Originally Posted by
j2simpso
Bring it in! I await seeing Premium Economy Basic and Business Basic products!
LH group already offers a "Business Basic" -- they just don't call it that. Some P fares are non-changeable, non-refundable, use-it-or-lose it. And some LX J seats require a payment to reserve unless you're HON.
I fail to see how these measures help anyone but the airline.
Originally Posted by
Polytonic
Hence my rebate proposal rather than reducing the upfront cost of standard economy. I'd be incentivized to not check bags, and I get an ETC that encourages me to fly UA again in the near future. For example, the hypothetical LAX-IAD runs in the neighborhood of $260 BE, $300 otherwise; if I paid for full economy and agreed not to check a bag, I'd get say, a $15 ETC. This assumes that Basic Economy is profitable on its own (rather than being a loss leader).
What good does that do you when UA raises its fares by $15 to compensate?
Unbundling is bad for 99% of consumers. You may not care about checking a bag, but you might care about getting a seat assignment, access to overhead space, early boarding, water on the plane, or whatever other nickel and dime charges "complete unbundling" ends up entailing.