Re: airline comparison a poor one

["Jeff House" <whocasa@hotmail.com>]

OK, Kevin Mc.  I've settled down a bit.  I won't say what I was thinking.  
That would be cruel.

From: Sroundtable@aol.com
"Private individuals aren't buying up airline tickets before those who 
really want to fly want them, then marking them up to make a profit."

Why is that?  Is it because there is more than one airline?  Would the 
airlines operate this way if airline ticket brokers were legal?

"Airlines just want to encourage people to buy tickets early so they can 
plan flight schedules and have guranteed fares, rather than having to rely 
on late fares in which flights may have 10 people on them and
the airline flight costs are more than what people paid."

Right and wrong.  Airlines do want to encourage people to buy in advance, 
but not for the reason you cite.  They want to get the customers' cash ASAP. 
  Airlines want to put asses in seats and charge the most they can.  Pure 
and simple. Of course they have to compete with each other for those asses.  
The widely held notion that last-minute airline ticket are *always* 
expensive is wrong.  I've bought dirt cheap last-minute tickets, I've also 
talked my way onto flights last minute with a ticket from a competing 
airline.  The 2nd technique is difficult post Sept 11 for security reasons.

"The airlines aren't keeping people who want to buy 1st class seats early 
from doing so as if some douchebag has camped outside the ticket counter and 
bought them all up with no intention of using any of them."

Try to think about this for just a moment, please:
*Concerts - one producer, no competition
*Airline seats - many producers, competition.

Repeat three times.
Breathe deeply.
Close your eyes.
Repeat the above again.
Got it?

The "douchebag" would have to work very hard to buy all 1st class seats from 
all airlines in a given point of origin for all days.  The airlines are 
competing with each other!!!!!  See?


Can't we get back to the face-punching analogy?

Jeff

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