"Basic economy fare". No use of overhead bins. No guarantee of seating together. No changes

[Demovictory9]

When Michael Zwirn recently booked tickets for his family to travel from Washington, D.C., to Chicago to Boston, he snagged what he thought was a great deal - until he read the fine print. It turned out he'd inadvertently purchased "basic economy" tickets on United, which meant no changes, no access to the overhead bins and, most critically, no guarantee the three of them would be seated together.

Those "perks" were available only with higher-priced tickets.

For Zwirn, a think-tank program director who travels frequently for work and prides himself on keeping up with the latest in transportation trends, it was an important lesson.

"If your first cut is on the basis of price, you have to read very carefully," he said.

____

As for Zwirn, he ended up rebooking the tickets so he could guarantee his family would be seated together. The cost was nominal - only about $60 more - so it was worth it.

And that's what the airlines are counting on - that given the option, travelers will opt to pay more.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/its-buyer-beware-as-big-airlines-embrace-basic-economy-fares/2018/03/12/84c71282-2164-11e8-94da-ebf9d112159c_story.html

[uncle ray]

1. i've just asked the gate agent to seat my party together if possible.

they usually can if you're there early enough.

[Voltaire2]

2. Once upon a time we had regulation.

Fares were the same across airlines. Your ticket was good on any carrier. In fact it was a cash equivalent. Airlines competed on service and routes.

[BannonsLiver]

5. Yeah, and only the wealthy could afford to fly

There are a lot of downsides to de-regulation. The accessibility of air travel to more people is not one of them.

[Voltaire2]

10. Thats not true.

Ticket prices were higher, but air flight was not restricted to the wealthy.

[BannonsLiver]

12. Lol

when things are more expensive fewer people can afford them. But hey nice try though.

[Voltaire2]

13. Your claim was that only the wealthy

could afford to fly.

You have changed your argument.

Lol.

[Major Nikon]

21. Depends on what you call wealthy

In 1965, 80% of Americans had never been on a plane.
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,833812,00.html

[Voltaire2]

23. Sure. And by 1975?

But as “wealthy” is ambiguous the argument is just a tautology. Just define wealthy as “people who flew on an airplane”.

[Major Nikon]

28. You think it was cheaper then?

It wasn’t. Airline regulation guaranteed profitability of the airlines and limited competition.

[Voltaire2]

40. No. I didnt say that. I think by 1975

a much larger fraction of the population had flown.

The argument I objected to was “only the wealthy could fly”. That argument was bullshit.

[Major Nikon]

43. Only the wealthy drink Dom Perignon

True in the strictest technical sense? No. True in the practical sense. Yes. The ability to read between the lines comes in quite handy from time to time.

I remember 1975 quite well. We were decidedly middle class. Nobody in my family had ever been on a plane. Very few people we knew had. If you needed to travel, you drove or took the bus or a train. The reason was economics. The price of a ticket was beyond practicality for the middle class.

[Voltaire2]

44. Odd I remember 1975 quite well too.

Also middle class. Flying was common. In fact “youth fares” as I mentioned elsewhere, made it incredibly cheap to fly anywhere in the US. I guess we just have our position and we are sticking to it.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

31. By the early 1970s air fares had come down enough,

and there were various discounts and excursion fares available that the number of people who had ever flown skyrocketed. And that was before deregulation.

I was an airport ticket agent at the time, and I know what I'm talking about.

[Hekate]

17. Not true. In addition, the accomodations are now worse than a Greyhound Bus.

For long distance and/or emergency travel we are now stuck with this mode of mass transit, and customers have no rights at all.

My first flight was 61 years ago, my most recent a few years back. I have a basis for comparison.

[BannonsLiver]

18. ....

[Hekate]

19. yawn

[BannonsLiver]

20. Before you go to sleep, a bit of reality

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2012/10/13/the-evolution-of-airfares-in-one-chart/?utm_term=.f9ca217d4f5b

If you take the time to click the link you’ll see and hopefully admit you’re dead wrong. And fares were even more expensive in the 50s and 60s.

Now if you want to get into a debate on service and value for money post deregulation that’s another story, but this is about getting from A to B, not all the other frivel fravle about amenity bags and complimentary booze.

This is a great example of people romanticizing the past. It’s comforting I suppose but doesn’t always line up with reality. Anyway, have a lovely evening.

[yardwork]

22. I remember flying in the 1960s and 70s. It wasn't that expensive.

My family was far from wealthy, but we icassiobally flew to see my grandparents on the other side of the country. I flew often when I was in college. Not too expensive for a student.

[Voltaire2]

24. At one point there were youth fares.

You could fly anywhere in the us for I think it might have been $25.

[BannonsLiver]

25. See post above with link

It’s okay to hold the position that de-regulation has been a net negative from the standpoint of customer service while also understanding that it has made air travel more accessible. Not sure what is at all controversial about that.

[yardwork]

27. I suspect that better technology has also contributed to lowering costs.

I haven't seen evidence that deregulation is the only or even main reason for lowered costs of air travel.

[GulfCoast66]

33. Great post...

But if everyone on DU takes that route, what do we have to fight about!

I see it as a win. If I want to fly cheaper than in the 70s I can fly coach or god forbid economy.

If I want the service and comfort I had in the 70s then I can upgrade to business. Hell, I flew first class from MCO to LEX two years ago for less than $600. And now we have the rather new choice of what I call Fancy-pants coach. More leg room, free luggage and drinks.

Again, good post.

[GulfCoast66]

6. And flying was super expensive

The wife and I flew to Paris last fall for $471 round trip each. I could not have done that in 1978.

I can visit family in the upper south on delta for around $300 round trip. I can upgrade to business class for $450 and have a better flight experience than 1978 coach for less money inflation adjusted.

And let’s not even mention how much safer flying is, although that has nothing to do with deregulation and all to do with technology.

[kcr]

8. It depends on where you live

There are some areas of the country where it's still very expensive to fly anywhere. I don't live in a high-cost region anymore but I still couldn't get a deal like the one you mentioned. You are lucky to live where you can get a deal like that.

[GulfCoast66]

37. That has always been true

I live within an hour of MCO. One of the busiest in the nation.

If I lived is BFE Montana, well I would live in BFE Montana. Flying would suck.

[EX500rider]

9. Once upon a time flying was very expensive

[Voltaire2]

11. Chart oddly leaves off 1970 from the data

while claiming to show 1970 - 2010.

[EX500rider]

14. Yeah I noticed that...and the prices were even higher back then, especially trans-Atlantic.

[spinbaby]

3. Its the Internet

The Internet makes it so easy to compare prices, that airlines, hotels, and rental car companies compete by advertising “basic” prices that exclude services that were previously understood to be included in the price. That’s how you get hotels that charge for parking and have “resort fees.”

[zipplewrath]

4. United

They've been on a race to the bottom for a few years now. None of them are fantastic, but Delta, with American being a close second, are two of the better. Southworst has actually been trying to stem the slide somewhat, which is odd considering the contributed to the original decline.

[GulfCoast66]

7. I fly delta several time a year including international

And I think they are making a comeback with their service. They are my favorite domestic carrier.

I will not fly United except as a last resort.

[elehhhhna]

16. UA has been a shit show for 25 years.

Coincided with some major union busting and other antiemployee fuckery. Go figure.

[Roland99]

15. Delta has their E fare but I believe that just negates pre selection of seating

A way of competing with low cost airlines like frontier but staying on a major carrier still

[marybourg]

26. The American public has been demanding

low cost airfares for decades. It got what it wanted.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

29. You get what you pay for. People wanted low fares and they got them.

The trade-off was crowded planes, lousy food and extra fees for just about everything. The problem is that airlines are extremely expensive to operate - they have very little flexibility when it comes to controlling or reducing costs. Airplanes are expensive. Most airlines lease rather than buy them outright, but the lease payments are substantial. Maintenance and other safety matters are mandated by the FAA and are not negotiable; airplanes have to be inspected, maintained and repaired in accordance with the regs. This is expensive. Pilots have to be trained, also in accordance with FAA rules, and this is also expensive. The airlines have little control over one of their major costs, fuel, except by hedging. Delta bought its own refinery, which helped a little, but otherwise they have to pay whatever it costs. Labor is also expensive, and the airlines try to cut labor costs by outsourcing as much as they can - but they can't outsource air crews, and minimum crews and flight hours are also mandated by regulation. So when they try to compete on fares, they can keep the fares low only by also reducing services. This means just about everyone can afford to fly, but it also means they won't be flying comfortably.

[Demovictory9]

34. Good points. I recall that they fly the planes to another country for maintenance. Lower labor cost

Of course

[Salviati]

30. So what's next? Basic economy substandard fare?

Where business class travelers get to spit on you, and first class get to sucker punch you?

[GulfCoast66]

35. WTF?

Don’t like cheap economy fares which allow Americans to fly cheaper than ever, then pony up for business class, fancy pants coach or first class.

No one is being forced to purchase these cheap tickets. The airlines are responding to demand.

[Elwood P Dowd]

36. They had NF Air back in the 1970s. Super Cheap flying.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2q4lmi

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

32. Airlines have trained passengers to go for the lowest fare possible.

And passengers have enthusiastically gone along with that. The notion that you get what you pay for doesn't seem to occur to most people.

Recently a friend was flying from Albuquerque to Minneapolis and complained about changing planes in Atlanta. But it was the cheapest fare!

If you want an absolutely rock-bottom fare, you'll get rock-bottom service. It's that simple.

[Exotica]

38. this how some thought it would be

[oberliner]

42. Whites only?

I guess that goes without saying.

[Tatiana]

39. Well, we got cheap fares, but at what cost?

With the fees, I'm still paying about what I used to pay 10+ years ago for 2 carryons and a decent-sized checked luggage. Stopped flying United because their service has become crap. I pay the higher cost to fly Delta. The last 3 flights I have had with them (including 1 international) have been excellent and on-time.

[oberliner]

41. Seems reasonable

If you are looking for the absolute cheapest price then there will be limitations. If you pay a little more, there will be fewer.