4 ms·

Hardly anyone says "I have $200, where can I fly." Usually its "I have to go to X for y reasons, X is already booked and paid for, lets get a flight" at which p

by asdff 4y ago

Hardly anyone says "I have $200, where can I fly." Usually its "I have to go to X for y reasons, X is already booked and paid for, lets get a flight" at which point you are extorted by the dynamic price model for a flight you must take. It's somewhat hilarious when Spirit in particular overbooks, and tries to offer you money to take a flight some other day, assuming you can just rearrange everything in your life around this airline's fraught booking department. Like sure, let me go call the hotel and the rental car company and the venue and my boss and tell them I am attempting to move heaven and earth at the last minute for $108.

cercatrova 4y ago
> Hardly anyone says "I have $200, where can I fly." Not sure about that, there are entire industries around cheap flights for people that are location agnostic. ScottsCheapFlights comes to mind.
- generj 4y ago
  But ScottsCheapFlights is a very particular concept and not how most people go on vacation. Even with it people have a vague idea of where they would like to go, just perhaps not when. For example, I would like to go to a major city in Europe sometime this summer. Which city isn’t urgent to me. The week I go doesn’t matter. Except oh so and so is getting married that week of June and I’ve recently been to Germany so would prefer something else. Very very few people plan their vacations like this. They would rather pay twice the rate a deal site gives them and plan around school breaks for their kids, know which country they are kicking off their bucket list, have a direct flight from their home airport, etc. We who are willing to book an international flight and only then figure out what our vacation will be give up a lot for our discounted ticket prices.
  - cercatrova 4y ago
    Hm I'm not sure it's very very few as you say. Most people I know also don't know much about the various countries in the world (vacation-wise) and would be happy to go somewhere for a set price (in a set time such as school holidays) rather than a particular destination. In fact, the more avid travelers (rather than casual vacationers) are the ones more likely to pick a particular destination to go to. I've heard of many people saying, I have 1000 bucks to spend on a vacation, I'd like to go somewhere for that amount during this time.
halpmeh 4y ago
Person 1: "Let's go on vacation in the spring." Person 2: "Sure, where should we go?" Person 1: "How about Japan?" Person 2: "Sounds great, how much are tickets?" Person 1: "Hmm, they're around $1,600 each. That's too expensive. What about going to Amsterdam instead?" That seems like a totally plausible exchange.
- asdff 4y ago
  Sure, for certain trips. Most trips I'm assuming are obligate. All of my flights have been non negotiable in time and destination in the last few years. Visits to family that align with several schedules, weddings, and funerals.
munk-a 4y ago
waves hand I've done that - especially when going to Europe I just try and get near my destination then like to get the rest of the way by train. It's nice as I get to see an extra city for a day or two.
rtpg 4y ago
Hey, I think dynamic pricing like that is basically BS as well, and would applaud efforts to stop a lot of that! Though a part of me wonders how much of a subsidy that stuff is to other people, I know in practice they're not differentiating between "price insensitive" and "people who really need to get to a place at a certain time".

by asdff 4y ago

cercatrova 4y ago

> Hardly anyone says "I have $200, where can I fly." Not sure about that, there are entire industries around cheap flights for people that are location agnostic. ScottsCheapFlights comes to mind.

generj 4y ago
But ScottsCheapFlights is a very particular concept and not how most people go on vacation. Even with it people have a vague idea of where they would like to go, just perhaps not when. For example, I would like to go to a major city in Europe sometime this summer. Which city isn’t urgent to me. The week I go doesn’t matter. Except oh so and so is getting married that week of June and I’ve recently been to Germany so would prefer something else. Very very few people plan their vacations like this. They would rather pay twice the rate a deal site gives them and plan around school breaks for their kids, know which country they are kicking off their bucket list, have a direct flight from their home airport, etc. We who are willing to book an international flight and only then figure out what our vacation will be give up a lot for our discounted ticket prices.
- cercatrova 4y ago
  Hm I'm not sure it's very very few as you say. Most people I know also don't know much about the various countries in the world (vacation-wise) and would be happy to go somewhere for a set price (in a set time such as school holidays) rather than a particular destination. In fact, the more avid travelers (rather than casual vacationers) are the ones more likely to pick a particular destination to go to. I've heard of many people saying, I have 1000 bucks to spend on a vacation, I'd like to go somewhere for that amount during this time.

halpmeh 4y ago

Person 1: "Let's go on vacation in the spring." Person 2: "Sure, where should we go?" Person 1: "How about Japan?" Person 2: "Sounds great, how much are tickets?" Person 1: "Hmm, they're around $1,600 each. That's too expensive. What about going to Amsterdam instead?" That seems like a totally plausible exchange.

asdff 4y ago
Sure, for certain trips. Most trips I'm assuming are obligate. All of my flights have been non negotiable in time and destination in the last few years. Visits to family that align with several schedules, weddings, and funerals.

munk-a 4y ago

waves hand I've done that - especially when going to Europe I just try and get near my destination then like to get the rest of the way by train. It's nice as I get to see an extra city for a day or two.

rtpg 4y ago

Hey, I think dynamic pricing like that is basically BS as well, and would applaud efforts to stop a lot of that! Though a part of me wonders how much of a subsidy that stuff is to other people, I know in practice they're not differentiating between "price insensitive" and "people who really need to get to a place at a certain time".