Sure. When I said "Huge advances in technology have enabled them to evaluate every penny across every aspect of the operations", capacity is certainly one of those aspects.
Capacity can now be fine tuned to a particular market, to a particular season, all the way down to a particular event on a particular day... and even a particular time of day. This was heretofore nearly impossible using a hub and spoke model flying a multitude of different jets of varying seating capacity.
There's way way more to it than just shrinking the number of flights. You have crew considerations, maintenance considerations, weather considerations; the list is long. A business has to use its assets in the most efficient manner possible, especially a business who's assets are as cash flow intensive as an airline. The more efficiently those assets are deployed, obviously the more money they make.
In the old days these guys were flying 727 fuel burning pigs in and out of markets that left the jets well over half empty, with little ability to change the situation. Great for the non-revs, but not so great for the bottom line. That's one of the reasons LUV did so well as it expanded. It flew point to point in many markets with a standardized fleet, but that's also the reason they could never expand internationally; reason being that pretty much demands a hub and spoke type operation. That, and the premium flyer does not want to go from Miami to LA and have to change planes 4 times and sit in the back with people that use Kroger bags for luggage and who's kids have opted to not wear shoes.
I realize you know a thing or two about business and certainly trading, but your post makes it sound like the idea of optimizing supply and demand over a given price point is a bad thing. In my eye's, that's what business is all about. The goal of every airline CEO should be to make sure not one seat goes empty on any flight. If wx or maintenance leaves a few people behind bitching, well so be it. They can rent a car and drive.
There's an old saying... "I'd rather be on the ground wishing I was in the air... than the other way around". People can bitch all they want, but our safety record is impeccable, and ultimately that is the bottom line for air travel.