Originally Posted by
serioustraveler
Wait, are you saying that the airlines shouldn't fill an otherwise empty seat simply because the people they're bumping up can't afford the seat?
I eagerly await the days where they get rid of first/business class completely in favor of making it an "equal" flying experience for everyone. That way people can't complain when they don't get bumped to a better class.
That said, airlines are like utilities when it comes to increasing rates, providing an inferior product, and maintaining their status in the industry by claiming their "costs" are going up while they nickle and dime the customer into the ground.
Having an effective "monopoly" on air travel means they don't have to actually compete, hence why a lot of fares are the same regardless of where you're going, hence the lack of innovation or actual customer service.
I can't wait for them to throw an Air surcharge onto the taxes and fees, after all piping in the safe to breath air costs them money, which is factored into the price of the airline ticket, but at the end of the day why not charge the customer twice?
Do you guys really think the airlines will institute additional "add-ons" and will actually lower the base fares? They're looking for supplemental revenue streams, not replacement revenue streams.
Airlines have a monopoly? I can rattle off ten major airlines in the US alone. With a little effort, I could probably come up with another twenty small independent airlines. It's one of the - if not THE - most
competitive industries in the world. They're not
anything like utilities. I would argue they are the polar opposite of utilities, with the only similarity being they're both beholden to the price of fuel.
Air travel has never been more affordable. Perhaps you missed out on the pre-deregulation days of air travel. It's worth stating again: Air travel has never been more affordable. Do the math. It's the truth.
Don't like multi-class airplanes, fly single-class airlines. There's several to choose from. You don't get choices like that in a business monopoly.
Want to be treated like royalty? Pay for it. That doesn't just apply to air travel; it applies to pretty much everything in life.
Don't mind being treated like a penny pincher as long as you can travel a thousand miles in three hours? That option is also there. A thousand options in between are also available.
You don't go the McDonalds and complain because filet mignon isn't on the dollar menu (or perhaps you do, I dunno). But for some reason, people do just that when it comes to air travel.
People get the government they deserve.
They also get the airline industry they deserve.
If an airline (ANY airline) thought they could stay in business by providing 100% first class product at fares low enough for people to afford, it would be done. In fact, it has been attempted several times...and all failed rather quickly. Not enough people are willing to pay that kind of money when Orbitz can get them to the same airport in the same amount of time for 1/10 the cost, albeit in tight quarters.