5 ms·
It's a beautiful scam. They convince consumers to turn their cash into an in-house quasi-currency that they can devalue whenever they want. The only limits are
by koboll 6y ago
It's a beautiful scam. They convince consumers to turn their cash into an in-house quasi-currency that they can devalue whenever they want. The only limits are consumer frustration.
- lotsofpulp 6y agoCustomers don’t have an option of a cheaper price to not earn points, so customers aren’t being convinced of anything.
- michaelt 6y agoThe article says a lot of the profitability comes from credit cards that give you frequent flyer miles. Customers are being convinced to get a frequent-flyer-miles card rather than, say, a cash-back card.
- morsch 6y agoDepending on circumstances, customers may be able to use a cheaper ticket on another flight with the same airline, to use a different airline, another mode of transportation, or to forgo the trip.
- chrisseaton 6y ago> Customers don’t have an option of a cheaper price to not earn points, so customers aren’t being convinced of anything. Nonsense - buy a cheaper, non-point earning ticket if you don't want the points.
- kevinmgranger 6y agoAnd lose out on things such as a refund if you need to cancel, etc.
- e5v7 6y agoYes, but this should be an option all the time. Not every country has 100 airports.
- chrisseaton 6y ago> Yes, but this should be an option all the time. I think it is an option almost all the time? It is when I look to buy tickets. > Not every country has 100 airports. Sorry I've got absolutely no idea what this has to do with it? I said 'buy a cheaper ticket', not 'fly from a different airport'.
- MarkSweep 6y agoI’ve seen one place offer a lower price for no points: Apa Hotel in Japan, IIRC. Since I don’t go to Iapan often enough to worry about points, it was a no brainer.
- Dirlewanger 6y agoYup, and you're only limited to using them for that one airline. Find a route where another airline is cheaper? Have fun paying real cash for that. That's why I opted out of the "points" bullshit and went with a good cash-back card instead.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]