3 ms·

I find it interesting how many companies I am in a bad relationship with. We never break up, it's just loveless or worse. Sometimes, it's simply too difficult t

by T_S_ 16y ago

I find it interesting how many companies I am in a bad relationship with. We never break up, it's just loveless or worse. Sometimes, it's simply too difficult to avoid using some companies. I wouldn't pick American, but I would pick United, AT&T and every fast food chain that operates on the Jersey Turnpike. A monopoly is a terrible thing...not to have. On the other hand, I happily pay healthy margins to Apple and Amex.

Duff 16y ago
The Jersey turnpike brings out the worst in everyone. After you recover from the food poisoning from the Roy Rodgers or Bob's Big Boy on the turnpike, you're feeling pretty down. Then, the blues turn into rage as you drive down I-95 and Delaware hits you with $7 of tolls to drive like 20 miles.
- zck 16y ago
  Hack the tolls: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=I-95+S&daddr=39.6606142,-75.7680799+to:I-95+S&hl=en&geocode=FRUEXQIdA4Z8-w%3BFUYsXQId8d57-ym3VafwcKnHiTHpQM1x9_2nSA%3BFT7rXAIdKup6-w&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=13&via=1&sll=39.652491,-75.737171&sspn=0.107452,0.203419&ie=UTF8&ll=39.654474,-75.77837&spn=0.107449,0.203419&z=13 http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=I-9... Get off the highway, take a break, get some cheap gas, and get on the highway after the tolls.
saurik 16y ago
...and you have to pay those margins, in order to get the kind of customer service they provide. However, most people actually don't want better customer service: they want cheaper prices, which leads to competition for lower margins. If you want better service, you need to convince 99% of people to not purchase plane tickets from websites that sort by price (which, incidentally, is also how most people buy telephone service and even the food they eat). I mean, even hipmunk, with its "sort by agony" feature, still is heavily biased towards cheaper flights.
- kn0thing 16y ago
  We're working toward an agony sort that has all of those subtleties baked into it, even weighted depending on how important they are to you. e.g., I'm quite price insensitive when it comes to wireless + power on my frequent NY<->SF route -- if you can keep me online and powered up for the whole flight, I'll pay for it. Once we can take into consideration, say, subjective reviews of airlines, routes, etc, things get even more interesting. Thanks for hipmunking in the meantime, though!

by T_S_ 16y ago

Duff 16y ago

The Jersey turnpike brings out the worst in everyone. After you recover from the food poisoning from the Roy Rodgers or Bob's Big Boy on the turnpike, you're feeling pretty down. Then, the blues turn into rage as you drive down I-95 and Delaware hits you with $7 of tolls to drive like 20 miles.

zck 16y ago
Hack the tolls: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=I-95+S&daddr=39.6606142,-75.7680799+to:I-95+S&hl=en&geocode=FRUEXQIdA4Z8-w%3BFUYsXQId8d57-ym3VafwcKnHiTHpQM1x9_2nSA%3BFT7rXAIdKup6-w&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=13&via=1&sll=39.652491,-75.737171&sspn=0.107452,0.203419&ie=UTF8&ll=39.654474,-75.77837&spn=0.107449,0.203419&z=13 http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=I-9... Get off the highway, take a break, get some cheap gas, and get on the highway after the tolls.

saurik 16y ago

...and you have to pay those margins, in order to get the kind of customer service they provide. However, most people actually don't want better customer service: they want cheaper prices, which leads to competition for lower margins. If you want better service, you need to convince 99% of people to not purchase plane tickets from websites that sort by price (which, incidentally, is also how most people buy telephone service and even the food they eat). I mean, even hipmunk, with its "sort by agony" feature, still is heavily biased towards cheaper flights.

kn0thing 16y ago
We're working toward an agony sort that has all of those subtleties baked into it, even weighted depending on how important they are to you. e.g., I'm quite price insensitive when it comes to wireless + power on my frequent NY<->SF route -- if you can keep me online and powered up for the whole flight, I'll pay for it. Once we can take into consideration, say, subjective reviews of airlines, routes, etc, things get even more interesting. Thanks for hipmunking in the meantime, though!