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villager

(26,001 posts)
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 12:47 AM Dec 2014

New Yorker: Why Airlines Want to Make You Suffer


<snip>

But the fee model comes with systematic costs that are not immediately obvious. Here’s the thing: in order for fees to work, there needs be something worth paying to avoid. That necessitates, at some level, a strategy that can be described as “calculated misery.” Basic service, without fees, must be sufficiently degraded in order to make people want to pay to escape it. And that’s where the suffering begins.

The necessity of degrading basic service provides a partial explanation for the fact that, in the past decade, the major airlines have done what they can to make flying basic economy, particularly on longer flights, an intolerable experience. For one thing, as the Wall Street Journal has documented, airlines have crammed more seats into the basic economy section of the airplane, even on long-haul flights. The seats, meanwhile, have gotten smaller—they are narrower and set closer together. Bill McGee, a contributing editor to Consumer Reports who worked in the airline industry for many years, studied seat sizes and summarized his findings this way: “The roomiest economy seats you can book on the nation’s four largest airlines are narrower than the tightest economy seats offered in the 1990s.”

Boarding for non-élite flyers has also become a miserable experience. There are far more efficient ways to load planes than the current back-to-front method, which is actually slower than random boarding. The process takes longer still thanks to the practice of letting flyers with status board out of turn and thanks to luggage charges, which compel fee-avoiders to cram their bags into overhead compartments. Airlines lack a real incentive to fundamentally improve boarding for everyone—by, for example, investing in methods such as filling both ends of an airplane at once. It would make life better and also defeat the status racket.

<snip>

The fee model isn’t the only reason air travel has become more miserable in recent years. Airlines also benefit directly by throwing more seats into economy, because they have more to sell. But as mergers reduce competition airlines can more safely collude to provide poorer levels of service, and everything that adds to and increases differential experiences drives fee income, which is the most lucrative side of the business. Perhaps that’s why Delta’s new cabin plan offers five different classes of service, and why one unnamed major airline is reportedly considering introducing a level called “economy minus,” with even smaller seats than basic economy.

<snip>

http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/airlines-want-you-to-suffer?intcid=mod-most-popular
35 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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New Yorker: Why Airlines Want to Make You Suffer (Original Post) villager Dec 2014 OP
"economy minus" - W.T.F.?! cyberswede Dec 2014 #1
Can't wait 'til the give us the "minus" option! villager Dec 2014 #2
By sea, that would be called "steerage!" nt MADem Dec 2014 #11
"But the fee model comes with systematic costs that are not immediately obvious." unrepentant progress Dec 2014 #3
Great argument for fast rail. JDPriestly Dec 2014 #4
I wouldn't mind if they got a little visit BlancheSplanchnik Dec 2014 #8
I prefer rail, but the costs are very high. In early November, I 1monster Dec 2014 #17
I haven't been on a flight that boards back to front in many years. HERVEPA Dec 2014 #5
Longer jetways with two doors jeff47 Dec 2014 #19
That was the original model of Jet Blue--always loading front and back. OrwellwasRight Dec 2014 #35
AmericanAirlines announces new seating plan for 737s. quadrature Dec 2014 #6
Haha. This ^ Moliere Dec 2014 #15
I liked what Lewis Black said about airplane crowding: Manifestor_of_Light Dec 2014 #7
Economy is now there only to sell Business (or whatever) MisterP Dec 2014 #9
Smaller seats and Americans are so big. mackerel Dec 2014 #10
I need to be able to affordably get from East Coast US to West Coast US in less than an hour Triana Dec 2014 #12
wow, I bet you must celebrate the hell out of Festivus. HERVEPA Dec 2014 #23
And that is why I don't fly. bemildred Dec 2014 #13
Sad but true gladium et scutum Dec 2014 #14
wait, the Holy Free Market doesn't always benefit consumers? phantom power Dec 2014 #16
Yes, I noticed this in the early to mid 90s rock Dec 2014 #18
Lack of other options. jeff47 Dec 2014 #20
Well lucky for me rock Dec 2014 #21
Unfortunately, mine do. I love Europe and go once a year. The good news is that CTyankee Dec 2014 #22
That's a reasonable compromise rock Dec 2014 #25
well, 7 1/2 hours over and about 8 back... CTyankee Dec 2014 #31
Well, I fly 6 or 7 times a year, coach. HERVEPA Dec 2014 #24
Yep, babies crying rock Dec 2014 #26
Well, HERVEPA Dec 2014 #28
Congrats on having a demeanor rock Dec 2014 #32
Yeh. Life's too short, and I'm too close to the end of it to get too worked up. HERVEPA Dec 2014 #33
One reason we no longer fly except in emergencies peacebird Dec 2014 #27
All airline's minimum seat width should be no narrower than an average American's ass size, by law. Fred Sanders Dec 2014 #29
Clinton was President the last time I flew IDemo Dec 2014 #30
I am naseated every time I fly and hear that the OrwellwasRight Dec 2014 #34
 

villager

(26,001 posts)
2. Can't wait 'til the give us the "minus" option!
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 12:52 AM
Dec 2014

Perhaps it'll come with an extra TSA frisk-down, if you're flying "too cheaply!"

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
4. Great argument for fast rail.
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 12:57 AM
Dec 2014

I travel by rail pretty frequently now. It's great. So comfortable.

May the executives of the airlines all suffer from sciatica and restless legs as they age. They deserve it.

1monster

(11,012 posts)
17. I prefer rail, but the costs are very high. In early November, I
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 11:52 AM
Dec 2014

took a trip from Florida to the D.C. area. By plane it cost me $264 for two round trips, plus a $50 fee to check two bags round trip. A slightly shorter round trip to D.C. by rail would have cost me so much more that I didn't even consider it. (Traveling by rail at non-peak times can be more economical.)

 

HERVEPA

(6,107 posts)
5. I haven't been on a flight that boards back to front in many years.
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 01:33 AM
Dec 2014

They have some type of algorithm they use.
And how would you fill both ends at once?

jeff47

(26,549 posts)
19. Longer jetways with two doors
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 03:56 PM
Dec 2014

One door at the front of the plane, and another at one of the rear doors of the plane.

OrwellwasRight

(5,170 posts)
35. That was the original model of Jet Blue--always loading front and back.
Sun Dec 28, 2014, 02:49 PM
Dec 2014

Many airports banned it after 9/11 because of "security." I now can't remember the last time I boarded front and back on Jet Blue.

Many European flights unloaded front and back (they don't even have a gate; they load you onto busses and drive to a gate), but they don't let you board that way.

 

Manifestor_of_Light

(21,046 posts)
7. I liked what Lewis Black said about airplane crowding:
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 02:17 AM
Dec 2014

"They might as well just put a stick up your ass!!"



I'm glad I'm short enough and narrow enough to sit in those seats. I got picked on for being short a lot when I was younger.

MisterP

(23,730 posts)
9. Economy is now there only to sell Business (or whatever)
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 03:10 AM
Dec 2014

the incentive for service has been lost: the brake lines have been cut

 

Triana

(22,666 posts)
12. I need to be able to affordably get from East Coast US to West Coast US in less than an hour
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 06:11 AM
Dec 2014

Until then, travel in the US (perhaps the world), is ridiculously miserable comfortwise and costwise.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
13. And that is why I don't fly.
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 06:20 AM
Dec 2014

I'm not going to pay some corporation to jerk me around, it just encourages them.

gladium et scutum

(803 posts)
14. Sad but true
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 07:13 AM
Dec 2014

Flying use to be a relatively enjoyable experience, decades ago. Now it rates somewhere between colonoscopy and root canal on my fun meter.

rock

(13,218 posts)
18. Yes, I noticed this in the early to mid 90s
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 12:08 PM
Dec 2014

And felt more like cattle than human when I flew. That's when I gave up flying. I couldn't understand why there wasn't a huge wave of travelers giving it up as well.

jeff47

(26,549 posts)
20. Lack of other options.
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 04:26 PM
Dec 2014

If we wanted to go to the family's Christmas festivities, we had to get across the country.

Our options were 1) fly or 2) don't go.

Rail, bus or driving would require adding many days to our trip, which was not possible due to having a job.

Also, work gets a bit upset about traveling for 8 days to a 3 day conference. So even if we decided to forego seeing our families, there's still going to be other times where there are no other options.

CTyankee

(63,769 posts)
22. Unfortunately, mine do. I love Europe and go once a year. The good news is that
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 05:19 PM
Dec 2014

there are some decent carriers going there. I generally stay away from KLM, tho...Air France was the best and even had decent food...

rock

(13,218 posts)
25. That's a reasonable compromise
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 05:54 PM
Dec 2014

And doesn't sound like a really hard burden on you. After all it's not like it's a weekly trip to Europe. Some people would even enjoy that!

CTyankee

(63,769 posts)
31. well, 7 1/2 hours over and about 8 back...
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 06:37 PM
Dec 2014

so you are confined for long periods of time. The way back is harder for some reason jet lag wise. So I try to get non stops getting back because I fly into JFK and it takes a long time to get back to CT on the limo (bus). My stop is always last. So I try to get earlier and shorter flights back. I'm still pretty much cooked for a couple of weeks trying to get over the jet lag. Wish I knew how to fix that. I've tried but so far no luck.

 

HERVEPA

(6,107 posts)
24. Well, I fly 6 or 7 times a year, coach.
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 05:24 PM
Dec 2014

It's not wonderful, but nowhere near as bad as some here are making it out to be.
It's cheap, relatively, and you can get across the country in four of five hours.
It's not the worst thing in the world to be stuck in a small seat for a few hours.

rock

(13,218 posts)
26. Yep, babies crying
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 06:02 PM
Dec 2014

Long delays, people leaning their seats back in your lap. Boy, is the NSA gonna have a tough time with you. (I mean assuming you ever have a piece of information that they're wanting!)

 

HERVEPA

(6,107 posts)
28. Well,
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 06:09 PM
Dec 2014

I have a long delay maybe one out of 15 times at most.
About 1 in 10 with people leaning back. If they're too far back, I ask them if they'd mind moving it up some and they usually will move it up all the way.Babies cry. Deal with it. People have babies and sometimes want to travel with them. Maybe even to visit their grandparents.

 

HERVEPA

(6,107 posts)
33. Yeh. Life's too short, and I'm too close to the end of it to get too worked up.
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 08:04 PM
Dec 2014

(Not sick or dying, just in my 60's). Am living my life to its fullest.

peacebird

(14,195 posts)
27. One reason we no longer fly except in emergencies
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 06:03 PM
Dec 2014

We used to think nothing of hopping a flight for a quick getaway. We stopped a dozen years ago when flying became so onerous.
Now we drive, or take the train. Just got a little R-Pod travel trailer to make the trips with our dog. We won't go back to flying. It used to be FUN to fly, you got nice meals, people were happy, the stewardesses were pleasant and the entire experience was good. Nowadays, ugh. Everyone is stressed, irritable, crammed into increasingly tiny seats, rude flight staff, impossible tsa cretins. Totally miserable experience.

OrwellwasRight

(5,170 posts)
34. I am naseated every time I fly and hear that the
Sun Dec 28, 2014, 02:42 PM
Dec 2014

first class passengers are invited to board on the 'red carpet.' What are they, royalty because they spent more? It's gross.

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