My crystal ball says that sooner or later it will pass. As for the rule saying that people can't come back to the seat, I feel that the FAA will say that is a labor issue and should be determined at each company. I can't see any union or any company wanting or allowing people that have resigned (retired) to come back to work after they have left the property.

I think that the confusion over people re-upgrading came from the legal amendments offered to the senate in the past which say nobody can come back. I don't believe that they prohibited re-upgrading.

It wouldn't entirly suprise me to see companies, including ours, try to buy people off from upgrading with some sort of an early retirement package. The impending doom of the 727 is really going to throw things off. What will happen to those 60+ year olds? When there seats go away, are they fired or furloughed? At United they were fired (retired) but that may have been because all of the three man airplanes were parked at once.

Given the chance, I can't imagine that one guy eleigable for the left seat would stay in the back seat at any price.