Originally Posted by
smartytravel
Because Americans do not know any better. Sadly, they think this is all they deserve. Americans are not aware that things can be done a bit differently for three reasons: 1) they don't have a point of comparison, 2) there's NO FREE market and healthy competition in the airline industry in the US, and 3) airlines pay a lot of money via lobbying groups to the politicians, so everyone is happy with the status quo.
The corporate America has shaped a very specific type of consumer that fits what they want. They love consumers who get excited about being ripped-off, and who defend their consumer-unfriendly corporate decisions.
When passengers buy airline tickets, they "allegedly" enter into a relationship with the airline. However, these oligopolistic corporations, which are happy to take PUBLIC money, deprive passengers of what pax pay for: transportation at specific departure times and specific arrival times.
In the same breath, these oligopolistic corporations ineptly try to convince the public: "We are taking away your checked in baggage so you can pay less! We are taking away your ability to choose seat so you can pay less! We are NOT guaranteeing any schedule that YOU PAY for (a lot of times at premium prices) so you can pay less."
If you do not think that this is ridiculous, then I do not know what is.
I have not seen prices drop. Quite the contrary, the prices are either stable or going up.
Excellent post. Another classic example: "Finally, American Airlines Admits Basic Economy Means Higher Fares"
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/09/aa-...-higher-fares/ ("
First presented as providing customers a “lower cost option,” it was marketed by AA as a customer-friendly move....Thursday, at American Airlines’ Investor and Media Day, AA’s President Robert Isom admitted what we have all noticed to be true: “Basic Economy is not a price cut,” he said during a presentation."