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Why do people have a problem with being charged more for using more services? Wouldn't a college kid flying home for the weekend with only a backpack like to p

Why do people have a problem with being charged more for using more services? Wouldn't a college kid flying home for the weekend with only a backpack like to pay less than somebody taking a two week trip with three large suitcases? Let's presume that the airlines will price in a profit optimizing way and that, in the long term, competition will limit their overall take. So, compared to a model where all passengers pay an all-inclusive fee, those using fewer services will pay less under the a-la-carte plan. We don't think that hotels should be required to include dinner in the cost of the room, but we get mad when the airline charges $5 for an in-flight meal. We're happy to pay per-lb to ship stuff via UPS, but we don't want to pay per-lb for the bags we check? I don't understand.

ebrenes 17y ago
The service has stayed the same, it's the pricing structure that changed. A year ago I could fly on the same airplane to the same destination and not face a baggage charge. Nowadays I'm faced with a baggage charge, when I got the exact same service for less in the past. So no, the problem isn't with being charged more for using more services. The problem is being charged more for the same service. And to expand on your hotel example, many hotels offer a complementary breakfast. If that were to be removed my appreciation of that hotel would fall based on that change.
- ShabbyDoo 17y ago
  I agree that overall price level increases are hard to swallow, but they seem indicative of a stronger airline industry that has newfound price-setting power. Perhaps the issue is that Orbitz and others haven't incorporated the number of bags one plans on checking into the "total cost" figure presented in their summaries? If I know what the pricing structure is at the time I make my choice, I'm probably happier.
chromatic 17y ago
> We're happy to pay per-lb to ship stuff via UPS, but we don't want to pay per-lb for the bags we check? I went on a trip recently. The combined weight of me and my luggage was perhaps 225 pounds. The combined weight of the young lady standing in line behind me and her luggage was probably 165 pounds. She had to pay substantially more to check two bags instead of one. As I understand the reasoning, luggage prices increased due to the fuel cost increase of a couple of years ago. Yet somehow me being a foot taller, weighing 70 pounds more, and checking only one bag is cheaper for the airline? I don't understand it.
- ShabbyDoo 17y ago
  Agree. I suppose the Airlines, having seen the uproar of Southwest daring to charge really fat people for an extra set, decided that weighing passengers would cause an emotional reaction. I think I should have to pay more because of my fat ass.
- lutorm 17y ago
  Yes! This annoys me to no end. I would be happy to pay per lb of transported goods, including me and my bag. There is no cost difference to the airline if me bag is 5lb over the limit or if I weighed 5lb more. There should be no cost difference either!

ebrenes 17y ago

The service has stayed the same, it's the pricing structure that changed. A year ago I could fly on the same airplane to the same destination and not face a baggage charge. Nowadays I'm faced with a baggage charge, when I got the exact same service for less in the past. So no, the problem isn't with being charged more for using more services. The problem is being charged more for the same service. And to expand on your hotel example, many hotels offer a complementary breakfast. If that were to be removed my appreciation of that hotel would fall based on that change.

ShabbyDoo 17y ago
I agree that overall price level increases are hard to swallow, but they seem indicative of a stronger airline industry that has newfound price-setting power. Perhaps the issue is that Orbitz and others haven't incorporated the number of bags one plans on checking into the "total cost" figure presented in their summaries? If I know what the pricing structure is at the time I make my choice, I'm probably happier.

chromatic 17y ago

> We're happy to pay per-lb to ship stuff via UPS, but we don't want to pay per-lb for the bags we check? I went on a trip recently. The combined weight of me and my luggage was perhaps 225 pounds. The combined weight of the young lady standing in line behind me and her luggage was probably 165 pounds. She had to pay substantially more to check two bags instead of one. As I understand the reasoning, luggage prices increased due to the fuel cost increase of a couple of years ago. Yet somehow me being a foot taller, weighing 70 pounds more, and checking only one bag is cheaper for the airline? I don't understand it.

ShabbyDoo 17y ago
Agree. I suppose the Airlines, having seen the uproar of Southwest daring to charge really fat people for an extra set, decided that weighing passengers would cause an emotional reaction. I think I should have to pay more because of my fat ass.
lutorm 17y ago
Yes! This annoys me to no end. I would be happy to pay per lb of transported goods, including me and my bag. There is no cost difference to the airline if me bag is 5lb over the limit or if I weighed 5lb more. There should be no cost difference either!