Dunno, but since CO offers so much more for their F and Y customers, and so many more people are willing to fly them because of these offerings, shouldn't CO be commanding a significant fare premium in both F and Y over other carriers? Are these enhanced offerings allowing CO to generate profits, even in these hard economic times? I am not saying US' product ain't bare bones, but I am interested to know how much more CO is able to charge over, say , US or WN, on competing routes. I am assuming CO is able to charge a lot more, judging from what i read here.
They do get more for their F cabin...lots more. I can't say anything about the Y cabin as I have no idea.
Their yields as reported in their releases each quarter are always higher than US.
Fundamentally, CO uses its F cabin to squeeze more revenue from pax. And in order to do that, the pax have to see the value in spending or "stretching" a little more to sit there. For example, they have a "Y-Up and B-Up" program....before the economic calamity started, buy a Y fare, giet bumped into the F for an elite, instantly, the second you buy the ticket. After the economy started to slide, the lowered the requirement to a "B Fare," buy a B fare, get bumped, instantly, as an elite card holder.
And I can tell you, as a frequent traveler to SFO from PVD, it saves a little money, about $150 each way, and is a heck of a nice product.
Their are multiple clues their system works and gets more yield from those seats. Traveling as a Platinum member from EWR to SEA/PDX/SFO/LAX/SAN and thinking your status will get you an upgrade? Think again. I know I have NEVER been upgraded on a CO Transcon. Ever. I know people who have been "Elite" with CO much longer than I...who claim to have been upgraded twice in 10+ years.
If they weren't selling it, many of us would be upgraded.
Bottom line: If I want to sit in F on CO....I buy it or buy the instantly upgradeable fare....otherwise, I KNOW I'll be sitting in the back.
US does sell F...but I've been upgraded bazillions of times over the years on US for anywhere from a PVD-PHL flight to PHL-SFO....many, many times.
That right there is all you need to know....CO does manage their F cabin in a way to drive more revenue. And of course, the ONLY way they can do that is to provide a product people will purchase.