January 29 On the Spot: Airline Pricing (LATimes.com)

It's tempting to spring for a seat (and we're not talking about a premium seat with extra legroom — we're talking about any seat) because not having one puts you in peril. "Keeping some people unassigned gives the carrier an easier target to bump if they need to," said George Hoffer, an economics professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia.

full LATimes.com article.