"When you have this kind of operating reality, we have to look at all areas of the business to generate revenue," said Morgan Durrant, a US Airways spokesman, adding that a passenger flying on a free award ticket is taking a seat away from a paying consumer.
Can you really say this with a straight face? Do you know just how many people are getting those X seats that we could have sold? Have you ever tried to search for an X seat when the customer is standing at your counter searching for a "flexible" date ticket to use their free voucher (same booking code as the FFer awards). Really, I would be embarrassed to have actually uttered these words and have them recorded for all to hear or see.
IF the company really wants to have the b*((s to change the FF system, then you need to OPEN UP THE X SEATS within a day or 2 of flying on flights that are only half to 3/4 full. Do you know how many customers I've had trying to get an X seat on flights that arent even close to full (and NO many didnt buy a ticket on us when they were told of the fare, they were pissed that they couldnt use their free ticket with a half full plane and walked away to get a ticket from someone else who was cheaper.) Now, even if you DO open up the seats within 14 days on lightly booked flights, you're still gonna get the $75 from each customer who does this.
If you guys are gonna play tight with this, then you need to make it work both ways. If the flights are full and you think that you can sell that last minute ticket instead of giving it away with an X seat, then by all means, go for it, I like the paycheck. On the other hand, you gotta give some LUV at the same time guys. You (and the rest of us) I'm afraid are gonna find out that you cant keep taking without giving something in return. Unfortunately I'm afraid of what our new give is gonna be.