On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 13:20:27 -0700, David Hale <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>--- Michael Doelle <[log in to unmask]>
>wrote:
>>
>> Looks liket CO apparently cannot sell as many 1st
>> class seats as they have
>> available. Whether it makes sense to keep them
>> around  for upgrades is
>> another thing.
>>
>> Do you have any information on how many of those
>> seats are actually being
>> sold? Euro airlines don't even bother to put in
>> different seats for
>> domestic and European flights. There is coach and
>> 'business'.
>>
>As you suspect, not all that many are being sold.
>Delta tried to change that with Simplifares, but I
>think most FC seats are still used for upgrades.

What mikka comprehend not is the MARKETING principle of
PR and dangling freebies.   Instead of spending a million
bucks for ONE MINUTE of TV ad, they dish out a lot of FFMs
(for people like da Feeesh) whose POSTS about the CO FF
Program and all the good stuff probably sell more tickets
for them than their minutes of TV or other kinds of ads.

Airlines USED to have silly ads like "Fly the Friendly
skies of ...".  Hell, everyone flies the SAME unfriendly
skies.  :-)

Now they compete on enticement to fly, and some programs
are just better than others.

The losers (United, Delta, and AA) head for the bankrupcy
courts FIRST.  :-)

>
>Websites such as firstclassflyer.com specialize in
>helping miles/status junkies to score upgrades. My
>company mostly flies me on Y class tickets, which are
>pretty easy to upgrade. If the travel duration is long
>enough, they do pay for first or business class. That
>includes the recent Alaska trips, and last year's trip
>to Kwaj.
>
>FC on US domestic flights isn't that great, but it
>beats the very cramped seating in coach. Don't know if
>the Euro flights are the same or not, sounds like
>"not".

The "revenue" First Class seats are basically for THREE
kinds of people:  1.  Filthy rich     2.  Paid by company
3.  Too big to fit into peasant class seats.

And it they fly FREQUENTLY, the 4th kind would be those too
dumb to get on a FF Program that give them free First Class
on coach tickets.  :-)


>
>> Then there are the Easyjets et. al. which are
>> strictly no-frills.
>> Successful so far. We'll see how that develops in
>> the next ten years. I'm
>> not making any bets and not buying any stock in
>> them.
>
>Freddie Laker and People Express tried that with an
>initial success. I think PE even charged to check
>luggage.

Those are not only for PEASANTS.  They are for POOR
peasants.  They even charge for soft drinks I think. :-)


But I think British Airways managed to put
>Freddie out of business while People Express ended up
>as part of the Texas Air Evil Empire.
>
>David H.

What they failed to realize is that the nickels and dimes
they save by collecting on a soft drink will take YEARS
to make up the profit from frequent flyers like myself who
PAY for the services AND their incentives (perks -- paid
for by their PR and advertising departments).

The Flying Grannard NOT.