On Mar 31, 7:44=A0am, nob...@spamcop.net wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:08:53 -0700 (PDT), kyle051...@aol.com wrote:
>
> >> And if they allowed people to do that, why would anyone buy an
> >> unrestricted ticket at the higher price?
>
> >That is a good point. =A0But I really wonder how many people buy the
> >unrestricted tickets anyway.
>
> Those whose plans change a lot..if you need maximum flex, you buy
> refundable/changeable tickets...I buy them sometimes when I am not
> sure if a particular date and time will be cast in stone.
>
> You wiegh the cost/benefit of the higher prices vs. buying a locked in
> ticket. =A0If at the last moment I have a change in plans, the fully
> refundable/changeable one paid off big time. =A0Sometimes the el cheapo
> is better and you just eat the ticket price as the new one and the old
> one are less than the cost of the fully refundable one...this is what
> adults do: =A0Make informed, rationald ecisions based on their needs.
>
> Don't think of the deeply discounted tickets as the "normal" price
> even though that's what everyone wants. =A0Overall, ticket prices at
> most levels are still incredible bargains compared to thirty years
> ago. =A0
>
> I recently flew LAX to FRA for almost half what I paid to fly the same
> route in 1980! =A0For that price, I don't expect to be able to change
> the date or get a refund for free.
>
> JIm P>
I think you should consider yourself lucky. I live in NZ and we only
have 3 carriers that offer domestic flights. Take Air New Zealand for
example. They have 3 types of fares: super saver, flexi saver and
flexi. A super saver fare (for an hour long flight between major
cities) would be $110, flexi saver $180 and flexi anywhere between
$280 and $500 depending on when you book.
Super saver's offer no refund whatsover, a $50 change fee plus
difference in fare and you do not earn airpoints. Flexi saver is an
extra $70 and the conditions are exactly the same except you earn
airpoints and obviously flexi fare is self explanatory.
When I buy whatever fare I am buying then I know what the conditions
are. If I don't like the conditions then I buy a more flexible fare or
I find another way to get where I'm going or I turn to a different
airline. Simple.
And your reasoning is not sound. You say that if you pay them $50 and
go on an earlier flight then they can sell your original seat for a
flexible fare price and you both win. That is not the case. What if
the earlier flight's cheap seats are already sold out? Then the
airline is losing money by selling it to you for $50 plus your
original fare when they could be getting 3 times that amount of money.
What happens if your original flight is not in demand and they cannot
sell your seat again? |
