Do We Really Want The Cheapest Flight?

[sapelesam]

As British Airways join the rush to the bottom, they say that low price is the fliers main priority.
Is this really true? I was fortunate to fly at others expense when flying was a pleasure and you could get up from the window seat and go to the loo without disturbing the people next to you. The last time I flew, reluctantly, I wished somebody would shoot me. Why do we tolerate being treated worse than cattle? Are we prepared to put up with 3 to 24 hours of horror just for a fix of sun? I am not made of money but I'll only ever fly again if I can afford an upgrde.

[237SJ]

I hear Centre Parks have some good deals.

[237SJ]

"And you could get up from the window seat and go to the loo without disturbing the people next to you" When did you last fly - the 1950s?

[Cloverjo]

Lucky you that you can afford a better grade of cabin, Sam. Most people can't, but they still want to go on foreign holidays. If people don't want (or are unable to) to spend much money they have to pay for it in another way, like with comfort and space.

I think BA is going downmarket because its upper classes don't have the staff to compare with other airlines.

[Cloverjo]

Oops sorry, Sam. I realised you were lucky enough to fly better than economy with someone else paying.

The fact remains that more space means fewer seats means more money for customers to pay.

[sapelesam]

Hi 237sj, I started flying in 1957 with BOAC, now BA, and flew long haul at least six times a year. Up until 1978 I could go to the loo as mentioned. The best plane I ever flew on was a VC10, stacks of room, four engines on the tail, whisper quiet. Concorde to New York was less pleasurable.

[alavahalf]

Unfortunately the vast majority of airlines flying to the to where you can get a 'fix of sun' (Canaries and Med) offer extra leg room as an upgrade and very little else!
It's usually a seat by the emergency exit ..
Put it this way .. a couple of months ago I was offered a free weeks accomodation in Lanzarote, all I needed was a flight.
A quick search for a return trip brought up...
B.A. at £1600 ( 4 changes) ... and a 16 hour trip.
and Monarch at £120 .. direct and just over 3 hours.
.. I'm afraid I went with the cattle.

[sapelesam]

Hi Cloverjo, when I started flying with BOAC it was first class or economy. That was the room we had in economy. I once flew back from Nigeria on a Super VC10, capacity 180 passengers and there were only 50 people on board. After take off we were all told we could spread out around the plane, armrests up, three seats each.

[237SJ]

Things are different now though. I remember going to stay with my cousin in SFO in 1982 and I paid £540 return. I could probably pay not much more than that now to visit and that would include passenger air duty which didn't exist then. In real time, prices have massively reduced which allows more people than ever to travel which is a good thing.

[237SJ]

BTW - the VC10 might have been a good plane but it was the B747 (bless them) that brought air travel to the masses

[sapelesam]

Why can I buy two of just about anything I want except aircraft seats. I'm 6ft 2in and have a lower back problem, with two seats I could spread out but airline computer says no.

[theferryman]

^^^ I'm not entirely sure it is a good thing that plebs can afford to travel.

[sapelesam]

Big Brother is watching, an add for cheap flights just popped up,spooky.

[Cloverjo]

Yes, Sam. If there's room on board the passengers can spread out, but as 237 said, more people want cheaper flights so that's what they (or we) get. We're all crammed in like cattle. I agree it's horrible.

[sapelesam]

Glad you said that ferryman. Been on a flight to Spain recently, Oh my Goodness. Who needs to be drunk at 7.30 in the morning.

[237SJ]

Well, you could try buying a Mini car and then asking if you could get an upgrade to a large BMW because you have long legs. I`m not sure you would have much luck though

[Cloverjo]

The ads are a normal thing, Sam. E.g., If you mention shoes on here you'll get get ads about shoes until you talk about something else. You need the "thing that must not be mentioned on AB" ;)

[sapelesam]

If I was prepared to pay for the BMW fine, I could buy two, no problem.

[237SJ]

I`m not sure what theferryman means about "Plebs" I think it is great that more people can travel these days.

[Cloverjo]

I think you have to go upmarket for flights or put up with "the plebs". I can't see airlines doing separate flights for non-rich and non-plebs.

Airlines should seriously crack down on alcohol sales in airports, and drunk people.

[sapelesam]

I now exactly what he means, unfortunately.