Being in the industry I’ve read that and it goes back to when people were booking seats on different flights but not actually paying for them until they arrive at the check-in desk so airlines were flying with empty non-revenue seats.
I have no basis to question your assertion. But that consent decree reads (corrrectly - matching business practice) as though the airline actually sells, takes the money, for more seats than the aircraft has, on speculation that some people will be no shows for that flight. The speculation is well founded, as the rate of overbooking is much greater than the rate of combined voluntary and involuntary denial of boarding.
I often fly on a flight other than the one I initially scheduled and paid for. Sometimes later, sometimes earlier. I like the convenience of flexibility, but the airlines are moving toward a system that binds the customer to the booked flight.
“Being in the industry I’ve read that and it goes back to when people were booking seats on different flights but not actually paying for them until they arrive at the check-in desk so airlines were flying with empty non-revenue seats.”
However, if airlines sold seats and made them non-refundable the people would bitch even louder.