Airline 'premiums' fail to deliver the luxury they claim.
The airline industry has long been known for its ability to nickel and dime customers, extracting every last penny from their wallets. The latest trend is no exception: "premium" services that seem more like up-charges than actual luxury experiences.
For those willing to pay extra, airlines are offering a range of perks, including window seats, checked baggage, and even lounge access. But what's truly premium about these services? Not much, according to experts.
"It's turned out that competition has led to this situation where the airlines can make more money by unbundling everything," says Marvin Lieberman, a professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. "The airlines have essentially figured out what people are willing to pay for."
In other words, airlines have become masters at identifying which services their customers are willing to pay extra for, and then charging them accordingly. This has led to a situation where the luxury experience is no longer about the service itself, but rather about the convenience of paying more.
One expert notes that making air travel as awful as possible – think smaller seat pitches, longer boarding times, and delayed baggage claims – is actually a sound business strategy when everyone's doing it. Carriers don't need to sell more first class tickets to make money; they just need to sell more seats that aren't the worst.
Ultimately, the "premium" services offered by airlines are little more than marketing gimmicks designed to separate customers from their hard-earned cash. Whether you're willing to pay extra for a window seat or lounge access is irrelevant – what matters is that the airline has successfully extracted every last penny from your wallet.
As one expert puts it, the real premium experience is about how much money you're willing to part with. And if you're not careful, airlines will take advantage of you every step of the way.
The airline industry has long been known for its ability to nickel and dime customers, extracting every last penny from their wallets. The latest trend is no exception: "premium" services that seem more like up-charges than actual luxury experiences.
For those willing to pay extra, airlines are offering a range of perks, including window seats, checked baggage, and even lounge access. But what's truly premium about these services? Not much, according to experts.
"It's turned out that competition has led to this situation where the airlines can make more money by unbundling everything," says Marvin Lieberman, a professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. "The airlines have essentially figured out what people are willing to pay for."
In other words, airlines have become masters at identifying which services their customers are willing to pay extra for, and then charging them accordingly. This has led to a situation where the luxury experience is no longer about the service itself, but rather about the convenience of paying more.
One expert notes that making air travel as awful as possible – think smaller seat pitches, longer boarding times, and delayed baggage claims – is actually a sound business strategy when everyone's doing it. Carriers don't need to sell more first class tickets to make money; they just need to sell more seats that aren't the worst.
Ultimately, the "premium" services offered by airlines are little more than marketing gimmicks designed to separate customers from their hard-earned cash. Whether you're willing to pay extra for a window seat or lounge access is irrelevant – what matters is that the airline has successfully extracted every last penny from your wallet.
As one expert puts it, the real premium experience is about how much money you're willing to part with. And if you're not careful, airlines will take advantage of you every step of the way.
Airline 'premiums' are a joke! Like, I get it, they need to make some cash, but do they really have to nickel and dime us to death? 
I mean, who thought it was a good idea to charge extra for window seats? It's like, come on, that's the whole point of flying! You wanna see the clouds, not stare at a wall. 
And don't even get me started on lounge access... more money to squeeze out of us. 
I swear, if I had a dollar for every time I've been ripped off by an airline... well, let's just say I'd be a rich person by now! 
I'm so over these airline "premiums"! They're just a bunch of fancy words for "extra fees". Like, who thought it was a good idea to charge extra for a window seat? 
I mean, isn't that what seats are supposed to be about? And don't even get me started on the checked baggage fee... 20 bucks just to throw your suitcase in the cargo hold? No thanks! 
. It's like they're trying to make air travel as uncomfortable and expensive as possible.
all this "premium" stuff is jus a fancy way 2 say u gettin ripped off 
? 1 day i wanna fly w/ no extra charges 
that wud b the real premium experience 
They always look so sleek and organized, but I bet it's all just a bunch of extra pixels making the font smaller to squeeze in more info 
It's just a seat, folks! 
. I swear it was trying to be cute but really just looked like my aunt's socks. Anyway, that made me think about how airlines are always trying to make us feel fancy but really they're just selling us overpriced stuff we don't need. Like, who really needs extra legroom? Has anyone ever had a window seat and actually stayed in it the whole flight? 
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? Like, I get it, more seats = more money 
, but can't they just include those basic perks in the ticket price already? 
... like, what's next? Charging for breathing oxygen? 
. Next thing you know, they'll be charging for the privilege of sitting in an actual seat 
I'm so done with these airline "premium" services! It's like they're just taking your cash and pretending it's luxury. I mean, who needs a smaller seat pitch just to feel special? And don't even get me started on the lounges – it's just a fancy way of saying you can pay extra for a quieter area that's still gonna be super crowded.