Peter Welch actually said...

Why shouldn't it be the decision of the passenger as opposed to the convenience of the airline to determine whether they want cash back?

the 1,500-hour rule doesn't have any relevance to the actual performance of a pilot.

I have never understood why they really need that nonrefundable ticket, other than it is a way they can extract more money.

I do agree with you. First of all, I fly a lot like all of us do.