Bingo - I've wondered this too. Marketing can be pretty fascinating at times. I know people that have fierce brand loyalty simply because they like their color, logo, slogan or whatever. People will go to great lengths and pay extra for companies they like simply because of good advertising. Who can forget the "Come fly the friendly skies" ad campaigns with Gene Hackman for United? I was pretty young to even remember that but I'd venture to guess they sold a lot of tickets that way. I think a good TV ad campain would bring in a lot more dollars than would be saved by charging for first checked bags, deleting in flight entertainment and premium service etc and all the negative publicity that brings as well. There are many more ways to bring in paying customers than crappy milage programs and a 5 dollar discount over brand X. Execs seem to have missed that mark and think that money is better spent on their annual bonus - heck they have a golden parachute anyway if their other "brilliant ideas" fail.