Is Flying Worth The Cost?
Lately, it seems as if the frustration associated with flying is increasing at the same rate of airline tickets. Layovers and canceled flights are becoming the norm and are leaving helpless customers twiddling their thumbs. What can we do about it? Unfortunately, there is not a lot we can do and this is why consumers lose out when it comes to flying the friendly skies. Can anyone explain the sudden price changes that can occur overnight, even when its weeks away from your departure date? Moreover, why can airlines increase your ticket price as the departure date approaches? Nearly every event requiring a ticket stays the same until sold out. If anything, last minute ticket sales for flights should decrease in price, because an empty seat means zero profit.
Because I grew up in the Midwest and currently live on the east coast, I tend to fly quite a few times a year to spend time with friends and family. During my last search for cheap flights back to Minneapolis, I discovered something troubling, which generated the rant you are currently reading. Stay with me as I explain….
My plan was to fly to Minneapolis from Washington DC. The cheapest direct flights were around $370. However, searching for cheaper non-direct flights, I noticed that many of the Northwest flights had layovers in cities relatively close to Minneapolis. This got me thinking, could it be, that if I pick a flight with a layover in Minneapolis (my destination), I could fly direct for cheaper? Sure enough, the same airline that offered the direct flight to Minneapolis for $375, had a flight going to Milwaukee with a layover in Minneapolis for $200!
So, if I purchase a flight to Milwaukee and get off at the layover point, which is Minneapolis, I would save $175. Sounds like a good idea, but by missing the first flight in the return trip (Milwaukee to Minneapolis), I would forfeit my flight, which means you cannot do this. The point of this post is not to explain how you can cheat the airlines, but to shed a little light on their nontransparent and seemingly ridiculous pricing methods.
Flying has slowly migrated from being a luxury to a necessity, largely in part to our globalized and connected social and business lives. The need for reform in this non-consumer friendly business is evident. JetBlue took the lead when they introduced the Customers Bill of Rights, but the idea was only thought up after stranding their customers on a runway for hours. Passengers should not feel like they are at the mercy of the airline when flying, especially when paying top dollar to do so. Unfortunately, as our airlines continue to merge and the competition grows thin, it does not look like the market is going to correct itself on this one. $
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Comments
David – i can’t believe you’ve never flown! Wow, I would think that’s rare nowadays.
The airlines, as you point out, don’t seem to make much sense. We’ve had decent luck getting cheaper flights through hotwire, and some other online services, but as you mention, it never quite seems to make sense.
I wish we had those darn transporters like on star trek by now!
I as well have never flown but had thought about trying it. With the cost of a flight as high as it is with no sign of doing anything but growing steeper you can guarantee that if I can not walk, drive, swim or float there than I will not be visiting. If flying was anywhere near as safe as it should be without all the nonsense maybe just then I would fly but that is not likely so surely they can count my bucks out and I am sure that it is less rare to not fly than you think. So far I see 2 out of 3 who don’t.
I was somewhat of a frequent flyer, but with the escalating prices, it’s not worth the money anymore.
I heard this morning on the radio that another airline is not going to give away free snacks on their flights to coach seats in order save money. And it’s not because the bags of pretzels or soda’s cost a lot, it’s because they “weigh too much” and the airline will save gas by taking away our precious pretzels. The airlines need to find better ways to save money without punishing their customers who pay a gazillion dollars anyway.
BTW, I got direct airline tickets on mobissimo.com website mentioned in “Watch for More Ridiculous Gas Prices” and they were $150 cheaper than any other website I could find. Thank you!!!
I have actually never flown in a plane. My family goes all the way up and down the east coast once a year on a 12 hour drive every year. Flying from one state to the other is almost always more expensive (with Hawaii and Alaska as exceptions).