Originally Posted by
satchip
Oh, I agree with you whole heartedly. But the fact remains that air travel for the most part is very price elastic. One dollar difference of price makes a huge difference in ticket sales. I don't think what you propose would have much of an effect, maybe on the margins.
Attach liability to the parent carriers, that will eliminate subcontracting.
My wife and I were taking a vacation about a year ago, I took the jumpseat down and she ended up just using her CAL onepass bonus miles which she accumulated from work.
Her return leg had her going through PHL on Airways, with a 4 hour sit on an unnamed Continental Connection carrier to EWR.
Called their reservations and told them that she was a Continental customer who wants to be on a Continental airplane operated by Continental Flight Crew because when she buys her tickets she's looking for Continental's reputation of experience, professionalism, and expertise.
The reservation agent said that I was not the first person to make that request, and basically a lot of people/customers feel the same way.
I definitely agree, that customers are extremely price sensitive, but I feel as though more transparency will make a company that has made watering-down a branded product an everyday practice, look less professional and, all in all, cheap when compared to their competitive counterparts.