FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - what to do when airline warned me about numerous throw-away ticketing? ($95 vs $497)
Old Jan 2, 2011, 5:56 pm
  #51  
rjw242
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
Originally Posted by yamaka
I you don't want the airlines to be unethical, then don't be so yourself. Bottom line, and don't flame me with what they do. If you think the airline is unethical, don't choose it.
Funny how the concept of "ethics" in business relationships only seems to apply to the individual (aka passenger). In the business world, any contract worth its salt includes repercussions for violating the contract: if company A breaks its contract with B in order to sign on with C, A will usually owe B a penalty. If this penalty is smaller than the savings brought about by switching to C, it's the right business decision. Similarly, if you buy a roundtrip LAX-DFW-FLL ticket and get off at DFW, you forfeit the rest of the ticket (and the airline reserves the right to charge you the fare difference). Depending on the amount forfeited, this can also be a smart financial decision on the part of the passenger. Of course, it's in the airlines' best interests to appeal to "ethics" and "morals" to keep customers from making these otherwise rational business decisions, but in the end it shouldn't matter whether you're a single consumer or a Fortune 500 company.
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