4 ms·

There shouldn’t even be an option to buy adjacent seats

by elil17 7y ago

beerandt 7y ago
If it were mandatory, everyone would be paying extra. And I think it's pretty reasonable to be optional, since I wouldn't be worried about sitting next to a family member, for example.
- perl4ever 7y ago
  I'm skeptical that the total amount charged would be the same if it were mandatory. I mean, consider backup cameras on cars. Do they cost the same after being required as when they were luxury options? That is, doesn't price discrimination generally allow companies to extract more money overall? And in this case it's contrary to public welfare.
  - beerandt 7y ago
    Maybe not exactly the same, but more. We're not talking about reducing the marginal price on new technology that needed capital investment- we're artificially reducing overall capacity. Airfare already had seating efficiency priced in. For the math to work, best case, you'd need to reduce capacity of a 737 (3+3 across) by 1/3 (no middle seats). 1/2 for sets of 2 or 4 seats.
ceejayoz 7y ago
Why not? I live with three other people. Surely we can sit together, given that we're already spending 24/7 in the same house?
- elil17 7y ago
  True - I think there should not be an option to sit adjacent to someone if you are not booking together.
  - simlevesque 7y ago
    The option exists. It's called buying two tickets.
    - elil17 7y ago
      The whole article is about how the option exists. My point is that it should not be an option! You should not be allowed to sit next to a stranger and potentially infect them with COVID
      - roenxi 7y ago
        Airlines have been sitting people next to strangers who could be infected with anything for more than 50 years. Life is not without a certain amount of risk.
      - lagadu 7y ago
        A month ago you could be seated next to a stranger infected with ebola or tuberculosis. What's different about covid?
        Beldin 7y ago
        Covid-19 is a pandemic.
        ceejayoz 7y ago
        > A month ago you could be seated next to a stranger infected with ebola or tuberculosis. This was vanishingly unlikely, especially on a US airline, and both are substantially more difficult to catch.
    - caseyf7 7y ago
      You can’t buy an empty seat. For instance, if you want to buy the middle seat to ensure it is empty, they won’t let you. At least they wouldn’t prior to this year.
      - 7y ago
- drglitch 7y ago
  United just posted their updated rules and that’s exactly what they’re doing - you can call in and request adjacent seats. Otherwise it’s one apart.
  - elil17 7y ago
    Good, that's the way to do it
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

There shouldn’t even be an option to buy adjacent seats

by elil17 7y ago

There shouldn’t even be an option to buy adjacent seats

If it were mandatory, everyone would be paying extra. And I think it's pretty reasonable to be optional, since I wouldn't be worried about sitting next to a family member, for example.

perl4ever 7y ago
I'm skeptical that the total amount charged would be the same if it were mandatory. I mean, consider backup cameras on cars. Do they cost the same after being required as when they were luxury options? That is, doesn't price discrimination generally allow companies to extract more money overall? And in this case it's contrary to public welfare.
- beerandt 7y ago
  Maybe not exactly the same, but more. We're not talking about reducing the marginal price on new technology that needed capital investment- we're artificially reducing overall capacity. Airfare already had seating efficiency priced in. For the math to work, best case, you'd need to reduce capacity of a 737 (3+3 across) by 1/3 (no middle seats). 1/2 for sets of 2 or 4 seats.

ceejayoz 7y ago

Why not? I live with three other people. Surely we can sit together, given that we're already spending 24/7 in the same house?

elil17 7y ago
True - I think there should not be an option to sit adjacent to someone if you are not booking together.
- simlevesque 7y ago
  The option exists. It's called buying two tickets.
  - elil17 7y ago
    The whole article is about how the option exists. My point is that it should not be an option! You should not be allowed to sit next to a stranger and potentially infect them with COVID
    - roenxi 7y ago
      Airlines have been sitting people next to strangers who could be infected with anything for more than 50 years. Life is not without a certain amount of risk.
    - lagadu 7y ago
      A month ago you could be seated next to a stranger infected with ebola or tuberculosis. What's different about covid?
      - Beldin 7y ago
        Covid-19 is a pandemic.
      - ceejayoz 7y ago
        > A month ago you could be seated next to a stranger infected with ebola or tuberculosis. This was vanishingly unlikely, especially on a US airline, and both are substantially more difficult to catch.
  - caseyf7 7y ago
    You can’t buy an empty seat. For instance, if you want to buy the middle seat to ensure it is empty, they won’t let you. At least they wouldn’t prior to this year.
    - 7y ago
drglitch 7y ago
United just posted their updated rules and that’s exactly what they’re doing - you can call in and request adjacent seats. Otherwise it’s one apart.
- elil17 7y ago
  Good, that's the way to do it

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]