Where's the bouncer?
"US airlines’ small fare increases seen trumping big boosts" by Lauren Thomas Bloomberg News June 12, 2015
US airlines that once tried to impose broad-based fare increases are now shifting to smaller, more-focused efforts to extract higher prices on domestic flights, according to travel website FareCompare.com.
I'd say try a local airport, but....
“Airlines have about reached the maximum levels that they can charge,” FareCompare chief executive Richard Seaney said Friday in a telephone interview. “Now they have to target customers more specifically in order to get people to buy.”
As if they aren't $crewing you on the fees already, and how does it feel as a "customer" -- apparently one that is no longer served, but just has to dealt with while they buy things -- being "targeted?"
Bloomberg, the Globe, whatever the pre$$ or ma$$ media, you can $ee what they $ee in you.
Fares are important as a window on airlines’ pricing power. Passenger revenue for each seat flown a mile, a benchmark industry gauge, has been falling this year at the biggest US carriers as discounters such as Southwest Airlines Co. and Spirit Airlines Inc. add capacity faster than growth in US gross domestic product.
“Rare 2015 domestic airfare hike activity” began last week when JetBlue Airways Corp. started raising prices, according to FareCompare. This week, Southwest showed “significant” fare increases, and was joined by other carriers in piecemeal fashion.
Oh. Less seats in planes so up the cost of a ticket. $een this $hell game before.
“This is one of the most unusual hikes I have ever seen,” Seaney said. “It’s like a bar brawl in slow-motion.”
And you $till can't avoid the punch.
Airline stocks rose Friday, the third gain in the past two weeks....
Oh, good. I mean that's, you know, what's really important and what I worry about.
“With sloppy industry pricing no doubt a current theme as of late, we remain encouraged to see multiple, competing airline efforts to shore up revenue, in an ever-expanding scope of domestic markets,” Jamie Baker, a JPMorgan Chase & Co. analyst, said in a note to clients.
Oh, the $cummy bankers are happy? Then shouldn't we all be?
--more--"
They figure if they nickel-and-dime you, you will not notice. What they don't understand is you just cancel the trip, or more likely not even plan it anymore.
