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When is a ‘travel hack’ unethical?

washingtonpost.com

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Re: When is a ‘travel hack’ unethical?

#11

Post by vinceguidry »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #3

I disagree with everything in this article. The assumption is that Americans should be scalped for airline tickets because, they're American and rich and deserve it. To take cheap tickets away from people in poorer countries by paying in Rupees or whatever is 'unethical'. Well, airlines are a for-profit business. They don't choose their rates out of some public-service motivation. They charge what they think they can…

I'm not opposed to mild price discrimination, so long that competition within the segment is holding up. For airfare, I personally hate layovers, mismanagement, and ridiculous requirements. I flew Spirit three times to Colombia, this past time is going to be my last. I'll pay $200 extra to fly Delta, it's worth it.

Personally, I feel that if you're focused exclusively on price, you're really missing the point. I could 'save' hundreds of dollars clipping coupons, but honestly to me it's not worth it. I was at the bar the other day and some guys next to me used a ScoutMob, I didn't even know what that was. They said you could save $15 on your tab and that I was being irresponsible with my money. I shrugged and paid full price. I went to the bar prepared to spend $X, spending $X - Y doesn't really make that much of a difference in my purchasing power. What makes a difference is in how you conduct your lifestyle, what Ramit Sethi calls "big wins". Cutting ruthlessly on stuff you don't need and spending relatively extravagantly on stuff you do. Planning expenses and not just consuming things mindlessly.

I don't think it's necessarily unethical to wring every last penny from the airlines, but really, wouldn't the time and energy spent learning how to do that, implementing the strategies, and learning from your mistakes be better spent on your own business / career / life? I feel like discount shoppers wind up being like the 5 year old who'll work harder to argue with his mom why he doesn't want to clean his room than it would take to just clean it.

Re: When is a ‘travel hack’ unethical?

#13

Post by codingdave »

I don't buy the argument that it is unethical to find clever ways to gain services for a lower price. If actual harm is caused to an individual, then ethics come into play - but corporations are not people. "Harming" them doesn't cause me any angst. Even if I did concede that corporations deserve the same ethical treatment as actual people, they control their own tools, methods, and processes. If they created mechanisms that harm their own business, then it is their responsibility to close those loopholes, not mine as a consumer to opt out of using them.

Re: When is a ‘travel hack’ unethical?

#14

Post by grecy »

When is it unethical for Facebook to pay less tax than the average working person?

When is it unethical for BP to say they're sick of cleaning up their oil spills and they're going to stop doing it?

When is it unethical for the bankers and mortgage lenders to do what they did in 2008?

When companies interact with us, they appear to have no ethical obligations of any kind, so it's amusing to think we're somehow bound to be ethical towards them.

Re: When is a ‘travel hack’ unethical?

#15

Post by commaander2 »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #3

I disagree with everything in this article. The assumption is that Americans should be scalped for airline tickets because, they're American and rich and deserve it. To take cheap tickets away from people in poorer countries by paying in Rupees or whatever is 'unethical'. Well, airlines are a for-profit business. They don't choose their rates out of some public-service motivation. They charge what they think they can…

I totally agree with you... I think it's unethical from airlines to have such things in place

Re: When is a ‘travel hack’ unethical?

#16

Post by toast0 »

Paying in another currency isn't unethical; the airline is expressing a strong desire to avoid exchange expenses and risk by dealing in their home currency. I understand the FTC position that it's not an offering directed at US consumers, however.

Sometimes there may also be regional differences in assessed fees and when they are displayed (maybe the Chilean price shown at ticket selection includes a different checked bag allowance, or does not show any airport fees that would be shown at time of payment)

Re: When is a ‘travel hack’ unethical?

#17

Post by mcguire »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #3

I disagree with everything in this article. The assumption is that Americans should be scalped for airline tickets because, they're American and rich and deserve it. To take cheap tickets away from people in poorer countries by paying in Rupees or whatever is 'unethical'. Well, airlines are a for-profit business. They don't choose their rates out of some public-service motivation. They charge what they think they can…

The first example, the one you mention, is pure arbitrage, and is perfectly acceptable, even a good thing, in every other exchange.

I don't see the problem with any of the others as well, and I'm a closet moralist most of the time. Things like the "hidden city" are attempts by the airlines to game the system; they're trying to take advantage of their customer's behavior.

Re: When is a ‘travel hack’ unethical?

#18

Post by venomsnake »

mikeash wrote: post #9

Let's compromise. I promise to be totally clear, transparent, and straightforward in my ticket purchases as long as the airlines are totally clear, transparent, and straightforward in their ticket pricing. Any takers? ...No?

I will take it - the airline charges the maximum their datamining of your information tells them you are able to tolerate.

Re: When is a ‘travel hack’ unethical?

#19

Post by TeMPOraL »

grecy wrote: post #14

When is it unethical for Facebook to pay less tax than the average working person? When is it unethical for BP to say they're sick of cleaning up their oil spills and they're going to stop doing it? When is it unethical for the bankers and mortgage lenders to do what they did in 2008? When companies interact with us, they appear to have no ethical obligations of any kind, so it's amusing to think we're somehow bound…

Because you're making a general point - since when one's unethical behaviour justifies you to retaliate in kind? Two wrongs doesn't make a right, etc.

Re: When is a ‘travel hack’ unethical?

#20

Post by mantasm »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #10

Looking at the reactions of people to this topic, I come to believe there are two general approaches to life. Some people try to look at the whole game and want everyone to win, so they play by the rules. In terms of prisoner's dilemma, they choose to cooperate. Others notice that the market economy is designed around people being selfish, so they use it to justify defecting - minding only their own short-term intere…

I wouldn't segregate the general approaches to life in that sense.

Providing different prices to different groups of people does not result in "everyone winning". It's a classical example of market segmentation, price based on the average ability to pay of someone who holds the currency. It entirely benefits the airliner, and their profits, to be able to do so.

The "hidden city" tickets? A cheaper ticket to go from A->B->C than A->B is a deadweight loss in the market (assuming competitive markets). Prices are not reflecting costs, and airlines again are segmenting based on ability to pay.

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