Favorite airline rant copy/pasted from reader comments

A while ago Vision Airlines was offering direct flights from RDU to the Bahamas twice a week. The price was so low that I almost went, and got to the checkout phase on their website before I discovered that the actual cost was double what it said. It was about $400 round trip, which is great for a flight to the Bahamas, but on the final checkout page it said "price with associated fees = $800". Per person. That is outrageous false advertising. I get mad just because I have to pay $25 each way to check a bag on Delta. I'm not mad that I have to pay to check the bag, I just wish they would include it in the ticket price.
 
Can we rage about the fact that there's a California punk band called "El Ten Eleven" that features a 727 on their cover. :aghast:

B000AA4IPI.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
 
tomokc said:
What drives customers nuts about pricing is that nobody pays the same amount, they don't understand why, and there's little transparency. Passengers in a 140-pax 737 will have paid 140 different fares, even before they check a bag or buy a snack. All they want to know is how much from A to B with a checked bag, a Coke and a bag of pretzels. Instead of maintaining a transparent pricing system, airlines compete based upon the lowest published price, and then add a bazillion fees. I respect and appreciate the crew and employees, but I hate the airline and the industry.
Click to expand...

I cannot believe that I'm doing this, but I am. I'm actually defending the pricing model. Last minute tickets cost the most because the people buying them are the ones that consider them most-valuable. It is perfectly reasonable to me to sell tickets cheaper longer-term because you're fundamentally making a long-term deal with the customer and you both win: you give them a discount on the ticket in exchange for longer-term, stable revenue. Because the ticket is non-refundable, you have that cashflow guaranteed even though you can't recognize the revenue until after the service is delivered.

The only way to flat-rate the fares is to devalue short-notice tickets. Can't imagine that'll happen.

Remember, revenue management is a well understood and holy black art in the airline industry. If it would generate more revenue flat-rating it, they would have done so the day after de-regulation.
 
Derg said:
We need pitchforks, Jack Daniels, guns and lawyers. TO THE RAMPARTS!
Click to expand...
Leave the lawyers out. They usually screw things up.
P.S. tell your FA's to stop bringing DL goodies when they hitch a ride. I'm getting too fat, dumb and happy when they show up. I'm starting to scout out the gate area for them when I show up for the flight.
 
Derg said:
I have no problem with the Spirit model.

I don't even work for Spirit but I want to punch that guy in the mouth! :)
Click to expand...

But there's a huge drawback for that....

Like I've said before though......the drawback to this kind of "voluntary race to the bottom" model of "giving the customer what they're asking for", is an overall cheapening of the airline biz as a whole...far more than it already is.

If airline pilots are worried about being looked at as nothing more than airborne Greyhound bus drivers; things like this kind of business model are what's fostering that stereotype more and more each day. This kind of ULCC model doesn't only make the Spirit's/Allegiants/etc look this way, it makes them all look this way.
 
Soul Brotha' said:
Leave the lawyers out. They usually screw things up.
P.S. tell your FA's to stop bringing DL goodies when they hitch a ride. I'm getting too fat, dumb and happy when they show up. I'm starting to scout out the gate area for them when I show up for the flight.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's you, man! You little devil, you!
 
MikeD said:
But there's a huge drawback for that....

Like I've said before though......the drawback to this kind of "voluntary race to the bottom" model of "giving the customer what they're asking for", is an overall cheapening of the airline biz as a whole...far more than it already is.

If airline pilots are worried about being looked at as nothing more than airborne Greyhound bus drivers; things like this kind of business model are what's fostering that stereotype more and more each day. This kind of ULCC model doesn't only make the Spirit's/Allegiants/etc look this way, it makes them all look this way.
Click to expand...

Well, that's why we need to de-couple the product from the profession.

A pilot is flying a multi-million dollar jet with billions in liability with cargo or self-loading cargo onboard. We should be paid for that level of responsibility.

Now what's on the other side of the cockpit door is the companies own business in my eyes.

If I'm a truck driver being paid per mile, I shouldn't expect a lower per-mile rate because instead of Chiluli glass sculptures I'm hauling, the forwarding company has a load of stale Cheetos.

Sadly, we've been conditioned to expect less and then bitch about receiving less.

Holy cow, a girl with monstrous implants just walked by here at Starbucks. What were we talking about again?
 
Derg said:
Well, that's why we need to de-couple the product from the profession.

Sadly, we've been conditioned to expect less and then bitch about receiving less.
Click to expand...

What are the chances of that happening? Unfortunately, too many guys value their worth by this job.

The "Im an airline pilot!" Rather than the, "I fly planes for a job, and it pays the bills.". :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top