Originally Posted by
nwaf16dude
I'd recommend you read a book called "Hard Landing." It gives an excellent history of the development of computer reservation and pricing models and how the airlines that developed them (like American) used them to put airlines that didn't have them (like people's express) out of business.
Lots of other good info about deregulation and it's aftermath. Sounds like a dry subject, but it's actually a pretty good read.
I've read that book before. I remember Bob Crandall comparing a seat to fruit. The seat spoils after the flight is flown. It is better to get a few dollars for that seat than no dollars. I disagreed with it when I read the book and I disagree with it now. All seats on a flight should be sold at the same price. They should use the computers to figure out what price to sell each ticket on that particular flight, but they should all cost the same. By using the current method, you might get a few extra dollars short-term, but it costs you a lot more long-term. It was very short-term thinking on Crandall's part. All airlines use it. There is a reason, the entire industry almost went bankrupt. This is just one thing I feel the airlines have been doing wrong for many years.