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Friday, February 24, 2006 12:00 AM

Ask the pilot

What's the problem with U.S. airlines? The low-price paradox.

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  • Friday, February 24, 2006 10:13 AM

    Pricing questions

    A great article, but there are a couple of issues that I would have thought that I've always been curious about, and might have an impact on the health of airlines but weren't mentioned.

    First, is the ridiculous pricing model. For any given flight, the range of prices varies (even within the same airline) by a factor of 10, depending on how far in advance you book. Is this done for valid planning reasons, or just because they have always gotten away with it? I'd be willing to pay more and travel more often if there was more flexibility in booking tickets.

    Second is airline miles. I can't remember the last time I paid actual cash for ticket. Rewards programs of all sorts make it easy to accumulate miles -- sometimes at a 10:1 return. It makes you wonder whether these miles are always priced fairly for the airlines, or are some marketing gurus giving away the store?

    Jason

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