Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Travel&Dining > TravelBuzz
Reload this Page >

What if many travellers boycott paid advance seat selection ?

What if many travellers boycott paid advance seat selection ?

Old Jun 18, 2019, 8:58 pm
  #1  
Suspended
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kan@da
Programs: Anything with sweet spots
Posts: 1,790
What if many travellers boycott paid advance seat selection ?

What if there was an initiative to boycott paid advance seat selection that gained massive/viral traction? Will airlines stop charging for advance seat selection ?

To me charging for seat selection is like to making travellers bid against each other for the desirable seats, but if travellers collude and constitute a collective collaborative bloc, perhaps there will be change.
MasterGeek is offline  
Old Jun 18, 2019, 9:36 pm
  #2  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,309
youre asking the question in a forum of frequent travelers who arent in any way representative of the vast majority of airline passengers

whether we admit it or not, most of us are probably resigned to the fact that airlines being in business to make money are not likely to change lucrative practices in the interest of becoming more consumer-friendly

I recognize the power of social media in attempting to effect change, but I suspect there are too many variables in play here to make that kind of a change campaign work: a vast number of airlines, disparate individual travel patterns/priorities, etc etc
jrl767 is offline  
Old Jun 18, 2019, 9:43 pm
  #3  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,360
Never going to happen. People are too busy with their own lives to worry about joining some protest over seat fees...especially considering most travelers are of the infrequent variety.

If you want fees gone, forget about trying to persuade individual travelers. You have two options. First, you can convince government to ban the fees. Second, you can get the airlines' best customers to demand the fees disappear. Those best customers are the corporations that purchase thousands of seats each year.
GUWonder and HMPS like this.
writerguyfl is offline  
Old Jun 18, 2019, 11:02 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: FRA (formerly JNB)
Programs: LH M&M
Posts: 169
I also can't see this getting much traction. Those who already don't pay for seat reservation, either out of protest or because their funds are limited, are obviously not the target of your post.

That leaves people who currently do pay, and I doubt that too many of them will be willing to take the chance on a bad seat over a few bucks. If that were the case, they wouldn't currently be paying the fees.
ajGoes likes this.
purch is offline  
Old Jun 18, 2019, 11:16 pm
  #5  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Indianapolis
Programs: Hilton-Diamond Lifetime Platinum AA UA, WN-CP, SPG Gold.
Posts: 7,377
I never pay, and I still pick my seat on AA.
satman40 is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 12:18 am
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Singapore - the hot, little red dot
Programs: BA, SQ
Posts: 861
How is this going to bring about change? Airlines will just say fine, nobody is willing to pay for the seat so they'll get seated where they told to. They will then just increase the price of all tickets to cover for the loss of revenue from seat selection.
Isn't going to bring back free seat selection if that's what you're after.

This is what passengers wanted e.g. un-bundling, so airlines have given it to them.... can't have it both ways.
farci, trooper, stevej0531 and 3 others like this.
Wong Jnr is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 6:30 am
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,191
Boycotts never work, sorry, there is always going to be a group of people that dont agree , as to weather its a restaurant chain, a retailer or other.
I think passengers have just learnt to accept the chargers for a seat selection has have luggage fees..
fotographer is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 8:05 am
  #8  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
Posts: 14,200
It would only work if you could get nearly all fliers to do it.

I'd also like to do away with Basic Economy.

But both exist because it's been shown that people are willing to pay the difference, so I think we're stuck. Better to lobby the government to allow foreign carriers to serve domestic city pairs and improve competition.
gfunkdave is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 8:45 am
  #9  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, IHG, Enterprise, Avios, Nexus
Posts: 8,355
I doubt you'd recruit a sufficient number of people to have an effect. Too many of us don't mind paying for seat selection because it assures we will not spend lengthy hours crammed in a middle seat.
Badenoch is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 9:30 am
  #10  
Suspended
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kan@da
Programs: Anything with sweet spots
Posts: 1,790
Originally Posted by Badenoch
I doubt you'd recruit a sufficient number of people to have an effect. Too many of us don't mind paying for seat selection because it assures we will not spend lengthy hours crammed in a middle seat.
Don't fall for the airlines strategy of dividing us to rule us better. Stop the selfish thoughts for a little while and join the ranks of collective bargaining. A few small sacrifices will pay off greater benefits for everyone !
MasterGeek is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 9:59 am
  #11  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,882
Originally Posted by writerguyfl
Never going to happen. People are too busy with their own lives to worry about joining some protest over seat fees...especially considering most travelers are of the infrequent variety.

If you want fees gone, forget about trying to persuade individual travelers. You have two options. First, you can convince government to ban the fees. Second, you can get the airlines' best customers to demand the fees disappear. Those best customers are the corporations that purchase thousands of seats each year.
Wait a minute....those corporates are the road warriors, they get free selections due to status or price of ticket so they have a lot to lose as a leisure traveler(s) who book way in advance for cheap tickets and best seats. Ain't gonna happen.
HMPS is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 11:40 am
  #12  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 187
Originally Posted by Wong Jnr
How is this going to bring about change? Airlines will just say fine, nobody is willing to pay for the seat so they'll get seated where they told to. They will then just increase the price of all tickets to cover for the loss of revenue from seat selection.
Isn't going to bring back free seat selection if that's what you're after.

This is what passengers wanted e.g. un-bundling, so airlines have given it to them.... can't have it both ways.
Exactly this. I don't see how thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of infrequent flyers like myself (3-4 flights a year) will have enough leverage to where seat fees are scrapped. Don't get me wrong, it would be nice as a non-status holder to choose whichever seat for free, but those days are pretty much gone. If I also remember correctly, OP also created a thread where he tried to get Alaska to waive their change fee even though there was no changes made by AS on the booked itinerary. It's a bit odd seeing another similar fee-avoidance thread made again, assuming that it was the OP with that AS post.
AUCLABruin is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 12:02 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP...couple hotels and cars too
Posts: 4,548
If 100% if flyer talkers did so, no airline would notice.
HMPS likes this.
Exec_Plat is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 1:30 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: DL Silver, Avis President's Club, Hertz President's Circle, Global Entry (Former AA Plt/Gold)
Posts: 4,417
Originally Posted by Wong Jnr
This is what passengers wanted e.g. un-bundling, so airlines have given it to them.... can't have it both ways.
Nobody polled me on this one...
Gig103 is offline  
Old Jun 19, 2019, 1:33 pm
  #15  
Suspended
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kan@da
Programs: Anything with sweet spots
Posts: 1,790
Originally Posted by Exec_Plat
If 100% if flyer talkers did so, no airline would notice.
I'll try to start a campaign on social networks (Facebook, Twitter) and on Change.org
MasterGeek is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.