Carrying non revs cost the company exactly the same as carrying a revenue passenger. You have to size your infrastructure to the total number of passengers carried revenue or non revenue. Pass riding is simply a cost benefit like any other benefit including health care. Management always wants more money from employees so they chip away at issues like this that they think they can sneak by easier then a pay cut. They also hope that by charging more you will non rev less and save them money.

If you think non revenue travel is expensive now wait until the government starts taxing all non revenue travel at imputed value. They have tried many times in the past and ALPA has been able to beat it back. As the industry grows more fragmented and ALPA loses more of its power base we will lose the tax issue on non revenue travel. Sadly none of the other unions are willing to assist this and other fights financially. They talk big but don't write checks. Its only a matter of time until this tax slips through.