Comments on: Airline policy change roundup: Sayonara standby, ta-ta travel clubs, and go green(er) http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/ Living the first class life -- at coach prices Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:21:15 +0000 hourly 1 By: jay anderson http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-30491 jay anderson Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:59:24 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-30491 Airline employees have seen their wages and benefits disintegrate. One of the last benefits they had was low cost standby travel. These employees despise the policies that allow standby passengers to to displace them to later flights, while their airline derives no quantifiable financial benefit. An employee used to be able to choose a flight they were likely to be accomodated on, but with all of the free random standby passengers, there is absolutely no way to predict if it will be possible to travel. It is one thing to have a desirable premium passenger fly standby for free, but quite a different scenario to have the rest of the passengers (loyal only to the cheapest flight), get this service for free. It also creates alot of extra work for the agents. You will likely find that the airlines that treat their employees best (Delta, Southwest) have policies against free standby travel. The airlines that treat their employees worst (American, US Air) are glad to have this anti employee policy. Airline employees have seen their wages and benefits disintegrate. One of the last benefits they had was low cost standby travel. These employees despise the policies that allow standby passengers to to displace them to later flights, while their airline derives no quantifiable financial benefit. An employee used to be able to choose a flight they were likely to be accomodated on, but with all of the free random standby passengers, there is absolutely no way to predict if it will be possible to travel. It is one thing to have a desirable premium passenger fly standby for free, but quite a different scenario to have the rest of the passengers (loyal only to the cheapest flight), get this service for free. It also creates alot of extra work for the agents. You will likely find that the airlines that treat their employees best (Delta, Southwest) have policies against free standby travel. The airlines that treat their employees worst (American, US Air) are glad to have this anti employee policy.

]]> By: Yes, you can make me a mix tape. | Free Mp3 Download, Full Album http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-12281 Yes, you can make me a mix tape. | Free Mp3 Download, Full Album Mon, 23 Apr 2007 04:06:09 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-12281 [...] Northwest discontinues free standby. WTF. [...] [...] Northwest discontinues free standby. WTF. [...]

]]> By: Mark Ashley http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-11920 Mark Ashley Fri, 20 Apr 2007 00:39:15 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-11920 Your logic makes sense, Mark, but there's a counterargument: I think the reason many airlines try to avoid free standby is that they want to price peak-hour flights at higher prices than off-peak flights. If everyone bought the cheap fares and then stood by for the peak-hour flights, they wouldn't sell as many higher priced peak-hour tickets. It's my understanding that this is why Southwest doesn't do a traditional free standby. That said, smart inventory management could estimate the number of passengers who would want to standby for earlier flights, on average, and could build a little more flexibility into the policy. As a fan of standby, I fear it may be on the way out. Your logic makes sense, Mark, but there’s a counterargument: I think the reason many airlines try to avoid free standby is that they want to price peak-hour flights at higher prices than off-peak flights. If everyone bought the cheap fares and then stood by for the peak-hour flights, they wouldn’t sell as many higher priced peak-hour tickets. It’s my understanding that this is why Southwest doesn’t do a traditional free standby.

That said, smart inventory management could estimate the number of passengers who would want to standby for earlier flights, on average, and could build a little more flexibility into the policy.

As a fan of standby, I fear it may be on the way out.

]]> By: Alex http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-11917 Alex Thu, 19 Apr 2007 20:22:55 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-11917 SAS and BMI offer carbon off-sets as well. SAS and BMI offer carbon off-sets as well.

]]> By: Mitch http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-11916 Mitch Thu, 19 Apr 2007 20:01:05 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-11916 I'll do ya one better. I got to the airport early. Was not allowed the option of taking an earlier flight. Then my flight was delayed several hours due to mechanical problems. The airline did put me on another carriers flight, and still gave me extra frewuent flier points for the dealy. Who won in that case? Certainly not my original carrier. I’ll do ya one better.
I got to the airport early. Was not allowed the option of taking an earlier flight. Then my flight was delayed several hours due to mechanical problems. The airline did put me on another carriers flight, and still gave me extra frewuent flier points for the dealy. Who won in that case? Certainly not my original carrier.

]]> By: Dan http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-11912 Dan Thu, 19 Apr 2007 12:20:55 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-11912 Yes, this makes perfect sense. And therein lies the problem...trying to apply logic to an illogical situation. It's a pity...I was a loyal customer of a certain airline for years. I had to stop being loyal, because my loyalty wasn't appreciated. Service across the board is declining, and soon one gets the impression they'll be charged to use the lav! Perhaps the airline companies think along the same lines as oil companies..."People will ALWAYS need to use our services, so we can set whatever price we want". At least the low-cost, no-frills airlines spell it out very clearly ahead of time as to what you are getting for the price you pay. I always flew the “majors” but no longer. Now, I get better service for a better price with a better attitude on the “Budget” airlines…because they’re trying to get my business. Seems the majors are trying to lose my business. Yes, this makes perfect sense. And therein lies the problem…trying to apply logic to an illogical situation.

It’s a pity…I was a loyal customer of a certain airline for years. I had to stop being loyal, because my loyalty wasn’t appreciated.

Service across the board is declining, and soon one gets the impression they’ll be charged to use the lav! Perhaps the airline companies think along the same lines as oil companies…”People will ALWAYS need to use our services, so we can set whatever price we want”. At least the low-cost, no-frills airlines spell it out very clearly ahead of time as to what you are getting for the price you pay.

I always flew the “majors” but no longer. Now, I get better service for a better price with a better attitude on the “Budget” airlines…because they’re trying to get my business. Seems the majors are trying to lose my business.

]]> By: Peter http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-11911 Peter Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:31:42 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-11911 Yes, that's the problem. Yes, that’s the problem.

]]> By: Mark http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-11909 Mark Thu, 19 Apr 2007 03:44:34 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/04/18/airline-policy-change-roundup-sayonara-standby-ta-ta-travel-clubs-and-go-greener/#comment-11909 This is something that has always confounded me. I don't understand airline economics in the least, but it seems to me that if I show up early for a flight and there is a seat on an earlier flight, why not let me have it so long as all of the higher status customers have been taken care of? If the seat flies empty there is no revenue. If I fly in it there is attributable revenue for that flight and very little in incremental cost. In addition, the airline has a few more hours to sell the seat I would have occupied had I flown as scheduled. Am I making sense? This is something that has always confounded me. I don’t understand airline economics in the least, but it seems to me that if I show up early for a flight and there is a seat on an earlier flight, why not let me have it so long as all of the higher status customers have been taken care of? If the seat flies empty there is no revenue. If I fly in it there is attributable revenue for that flight and very little in incremental cost. In addition, the airline has a few more hours to sell the seat I would have occupied had I flown as scheduled.

Am I making sense?

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