They may arrive at the same destination, but two passengers on the same flight can have strikingly different travel experiences.
One traveler breezes through a priority security lane and heads straight to an invite-only lounge for craft cocktails and a chef-prepared meal before boarding early. A flight attendant offering a glass of champagne and a warm hand towel welcomes the passenger to a spacious seat at the front of the plane.
The other traveler stands in a line at every step — security screening, a café selling $16 sandwiches, a crowded gate — then boards with one of the final groups, hoping there’s still room for a carry-on in the overhead bin before folding into a cramped middle seat. After the cabin lights dim, sleep comes in fragments, and a travel pillow does little to ease a stiff neck.
The contrasting journeys are no accident. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the largest U.S. airlines have pulled out all the stops to court premium passengers who are willing to pay for comfort, convenience and exclusivity. Budget-conscious travelers may notice a widening gap between the back of the plane and up front as the carriers increasingly build their businesses around selling first-class, business-class and premium-economy seats.
K-shaped economy go brrrrr
Came here to use the letter K too. Travel, vacations, all the leisure things are picking towards those left with enough money to pay for it. It’s expensive being poor.
The real wake up call will be to the invisible middle arm of the E in this K thinking they’re on the top but actually sliding down.
Yep. This is not limited to travel, but everything in the service industry.
The many poor get poorer as the few rich get richer.
It can’t go on forever, something will break eventually, and it won’t be pretty.
The rich better do something about it or hope it won’t be their skulls breaking then.
They are doing something about it: they’re building bunkers, killbots, and a totalitarian panopticon.
The question is, what are we doing to defend ourselves?
The fantasy about the bunker bros is that they think that they will escape the doom.
They won’t, of course. They may buy themselves a fortnight or so, but not much more. Their air purification system, or something critical, will go on the blink and the guy who knows how to fix it will be already dead.
I mean, “bunker” gets the idea across, but it’s kinda underselling it. Ellison and Zuckerberg own nearly the entire island of Kauai, HI between them – the whole island is the bunker, with a 72-mile-wide moat between it and most of Hawaii’s population.
If the shit hits the fan I have no doubt that the Hawaiians will reclaim their land
Sure, but I still think that they will go down the drain with the rest of us.
England being an island, and having armies and a navy didn’t deter the Vikings. And, in the scenario we are talking about, there will be Vikings.
They are they’re installing mass surveillance and digital id
Pilot here. Non-commercial, but the first class and business class passengers are where the airlines make their money. The rest of us in steerage can go get fucked.
Go look it up.
Whales. Just like in online gaming.
Okay. If it gets too bad and normal people can’t take a flight, at what point do we demand the government stop subsidizing the airlines and let the wealthy pay the real full fare?
Vegas tried that, too. Didn’t work out so well.
bs
They all cut costed everything by following Spirit’s model without reducing the ticket fare. They’re maximizing profit on their lowest paying passengers by making everything a pay to win add on.
The focus on first class is still in place because it rakes in the most money, but they’ve been juicing economy as much as they possibly can.
Current US first class is what high quality economy was 30+ years ago. I wouldn’t pay a dollar extra for that crap.
Now that Spirit is dead, they all collectively raised the ticket fare floor because corporate collusion is America’s favorite passtime.
The high traffic route from DTW-ATL magically doubled in price to the same amount, despite both Frontier and Delta servicing the same route, which are suppossed to be two completely differently marketed airlines.
Wait, companies make more money off high paying customers?! Who knew?!?!
Well if a passenger is going to buy the cheapest ticket they can find there’s only one way to win them over.
Sex?
Not right now, but thanks
