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It was also a lot more expensive back then. Today you can pay first class and get better service. Ultimately this is what happens when air travel gets democrati

It was also a lot more expensive back then. Today you can pay first class and get better service. Ultimately this is what happens when air travel gets democratized: people focus on low costs.

autoexec 4y ago
Alternately, they add or increase costs for features that were once free/affordable until most people are priced out of them. Between those two forces (airlines cutting services in order to make flying available to more people, and airlines turning once standard features into high priced "premium" features to line their pockets at the expense of most travelers) the effect is pretty much the same: Most people who want to fly have no option, but to find the most affordable rates where they can expect to get substandard service while only a small number of very wealthy people get what used to be granted to everyone with a ticket. Air travel was once a luxury experience at a luxury price, and things had to change to open it to more people, but things like standing seats (https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/standing-up-airplane-seat-testing/index.html https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/standing-up-airplane-seat...) and fees for carry on bags are certainly not necessary and are just airlines abusing passengers for profit.
- bobthepanda 4y ago
  The problem is that for the economy passenger, low fares really seem to be the end-all in terms of purchasing decisions. Legacy carriers were forced to resort to the same tactics low cost carriers did for checked baggage, because their passengers were leaving in droves, never mind that after fees prices were pretty much the same. The “decent medium” market segment is actually fairly small. Hence why there aren’t really 100% premium economy cabins, they wouldn’t fill.
- czstar 4y ago
  Adding on to your well stated points. Today we have to pay for Pre Check in order to have an experience that is still worse than the status quo ante. We are paying for a less bad experience.

It was also a lot more expensive back then. Today you can pay first class and get better service. Ultimately this is what happens when air travel gets democratized: people focus on low costs.

autoexec 4y ago

Alternately, they add or increase costs for features that were once free/affordable until most people are priced out of them. Between those two forces (airlines cutting services in order to make flying available to more people, and airlines turning once standard features into high priced "premium" features to line their pockets at the expense of most travelers) the effect is pretty much the same: Most people who want to fly have no option, but to find the most affordable rates where they can expect to get substandard service while only a small number of very wealthy people get what used to be granted to everyone with a ticket. Air travel was once a luxury experience at a luxury price, and things had to change to open it to more people, but things like standing seats (https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/standing-up-airplane-seat-testing/index.html https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/standing-up-airplane-seat...) and fees for carry on bags are certainly not necessary and are just airlines abusing passengers for profit.

bobthepanda 4y ago
The problem is that for the economy passenger, low fares really seem to be the end-all in terms of purchasing decisions. Legacy carriers were forced to resort to the same tactics low cost carriers did for checked baggage, because their passengers were leaving in droves, never mind that after fees prices were pretty much the same. The “decent medium” market segment is actually fairly small. Hence why there aren’t really 100% premium economy cabins, they wouldn’t fill.
czstar 4y ago
Adding on to your well stated points. Today we have to pay for Pre Check in order to have an experience that is still worse than the status quo ante. We are paying for a less bad experience.