Quote:
Originally Posted by TorqueDog
It gets cheaper and cheaper because you get less and less. I've been flying since I was 4... hell, I remember when people still got dressed up to fly. You used to get a full complimentary meal on a flight in coach, plus the typical peanuts and a drink (soft or alcobev). They used to give you actual headphones (not even earbuds, branded headphones). One checked bag included was the norm, and carry-ons were not something your fare could preclude you from bringing with you -- I mean, you're the one doing all the work.
I get the appeal of the whole à la carte ticketing thing, but let's not pretend flying is just becoming a better and better value, there's definitely been a degradation in the service level you receive to facilitate that, and with all the talk about standing-room seating being introduced next year, the race to the bottom continues.
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This is what capitalism is all about though.
It shouldnt surprise anyone that the best airlines to fly on are the ones that are owned by royal families/ governments and aren't in a constant race to the bottom on everything.
The same thing has happened to phone apps in the last 10 years. Happening to search engines right now. Will happen to other ####.
An idea comes along, people fund the #### out of it, it explodes and makes huge amounts of money, the company starts reinvesting in optimizing the product for users to keep the momentum. This is the peak. Then the corporate #### hawks come in and snap up the stock and throw in new corporate directors to start "optimizing it" for profit. They start pinching every part of the product/ service trying to extract as much money from it as possible, or try to pivot it to produce more money somehow, etc, or they sometimes even purposely ruin a product/service so a competitor they also have an interest in can do better. They don't care at all about the user base and instead just care about money coming in.
This is why private healthcare and education are horrifically stupid ideas.