Airliner ticket prices used to be regulated. So when all airlines had to charge the same price, they had to find other ways to be competitive in order to bring in customers. Deregulation in the 70s brought ticket costs down but that means ticket cost is now the primary point of competition between airlines and amenities now come at a steep premium.
Why do we put up with this crap?
Submitted 4 months ago by return2ozma@lemmy.world to [deleted]
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/e62ef3c4-0627-4c67-bbdb-9ab38b48206e.jpeg
Comments
BigBenis@lemmy.world 4 months ago
SupraMario@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Yep, you can have it one way or the other…cheap flights or super luxury and only the rich can fly. Planes are not cheap to operate and fuel isn’t free.
No_Eponym@lemmy.ca 4 months ago
And CEO bonuses and shareholder dividends must always be high-flying.
MirthfulAlembic@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Frankly for short haul flights it makes sense. Would it be worth paying double or triple for a three hour flight just to get a full meal? Anyone who truly wants a taste of old time flying can get that with a first class ticket, both in terms of cost and quality.
x0x7@lemmy.world 4 months ago
But on the plus side normal people can use air travel now.
BigBenis@lemmy.world 4 months ago
I’m not so sure that is a positive. Airplanes are huge emission drivers and our dependence on the convenience of air travel has caused us to cease investment and innovation in other more efficient and environmentally friendly methods of travel.
No doubt there’d be a lot more support for high speed rails if airplanes weren’t as accessible. IMO airplanes should only really be used for intercontinental travel.
TechNerdWizard42@lemmy.world 4 months ago
This is the sort of weird back in the day post that doesn’t make sense. Boomers not understanding house prices and minimum wage, that is true.
This plane ticket stuff is wrong. For about the same cost as a ticket back in the day you get way more. In 1955, a one way transatlantic flight was roughly £5k. That’s $6.3k freedom dollars, one way. You can today buy a ticket on that type of route for half that price that includes a lie flat bed, amenities and pyjamas, 2 hot meals, unlimited snacks, unlimited drinks, lounge access on departure and arrival, priority check-in, boarding an ungodly amount of luggage, etc. And in the lounges you get free food cooked to order, free unlimited drinks, free second tier food like buffets, etc.
If you want to spend the equivalent money or a bit more, you could fly even better. You can have a private chef onboard making a meal for you anytime you want. You can take a shower in the sky. You can have a literal bedroom and attached private living room in a mini suite just for you. And that’s flying commercial.
The other side of it is that now people can also buy a ticket for $25. Which would be completely unfathomable back when civil rights weren’t a thing.
Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 4 months ago
In 1955, a one way transatlantic flight was roughly £5k.
Is this already inflation adjusted or was it 5000 1955-pounds, because that would make the difference way more extreme
TechNerdWizard42@lemmy.world 4 months ago
I adjusted it for inflation already.
cjk@discuss.tchncs.de 4 months ago
Came here to write something like that. 💯
Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 4 months ago
that includes a lie flat bed
That entirely depends on how tall you are. Walking through those seats on my way to have my knees crammed into the seat in front of me I realized that even there I’m too big for an airplane.
Maybe there’s a market for a big & tall airline.
TechNerdWizard42@lemmy.world 4 months ago
The old ones have seats with about 72in of lie flatness which is 6ft. But unless you sleep like a Victorian ghost, most people bend their knees or legs somehow. My friend that is 6ft4in has no issues and he’s tall and wide.
Most of the new ones are 76in to 82in. 6ft 10in is pretty generous. And if you need longer, there are first class seats which are full beds and you’d have no issue.
I fly in a pod every few weeks for 12hr+ flights and it’s very comfortable. I am hoping blimp travel makes a come back as I’d love to take the scenic way back with a full suite one day.
Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world 4 months ago
We are too reliant of air travel as it is. With the advent of the internet we should reduce air travel down to permitted leisure/visiting family and migration. Businesses should be able to video confernced most transactions. The allowance where you absolutely need on cite representation can be reduced drastically.
That is, if you toom climate change seriously.
Xanis@lemmy.world 4 months ago
HA. So look, I do agree. Problem is businesses don’t care, even if we do. If you figure out a way to stop management across way too many professions from holding hour long meetings to talk about some data point that has so significance to what is actually happening, and those “leaders” who call meetings early to get the team together, when the whole damn thing could be in an email…yeah man, when you solve that, I’ll work with you to solve the rest.
Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Ok, but like I’m not going to solve it. It’s not also going to be solved today. I’m just saying you want to gripe about your shitty airplane experience like we need to make it a luxury resort when really we need to stop pumping carbon into the atmosphere.
John_McMurray@lemmy.world 4 months ago
[deleted]Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Lol. “The environment can suck my big fat cock. I need to goto Jamaica, NOW!”
Thanks for the laugh.
Allonzee@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Wait till accelerating climate change makes leisure flights a thing of the past.
Our species is done, thanks to mindsets like yours.
aidan@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Businesses should be able to video confernce most transactions.
Almost everyone who travels a lot for work wants this too.
Cowbee@lemmy.ml 4 months ago
Plus, high-speed rail is better for the environment.
suction@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Not having to do unnecessary travel at all beats every transportation mode…
yemmly@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Rowboats my friend. Rowboats.
HowManyNimons@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Cheaper innit.
Tja@programming.dev 4 months ago
Succinct
superkret@feddit.org 4 months ago
The people in the top picture still fly like that.
The people in the bottom picture couldn’t afford to fly at all in the past.qjkxbmwvz@startrek.website 4 months ago
It can be extremely luxurious if you pay.
I’d rather get to my destination with my wallet still in tact, but you do you.
captainlezbian@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Yeah I recently flew internationally business class (seriously idk why my company forked that kind of money over for a peon engineer but I wasn’t going to complain). Free booze, cultural meals of both countries, and the ability to lie down completely
capt_wolf@lemmy.world 4 months ago
So I remember taking a flight 10 years ago and they gave us pretzel pieces from snyders. I thought, great, we don’t even get whole pretzels…
Next flight, they give us generic “trail mix” in clear bags. The kind the old folks down the street would give out at Halloween because it was “healthy.” but that contained approximately 2 pretzels the size of quarters, 3 peanuts, 3 generic m&ms, and 2 raisins…
It gave me the impression that airlines are like schools, where the flight staff are the ones bringing in the snacks because the airline is too cheap to supply them.
doingthestuff@lemmy.world 4 months ago
My teacher friends live in big houses and travel all over the world but you know whatever. I don’t.
todd_bonzalez@lemm.ee 4 months ago
Airlines were not more luxurious 50 years ago.
You had more legroom and the TSA didn’t exist, but everything else was way worse.
ikidd@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Yah, but you could smoke.
ouRKaoS@lemmy.today 4 months ago
Not so much could as did.
Smoking section: 20 rows, next to the air filters.
Non-smoking section: any seat where the ashtray in the armrest didn’t work
dantheclamman@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Also the safety was statistically worse for the most part
hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 months ago
Eh, if you’re looking for the cheapest ticket available you can’t really expect luxury. Airlines are competing with prices, so all luxury goes off the window like a passenger on a Boeing flight
chemicalprophet@lemm.ee 4 months ago
Because our children’s children will still be paying the tab for that unsustainable opulence. Fuck they’ll be paying the bill for recreational air travel with only pretzels.
A_Chilean_Cyborg@feddit.cl 4 months ago
Cuz first class used to be the only class.
whome@discuss.tchncs.de 4 months ago
The amount of people who think flying is a normal thing. One percent of the worlds population produce 50% of aviation emissions. And most off the worlds population never fly in their life.
blindbunny@lemmy.ml 4 months ago
When the corpo wars start I’m just going to shoot them out of the sky
nexussapphire@lemm.ee 4 months ago
Because you always buy the cheaper seats. It’s not your fault, I do the same. Flying was literally for the wealthiest of people at that point in history, it was literally a luxury to fly instead of taking a train, bus, or a boat.
GBU_28@lemm.ee 4 months ago
Stupid. The cost for flights then was more like beyond first class prices now.
dtrain@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Stupid. The cost for flights then was more like beyond first class prices now.
And a lot more smoky.
abcd@feddit.org 4 months ago
This reminded me of that one flight as a kid, when I was seated in a row with two smokers. I literally couldn’t breathe. I’m happy that my kids don’t have to experience shit like this.
tpihkal@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Don’t like the smoke? Then sit on the other side of the aisle in the non-smoking section.
DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org 4 months ago
Indeed, I do prefer a can of cola, some pretzels and five crisp hundred dollar notes.
fukurthumz420@lemmy.world 4 months ago
this post seems kinda bourgeoisie to me. i literally don’t give a fuck because we have way bigger problems. if you’re here to bitch about the amenities on an airline flight, well, i guess that must be a nice problem to have.
Red_October@lemmy.world 4 months ago
I for one can only complain about one problem at a time. If something’s not the biggest problem in my life, I’m incapable of addressing it.
Snapz@lemmy.world 4 months ago
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That tray table is WAYYYYY too big and luxurious.
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That cup is about double the size they give now.
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You didn’t get to pick those pretzels, there was just the single “choice” now.
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Also, you didn’t get to pick that seat and you had to have last minute anxiety that you wouldn’t even be assigned a seat by the gate agent at the airport (after already taking time off from work to travel and committing $100+ for uber or airport parking)
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You also paid at least an extra $100 to have a carryon bag (more depending on your route) and even more for a checked bag.
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shitty rental car at your destination now costs $100/day and parking at your hotel is not free, and is in fact $30-$50 additional per night.
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And your garbage hotel room costs 3X what it should.
AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Even spirit airlines allows you to pick your seat provided you book in advance
Snapz@lemmy.world 4 months ago
It doesn’t though with the basic fares now. Boarding pass has “see gate agent” printed where a seat assignment would be. And no guarantee of a couple/family being seated together.
Also always rumors of airlines testing stacked or standing seats to cram even more people in each plane.
Dettweiler42@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 months ago
Allegiant and Frontier don’t, unless you want to pay extra to pick your seat. Some will cost more than others.
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Red_October@lemmy.world 4 months ago
You COULD be paying for first class seats and getting that kind of treatment, but you’re flying Economy, aren’t you.
pyre@lemmy.world 4 months ago
capitalism. next question?
actually, don’t bother! just assume the answer to why things suck is always capitalism unless you find hard evidence to the contrary.
Nurgus@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Planes are three times faster, five times longer range and 95% cheaper per mile, in real terms, than those early days.
The consumer was given the choice and they chose this. Honestly, air travel is great.
Yes, capitalism sucks. I hate being nickle and dimed for hand luggage, lottery tickets, snacks, hidden booking fees and all that shit. Some gentle regulations would be really nice.
pyre@lemmy.world 4 months ago
saying consumers were given a choice is a bit generous.
also standing planes incoming.
psivchaz@reddthat.com 4 months ago
Look, I’m basically a communist most of the time, but I don’t think this is a good take. I’ll admit I don’t actually know the numbers but I know air travel is expensive and not great for the planet.
It could be better, sure, but I would argue that cramming people in and offering the barest of amenities is a good thing when it comes to air travel. Yes, it sucks to be in a plane but it sucks to pollute the air too. It’s good that more people have more travel options now, and it’s good that we can get more people to more places with less fuel than ever before. We shouldn’t bitch about that, we should accept it as a necessity for getting what we want: to arrive someplace far away in an amazingly short period of time, allowing us to see more of the planet than any of our ancestors, while minimizing the harm as much as we can.
fukurthumz420@lemmy.world 4 months ago
this lemmy gold earned my upvote.
nexussapphire@lemm.ee 4 months ago
Yeah, generations of people hunting for a deal and these companies responding to demand with cheaper options. So capitalism maybe but more so human behavior.
33550336@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Totally, soviet planes where known from luxury and totally not from accidents /s
roboto@feddit.org 4 months ago
You guys get snacks?
doingthestuff@lemmy.world 4 months ago
There’s no snacks. Maybe a mini bag of pretzels if the flight is over 5 hrs long.
roboto@feddit.org 4 months ago
And you get that for free? That’s wild! I really mean that I’m happy Ryanair has to offer me a seat
rand_alpha19@moist.catsweat.com 4 months ago
Look at Mr. Moneybags over here, getting a drink that's not water.
AeonFelis@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Randomgal@lemmy.ca 4 months ago
Because what are you gonna do? Take a boat to cross the Atlantic? Like you’re some puritan running from Anglicanism?
electric_nan@lemmy.ml 4 months ago
Please just let me recline a bit more.
umbraroze@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Meanwhile, me aboard a train: “Oh you can get whole massive meals on restaurant cars these days? No thank you, I’ll get a coffee and one of those overpriced naff sandwiches.” (Well, the Finnish train sandwiches are pretty good, but they are hella overpriced. Like 7€. WTF.)
drunkpostdisaster@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Ship travel in the age of sail was more accommodating. At least you can walk around and shit.
KoalaUnknown@lemmy.world 4 months ago
And the “free” pretzels are also sponsored with an ad on the packaging.
blindbunny@lemmy.ml 4 months ago
Because Americans have no class consciousness
kandoh@reddthat.com 4 months ago
My father’s generation thought planes would just get faster and faster and by now we’d be able to fly from NYC to Tokyo in 40 minutes
FelixCress@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Someone clearly doesn’t understand how much it used to cost to travel by plane 50 years ago.
Wogi@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Also this image is bullshit
Tray tables are about half that size now.
morrowind@lemmy.ml 4 months ago
Not on longer flights. It doesn’t benefit airlines much to make smaller tray tables
PP_BOY_@lemmy.world 4 months ago
No kidding
For the OP of this meme, you know you can still pay for food services on flights today, right?
EleventhHour@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Ehh…
Proportionally (inflation considered), flights are much cheaper now than they were 50 years ago. Consequently, flying is a more accessible mode of transport for many and has resulted in the soaring popularity of air travel, which began after deregulation. However, despite the cost drop, the base cost of flying has increased as airlines operate small profit margins and seek to remain competitive.
jaybone@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Yeah but it sucks.
VelvetStorm@lemmy.world 4 months ago
It was like 135 bucks for the cheapest unrestricted ticket in the usa in 1975, which comes out to around 814 bucks today. Where as I can buy a round-trip ticket right now for 220, which is the equivalent of 38 bucks in 1975.
And to really put that into perspective, an average house in 1975 cost 39k, and if you take out a 20-year lone with 9% interest, you are looking at 193 bucks per month for your rent. So a single plane ticket in 1975 was 69% of the average monthly rent for a house.
Idk why I did all this, but my adhd told me I had to.
return2ozma@lemmy.world 4 months ago
It’s a shit post
SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Life’s been tough since Biden dropped out, hey?
MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 4 months ago
Would be better if it still was. Less people would fly.
aidan@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Not everyone’s situtation is yours. There are millions of people living continents away from their family to earn money to support them.
jaybone@lemmy.world 4 months ago
But back then the price was regulated to they had to compete on service.
That might have been more that 50 years now.