I'm not claiming that it's a terrible crime. I just don't think that it's ethical. I sort of agree with the argument that "they deserve it"- they probably do deserve it, but I don't think that that justifies you doing it to them.

As to lisamcgu's advice- I would have one concern. Although the airlines do have more important things do worry about, they still seem to choose to sometimes busy themselves with petty things like this. I would consider it risky for two people put flights on the same account if one person couldn't have theoretically done all the flying. It would really make you trouble if an agent happens to look at you account. That's besides the point that Doppy raised- that the security people might react to it.

Sure, it's against the rules - but in this case It's one of those interesting quirks in the system. If you can let your namesake fly in F once in a while, or pick up some miles/points - its no ones business but your own. Stealing? Give me a break, on the morality scale this rates just a little worse than installing your buddies copy of software on your own computer. If the airlines were THAT concerned about it, it would take a little more effort to sign up for a FF account. They want the business - look at how easy it is to get status on HP.

[This message has been edited by raincityrd (edited 02-12-2002).]

I agree. Installing unlicensed software is stealing. That's because we respect "intellectual property". I also agree that it's not quite the same as breaking into the Gates' household and walking off the with the silverware, but you are stealing.

In my opinion the HP argument is relevant but not sufficient. Imagine I stand at a street corner and randomly hand out $100 bills to strangers passing by. If you were to sneak up behind me and pickpocket me, taking only the $100 I seem to be willing to give just about anyone, you still stole $100, because it's mine and I DIDN'T give it to you. If I was the judge sentencing you, I would obviously take the circumstances into account, maybe even laugh at the whole thing- but you still stole $100.

So, when the airline says it needs to expedite delivery of an award ticket for a trip 20 days away, to make sure it makes it on time, but, like clockwork, they know that your ticket will arrive in your mailbox within a week, barring it getting lost in the mail which would delay it forever anyway, and you say, please don't expedite it, as I don't want to be charged the mandatory fee of $50!, and they say that they have to, mandatorily, charge you the fee to INSURE that the tickets arrive within 20 days when, again, they know that they will be there in a week, regardless, then what are you really paying for?

A) X, or B) Y, or C) nothing?

Obviously, its C, nothing.

To say the airlines can't be accused of stealing is to say you haven't returned from your trip to fantasyland.

The answer is C) nothing. It's despicable. It's the big company taking advantage of the small consumer because the small consumer has no recourse. I believe that if possible and practical laws should be passed deeming such actions illegal.
But they didn't STEAL. You paid for nothing knowingly. Yes, it was becuase you had no other choice, other than giving up on the ticket. But you knew what you were getting.

So when I get mugged, its not stealing because I gave over my wallet "knowingly" and not expecting anything in return.

Please ...

You may be right.

I think that there is a difference. The difference is very small- in one case you have the choice of not ordering the ticket. In the other case you have the choice of giving up your life. I think that giving up your life is not really a "choice" you had, as opposed to not ordering the ticket because the terms are crazy.

Or, you can bypass the madness, go proactive, and figure out a way to get around having someone, or some big business, steal from you:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum71/HTML/007924.html

Off topic:
I know that in Israel, they ask if you want your passport stamped so that if you are travelling on business to other middle east countries, you won't raise all kinds of red flags by having the Israel stamp in your passport.

The Canadian government will also provide citizens with a passport that doesn't state place of birth if they were born in Israel and want to travel to certain Arab countries. If you order a passport at the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv you can request that it be issued in Canada so that you won't have problems in certain Arab countries for having your passport issued in Tel Aviv.

Passport numbers? Are you saying that the airlines are dumping data into our profiles without our knowledge? I really highly doubt that is happening at all.

As a frequent traveler to Israel I have asked many times not to have my passport stamped and it doesn't raise any red flags.
They know it can be a reason to be searched and questioned in other countries.

As in many situations, this one is not entirely black or white. From the nature of your posting, it sounds like you already have doubts as to whether this is ethical... every person has to establish their own code of conduct.

My NW Plat. Elite profile contains my passport #, passport expiration date, passport country of issue, and my date of birth. So it's possible and indeed likely that Elite fliers have quite a bit of data in their FF profiles...

I want to say that I completely respect your viewpoint as to it being theft. I disagree . . . and know that your mind cannot be changed. However, I am of the mind that the airlines do not REALLY have a problem with it. What happens if they cancel an elite member's account when a child uses their number? Are they going to risk losing that passenger? And btw - whenever I go to Arby's I always take extra Arby's sauce home with me (stealing. . . possibly)