Oliver Twist
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Is it time for a revamping of the pricing structure we now have in place in this industry? I remember the TV interviews years ago about airline ticket pricing when the reporter asks a dozen folks on the same plane what they paid. He got a dozen different answers.
Most have called the practice of having as many as 50 or more different fares in the same market insanity. Without powerful computers, no one would be able to keep up with the rapid changes and complexity of the ticket prices and their rules. But is it really making the industry money or is it penalizing one group to the benefit of another. I know I for one find it nuts to sell a business ticket at 500.00 to a single destination one way only to have the next couple with a round trip to that same city for 400.00 combined.
What about the rules for these fares? Can''t travel on Fridays or Sundays but Saturday night stayover required. Only valid for a 2 week period and only on 1 single flight per day in V class. Why not just make it simple, show up in a red hat, umbrella and tap dance for your preferred fare??
To the public, such illustrations are not that far fetched. They think our industry''s rules are totally ridiculous and many on both sides of the counter agree. American tried its 4 fare structure and held on for a few months, maybe a year and then abandonded it. Many other airline (OA) airline folks secretly hoped it would succeed and put an end to the maddnes of revenue enhancment. A system that takes an hour of research at the counter just to see if a passenger can change his ticket to Monday instead of Saturday and will it cost him an arm or an arm and a leg- exageration I know but to the passenger, it''s gospel.
Peolpe are tired of being nickeled and dimed to death and I have little doubt the business man/woman is unhappy knowing they subsidize the family of 4 next to them on their way to Orlando. Mickey likes it, but few other business''s do I suspect. They are just dying to find an alternative. Is it time for one from the majors???
Most have called the practice of having as many as 50 or more different fares in the same market insanity. Without powerful computers, no one would be able to keep up with the rapid changes and complexity of the ticket prices and their rules. But is it really making the industry money or is it penalizing one group to the benefit of another. I know I for one find it nuts to sell a business ticket at 500.00 to a single destination one way only to have the next couple with a round trip to that same city for 400.00 combined.
What about the rules for these fares? Can''t travel on Fridays or Sundays but Saturday night stayover required. Only valid for a 2 week period and only on 1 single flight per day in V class. Why not just make it simple, show up in a red hat, umbrella and tap dance for your preferred fare??
To the public, such illustrations are not that far fetched. They think our industry''s rules are totally ridiculous and many on both sides of the counter agree. American tried its 4 fare structure and held on for a few months, maybe a year and then abandonded it. Many other airline (OA) airline folks secretly hoped it would succeed and put an end to the maddnes of revenue enhancment. A system that takes an hour of research at the counter just to see if a passenger can change his ticket to Monday instead of Saturday and will it cost him an arm or an arm and a leg- exageration I know but to the passenger, it''s gospel.
Peolpe are tired of being nickeled and dimed to death and I have little doubt the business man/woman is unhappy knowing they subsidize the family of 4 next to them on their way to Orlando. Mickey likes it, but few other business''s do I suspect. They are just dying to find an alternative. Is it time for one from the majors???
