and quality meal seem nice, I'll usually take a cheaper seat if available. I'd rather spend a few hundred dollars extra on my vacation on the other end. Because most people shop by price rather than quality, that's what the airlines have to provide to keep their planes full and profitable.

To put it another way, I'm willing to get paid $100 an hour to sit in an uncomfortable seat that still gets me where I want to go. Whether I actually get paid to sit uncomfortable or simply don't pay for the comfort upgrade, it's the same economic outcome to me.