OK Ryanair, I’ll pay your blood money

NoodleDoodleMan

These "risks" are all engineered by the airlines to manipulate passengers.

There is no practical reason to stop airlines allowing passengers to choose their seats at the time of booking.

I'm not clear on the car hire comparison - the vehicle costs the same if filled to seating capacity, or only used by the driver, and if you are a passenger you aren't asked to pay more to sit up front, or in the rear, as is your preference.

JimmyTheWig

jpsartre wrote: »

The problem is that people don't think about that. A large percentage of the people that book flights will go with whomever is at the top of the list when prices are sorted from low to high. That's why LCC's like Ryanair have been trendsetters in the industry when it comes to the introduction of paying for onboard refreshments, seat selection, checked luggage, etc. and why traditional airlines like BA have been forced to follow suit. Everything is focused on getting the base fare as low as possible.

Exactly. The market isn't working. Intervention is needed.

NoodleDoodleMan

Intervention is needed[/QUOTE

A few months back I was invited to submit comments to an organisation investigating the issue of airline seating allocation procedures.

Would have been the CAA - wish I'd kept a copy now.

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/airline-seats-caa-ryanair-easyjet-british-airways-seating-allocations-splitting-middle-seats-a8193431.html

jpsartre

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

Exactly. The market isn't working. Intervention is needed.

Maybe as far as preventing airlines from splitting people up deliberately (for the safety reasons already mentioned) but there is no intervention needed that I can see to prevent airlines from offering drinks, checked luggage, advance seat selection, etc. at additional costs to the base fare. A personal preference is not a reason to impose government intervention.

VfM4meplse

peachyprice wrote: »

Sleazy don't deliberately separate families, so yes, they are better from that POV. Flybe are pretty good, I fly with them a lot too, they also fly out of LCY which is a dream of an airport and easy for you to get to. BA fly out of LCY too.

In all my years of living within spitting distance, I never used LCY once - primarily because of the limited destination list. My nearest and dearest used it a lot for business travel though, and like Southend it was very easy to access, drop off and collect.

cubegame

NoodleDoodleMan wrote: »

These "risks" are all engineered by the airlines to manipulate passengers.

There is no practical reason to stop airlines allowing passengers to choose their seats at the time of booking.

I'm not clear on the car hire comparison - the vehicle costs the same if filled to seating capacity, or only used by the driver, and if you are a passenger you aren't asked to pay more to sit up front, or in the rear, as is your preference.

We get a lot of threads started by people moaning that hire car companies have ripped them off by aggressively selling additional insurance. They do this to subsidise the unsustainable headline price. However, you can safely rent at the headline price if you know how to play their game. If you don't you should expect to subsidise those who do.

JimmyTheWig

jpsartre wrote: »

Maybe as far as preventing airlines from splitting people up deliberately (for the safety reasons already mentioned) but there is no intervention needed that I can see to prevent airlines from offering drinks, checked luggage, advance seat selection, etc. at additional costs to the base fare. A personal preference is not a reason to impose government intervention.

I've got no problem with them charging extra for things that are honestly extras.

NoodleDoodleMan

We get a lot of threads started by people moaning that hire car companies have ripped them off by aggressively selling additional insurance. They do this to subsidise the unsustainable headline price. However, you can safely rent at the headline price if you know how to play their game. If you don't you should expect to subsidise those who do

I have little experience of car hire so I'm not glib to the pitfalls. However, that's a separate scenario from the gist of this thread.

I wonder how much revenue these airlines make from extra seating fees - a modest amount I expect compared to the overall bottom line expense of operating the aircraft from A to B.

I can't think how the overall flight will be marketed at an unsustainable price, on the airline's assumption that the additional sale of chosen seating will increase the bottom line income from a loss to a profit.

The sale of overpriced drinks and food (and duty free goods when permitted) etc. is more likely to raise more than that of seats.

peachyprice

VfM4meplse wrote: »

In all my years of living within spitting distance, I never used LCY once - primarily because of the limited destination list. My nearest and dearest used it a lot for business travel though, and like Southend it was very easy to access, drop off and collect.

It's getting better, there are far more destination now than there ever were, now KLM are there you can connect worldwide in AMS if you don't mind an indirect flight. I miss it when I have to fly through the hell holes of LGW or STN.

Roll on completion of the Elizabeth Line, that will make LHR very accessible, just a 15 min tube ride to Stratford then straight through. I refuse to drive there unless it's an early morning departure/late evening arrival at the weekend.

stoneman

jpsartre wrote: »

Don't fly? It's not a human right to be able to use air transport to every destination.

Shake My Head