally across the customer spectrum. What you have indeed, is that those who fly the most, will earn more than their fair share of miles, and be the only ones who can afford the 500,000 mile award ticket. This pretty much accurately reflects society - the inequality of wealth in developed countries. I don't mean to inject a social injustice comment in here, but it sure looks similar.

has anyone else noticed how BF Sleezypass awards are tougher to find lately for popular int places for later this year (I was looking around thanksgiving--seemed to apply for other november dates too earlier in the month)....something tells me the sleezypass availability will dramatically increase after 4/1

As there are no capacity controls on SleazyPass awards, and it is unlikely that flights are completely sold out in BF ten months from now, I think this is probably more a function of a bug on the CO.com website, I'm sure if you called the phone reservations line they'd be able to book you a Sleazypass award.

Yes. Go SkyTeam!

With thoughts like this we wonder why availability is down and redemption amounts are up. Now the public is making excuses for the airlines.

What do you mean by excuses?

The cold truth is that no airline worth flying will EVER allow its frequent-flyer program to displace significant numbers of revenue pax with pax traveling on FF tickets. The golden rule is to never allow someone to fly for free if s/he would have otherwise paid for the ticket.

CO's NonePass is a program I will still avoid. When an airline is bad even about award space for its own frequent flyer members even flying its own metal -- or especially for its own FFers -- I see no reason to change my avoidance of CO's FF program.

Plenty of other airlines actually give substantially more award space to their elite members on their own metal than CO.

Well, apparently DL "tested" it either once or twice. See a thread I started in the DL forum within the last 24 hours.

Here's the thread I was referring to, whereby DL "tested" the removal of capacity controls for its domestic awards and international biz awards on its own metal:

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=515176

Frequent flyer programs are meant to engender loyalty by winning the airline a passenger's business. But defending airline's anti-customer policies and practices takes "loyalty" to a "loyalty program" to an extreme. I too am amused that elements of the public are making excuses for the airlines.

FF programs generate a lot of money for the airlines ... giving them cash now for services -- generally cheap service -- that will not be delivered until later, if ever. To further fleece customers with excessive capacity controls or ridiculously high levels for less restricted award travel is a wee bit bothersome and then some. Then again, frequent flyer miles are just another form of funny money currency, but fortunately that recognition can be deferred until right before -- or sadly after -- the liquidation of an airline.