Conseqences of Financial Change on Behavior

American Airlines has announced, according to the ticker on CNBC this morning, February 9, 2010, intention to charge $8 if you want a blanket on domestic flights in excess of 2 hours. How stupid is that?

People will just change their behavior. If someone really wants a blanket, they will bring a blanket with them, further clogging overhead bins and making movement to seats slower and more crowded as people carry on larger and blanket stuffed baggage.

What in the world does American Airlines believe will be accomplished? Do they simply want to raise revenue? How odd! Why not add a tax to people who wear shoes with laces who are going through security at the airport?

Stopping food service on planes has merely increased the pressure on airport concourse takeout food establishments, resulting in discomfort at boarding areas as people have bought their greased potatoes munch on luke warm french fries during flights and juggle their McDonald's sack and beverage with their blanket stuffet carry-on as they search for their boarding pass as the next boarding group is called.

Hasn't anyone who has actually flown on a commercial airplane ever been hired to figure out the consequences of these daydream insanities from the ivory tower executives at the airlines. Maybe the executives just farmed out the question to focus groups peopled by phone answering employees at a phone centers in Mumbai who of course, are qualified to opine on such issues because they talk about air travel all day long.

My head spins in sadness for my grandchildren. They will not only have to pay off an unpayable debt that Washington is incurring, they will have to deal with fear of arrest for using a styrofoam coffee cup. Sphere: Related Content