Recently I suggested a new approach to commuter-train overcrowding. It simply involved reformulating the problem by accepting that not all overcrowding is equally bad: 100 people forced to stand 10 per cent of the time do not experience anything like the same irritation as ten people who have to stand 100 per cent of the time. So my suggestion was that a proportion of peak-time train seating — even a few peak-time trains — should be reserved for annual season ticket holders.
But when I mentioned this to a group of engineers, one pointed out something that hadn’t occurred to me: ‘Airlines already do that.’
‘They do?’
‘Well, airlines don’t have season tickets, but they do have frequent flier programmes. Suppose you fly to Frankfurt once a fortnight in economy. After six months or so, you’ll get frequent flier status.
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