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Airlines are charging solo passengers higher fares than groups

thriftytraveler.com

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Re: Airlines are charging solo passengers higher fares than groups

#221

Post by mbrameld »

akudha wrote: post #220
dbuxton wrote: post #140

I find it weird that this is news and not: - That it's still way cheaper in most instances to book a return (especially where the "trip" straddles a weekend) rather than a one-way fare when travelling long haul - even if you just throw away the return flight. - That you can sometimes get access to totally different inventory by booking a package including accommodation, even if that accommodation is one night in a sh…

Isn’t it a waste to book accommodation and not use it? If it is a popular place, maybe they’ll give it to walkins or something, but otherwise?

Isn't it a waste to spend more for a flight when you could get the same flight for less if you also booked an accommodation you don't plan to use?

Re: Airlines are charging solo passengers higher fares than groups

#222

Post by yadaeno »

stmw wrote: post #194

Here is why I think these kinds of dynamic pricing practices are bad: it may be perfectly fair and legal, but it forces a non-negligible number of humanity to waste time and/or energy to figure out if it's happening, how to work around it if it is, and just generally waste human potential on something that should be a simple commodity.

Same with points systems. Why am I forced to understand your made up currency and status system to get the full value of my money.

There might be some benefits to price discrimination (which is in effect what a point systems achieves) but the collective time wasted dicking around with points isn’t worth it. Make all point systems illegal.

Re: Airlines are charging solo passengers higher fares than groups

#223

Post by nfriedly »

sidewndr46 wrote: post #66
joezydeco wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've flown a good number of transatlantic routes with my family, and I've also flown over alone. From my anecdata, being single greatly increases your chances of being bumped off a full flight. And it's a lot cheaper and easier to compensate/redirect one person than a family of four.

You aren't really "bumped". They are legally allowed to oversell the plane. You were never getting on the plane in the first place. They just use weasel wording language like the flight being "full" when they communicate it I did once have an airline offer me something like $1500 USD and 50,000 bonus miles if I was willing to cancel my flight, but that was days in advance.

> You were never getting on the plane in the first place.

I'm not sure that's true. The airlines are gambling that at least one person will miss the flight for whatever reason, and they'll get away with overbooking.

But, of course, when they loose that gamble, it's really a passenger that looses. The house always wins.

Re: Airlines are charging solo passengers higher fares than groups

#224

Post by akudha »

mbrameld wrote: post #221
akudha wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn’t it a waste to book accommodation and not use it? If it is a popular place, maybe they’ll give it to walkins or something, but otherwise?

Isn't it a waste to spend more for a flight when you could get the same flight for less if you also booked an accommodation you don't plan to use?

I meant the accommodation going to waste (unused), which could be used by someone else.

But yes, in terms of money, it sure is waste to pay more for the flight.

Re: Airlines are charging solo passengers higher fares than groups

#225

Post by w29UiIm2Xz »

paxys wrote: post #210
bobro wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why?

Because they may change their plans. They could be a no-show (which will affect your return flight). They could call and change the flight without your knowledge. They could add extras to the trip and charge it to your card. People are flaky, and being on the same itinerary with the same PNR as someone else means your trip is in their hands.

Some sort of service that sat on top of bookings would have its own set of terms and conditions that you agree to, which would at least disincentivize them from acting against your interest.

Re: Airlines are charging solo passengers higher fares than groups

#226

Post by niij »

bredren wrote: post #130
wallunit wrote: post #54

"Penalizing solo travelers" is a hell of a spin on quantity discounts. If this isn't click bait what is?

This just in: Airlines penalize those not traveling for bereavement.

Airlines don't provide bereavement discounts anymore.

Re: Airlines are charging solo passengers higher fares than groups

#227

Post by josephcsible »

paulgb wrote: post #6

I think this is fair play, they can charge how they want (within reason) and it’s not too different than other bulk discounts. But someone should totally make a site for finding strangers to book the same flight with :)

I can foresee that backfiring when you miss your connection and end up having to stay somewhere unexpected overnight, and then the airline will only pay for one room for both of you.

Re: Airlines are charging solo passengers higher fares than groups

#228

Post by _heimdall »

NegativeLatency wrote: post #204
stmw wrote: post #194

Here is why I think these kinds of dynamic pricing practices are bad: it may be perfectly fair and legal, but it forces a non-negligible number of humanity to waste time and/or energy to figure out if it's happening, how to work around it if it is, and just generally waste human potential on something that should be a simple commodity.

Especially when your industry is so "critical" that it has repeatedly received bailouts from the government.

Are you referring to bailouts for airline operators or Boeing?

Re: Airlines are charging solo passengers higher fares than groups

#229

Post by sidewndr46 »

shawabawa3 wrote: post #166
os2warpman wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Not only are they allowed to bill you whatever they want, they are never under any actual obligation to put you on the plane. With exceptions, once you have paid for a ticket all commercial passenger airlines are obligated to transport you under their contract of carriage. All airlines must do this, I even looked up the contract of carriage for the shittiest airline I could think of and Frontier has this to say: >In…

"next available flight" could mean waiting 2 days in a random airport, hardly reassuring

One of my co-workers had a flight delayed so long that the alternative flight they offered would have him stay on the plane at the destination airport and begin his home journey immediately.

Re: Airlines are charging solo passengers higher fares than groups

#230

Post by mustyoshi »

Molitor5901 wrote: post #80

Airlines are always doing a negative to consumers. Squeezing passengers, gouging, treating them like they're numbers on a spreadsheet - knowing their options are limited - seems modus operand by the airlines. We need a passenger bill of rights, not just for the airlines, but also how passengers are treated in airports, by security, and concrete cause of action for consumers when airlines misbehave.

This is no different than spending 98c per roll to buy 32 rolls of toilet paper vs 1.33$ per roll to only buy 12.

We have a Sam's Club membership because buying in bulk is cheaper.

Edit: checked prices Sam's vs Meijer

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