I go years and years between flights, and I had the same experience when I canceled. 80% of the ticket price was credited to me as long as I used it within a year.

No, I'm not saying that at all. First of all, I fly across many airlines, some of which I only fly once per year. Second, the ability to bank my un-used tickets has nothing to do with my frequent flier status, it's available to any passenger -- and I have used it on airlines that I have flown very infrequently (one in particular that I flew once and only once because they pissed me off so much that I let the credit lapse rather than fly them again, but that's a longer story), so I'm sure this is true.

Do I get special treatment on the airline I fly most? Yes, I do. I've been able to change tickets on that airline without a change fee as a courtesy on multiple occasions, in contradiction to their printed policies.

Airlines have been sneaking in newer lower tier ticket levels that exclude any sort of refunds or changes. You probably don't run into these through corporate travel, but if you have a basic fare your ticket is use it or lose it.

Yes, true, but those have all come online within the past 6 months or so (led, I think, by United, and then quickly copied by the other major carriers), and are still relatively rare even for leisure travel, at least in my experience. Unfortunately, I fear that you are right that they will take over the lowest end of the market.

I can't/won't book these for leisure travel, because they don't even allow you to sit with your family members.

Honestly, the recent penetration of basic economy into the US market is something I'm much more concerned about than involuntary bumping. If the airlines are successful, then they're just going to re-set the baseline for standard economy up by $100 or so a ticket. Planes were already full, it's not like they are going to increase revenue by offering cheaper tickets, they're just going to get away by giving you less for your money.

Regular airlines offering ultra-low fare deals (such as those offered by Spirit Airlines) is a new trend.

Not being able to cancel / refund your ticket is NOT a new trend.

Other than Southwest most airlines would not let you change your tickets without paying a fee, and this has been the case since quite a few years.

> Other than Southwest most airlines would not let you change your tickets without paying a fee, and this has been the case since quite a few years.

The new bit is you can't even pay a fee with the new basic fares--it's use it or lose it.

I agree, and I never said differently. Almost all US tickets are non-refundable, and have been forever. Likewise, almost all US tickets are changeable FOR A FEE, which I said pretty high up in the thread -- and the airlines are pretty flexible on what constitutes a change (you can pretty much book a new ticket for yourself within a year, after they deduct the fee).