Alex,

This if very funny :) and sad :). I think you should send this little story to customer service of all major airlines and to some magazines.

>
>Hi Dmitry,
>
>They set certain number of seats for every price you can imagine. That's how two people sitting next to each other in coach could have paid $300 or $1300 for the same kind of seats.
>
>To illustrate the above, please read on...
>
>
>If airlines sold paint
>
>Customer: Hi. How much is your paint?
>
>Clerk: Well sir, that all depends on quite a lot of things.
>
>Customer: Can you give me a guess? Is there an average price?
>
>Clerk: Our lowest price is $12 a gallon, and we have 60 different
>prices up to $200 a gallon.
>
>Customer: What's the difference in the paint?
>
>Clerk: Oh, there isn't any difference; it's all the same paint.
>
>Customer: Well then, I'd like some of that $12 paint.
>
>Clerk: When do you intend to use the paint?
>
>Customer: I want to paint tomorrow. It's my day off.
>
>Clerk: Sir, the paint for tomorrow is the $200 paint.
>
>Customer: When would I have to paint to get the $12 paint?
>
>Clerk: You would have to start very late at night in about 3 weeks;
>but you will have to agree to start painting before Friday of that
>week and continue painting until at least Sunday.
>
>Customer: You've got to be *&%^#@* kidding!
>
>Clerk: I'll check and see if we have any paint available.
>
>Customer: You have shelves FULL of paint! I can see it!
>
>Clerk: But it doesn't mean that we have paint available. We sell only
>a certain number of gallons on any given weekend. Oh, and by the way,
>the price per gallon just went to $16. We don't have any more $12
>paint.
>
>Customer: The price went up as we were talking?
>
>Clerk: Yes sir. We change the prices and rules hundreds of times a
>day, and since you haven't actually walked out of the store with your
>paint yet, we just decided to change. I suggest you purchase your
>paint as soon as possible. How many gallons do you want?
>
>Customer: Well, maybe five gallons. Make that six, so I'll have
>enough.
>
>Clerk: Oh no sir, you can't do that. If you buy paint and don't use
>it, there are penalties and possible confiscation of the paint you
>already have.
>
>Customer: WHAT??
>
>Clerk: We can sell enough paint to do your kitchen, bathroom, hall and
>north bedroom, but if you stop painting before you do the bedroom, you
>will lose your remaining gallons of paint.
>
>Customer: What does it matter whether I use all the paint? I already
>paid you for it!
>
>Clerk: We make plans based upon the idea that all our paint is used,
>every drop. If you don't, it causes us all sorts of problems.
>
>Customer: This is crazy!! I suppose something terrible happens if I
>don't keep painting until after Saturday night!
>
>Clerk: Oh yes! Every gallon you bought automatically becomes the $200
>paint.
>
>Customer: but what are all these, "Paint on sale from $10 a liter"
>signs?
>
>Clerk: Well that's for our budget paint. It only comes in
>half-gallons. One $5 half-gallon will do half a room. The second
>half-gallon to complete the room is $20. None of the cans have labels,
>some are empty and there are no refunds, even on the empty cans.
>
>Customer: To hell with this! I'll buy what I need somewhere else!
>
>Clerk: I don't think so sir. You may be able to buy paint for your
>bathroom and bedrooms and your kitchen and dining room from someone
>else, but you won't be able to paint your connecting hall and stairway
>from anyone but us. And I should point out sir, that if you paint in
>only one direction, it will be $300 a gallon.
>
>Customer: I thought your most expensive paint was $200!
>
>Clerk: That's if you paint around the room to the point at which you
>started. A hallway is different.
>
>Customer: And if I buy $200 paint for the hall, but only paint in one
>direction, you'll confiscate the remaining paint?
>
>Clerk: No, we'll charge you an extra use fee plus the difference on
>your next gallon of paint. but I believe you're getting it now sir.
>
>Customer: You're insane!
>
>Clerk: Thanks for painting with United.