AJNEDC

My apologies for not being clear...

Full-service airlines have structured their product offering along two different lines: Premium service centered around first and business class cabins and the multiple economy type constructs. For the premium type service, they charge a hefty, quite substantial price differential from the economy type service. My expectation therefore is that if I am asked to pay what amounts to sometimes 20 times the going rate of the economy product, I then I demand a superior product from all aspects. Thus, I expect to be first to board, I expect to have full meals with proper china and cutlery, I expect my luggage to be off first, I expect to have lounge access, and I expect to be able to choose a seat at time of booking without being charged extra to do so. Anything less is a not a premium product offering and it is ridiculous charging such hefty premiums. Well I guess they can charge, but it is up to us as customers to vote with our pockets… (Personally, I absolutely refuse to travel on BA in business class for this exact reason.)

One poster in response to my earlier post, said that he found it rational to pay for seat, because it allows him to reserve the seat he wants. I indicated that this is in no way rational to me – not after paying $9,000 for a return ticket in business class. For me, the rational thing would be to be able to reserve the seat I want from those that are available without paying an additional fee. I then used the lounge example intending to state: Currently BA offers access to the lounges with no additional payment because it is part of the product offering; but what if tomorrow it decides that only first class passengers would have unrestricted free access, all others must pay for guaranteed access or get in line and hope that there will be room for you. From the poster’s contention, I would expect him to pay this additional fee as well, as at least he would be assured of gaining access. Taking it even further, what if BA starts making business class passengers pay additional amounts for everything that is supposed to differentiate the product types while still charging the 20 times price differential, what then?