Are Airlines Intentionally Overbooking Their Flights? (popularmechanics.com)

"if you sell one seat to two different people, and only one of them shows up, you get extra money," explains an article in Popular Mechanics shared by schwit1. Citing a recent TED-Ed video, they argue that the airlines' strategy for booking flights "makes perfect sense, just not for you." The most frustrating part? This math could be tuned to ensure the maximum number of tickets sold with a near zero percent chance too many people show up. Instead, the most profitable solutions often involve a decent chance a few passengers getting screwed, because the extra ticket sales outweigh having to put someone up in a hotel now and then.

Comments

No

[JustOK]

They've been under-building their airplanes.

My world is shattered!

[Gravis Zero]

What earth-shattering fact are you going to drop on me next, that customer service is insincere when they tell me to have a good day?

Re:No show?

[Anonymous Coward]

Who the fuck buys a plane ticket and doesn't show up?

You're trying to tell me you've never met a loose slag in an airport bar, and taken her up to the crew hotel for a quickie, only to wake up 18 hours later with no wallet and no pants? Because the police explained to me this is a very common occurrence indeed, and I had nothing to be embarrassed about.

Airlines overbook?

[ATMAvatar]

Next you're going to try and convince me that ISPs oversell bandwidth, hardware stores don't actually give me boards that measure 2"x4" in the cross section, that hard-drive manufacturers don't label drives as their formatted capacity, and printer cartridges don't let you utilize 100% of the ink inside.

Re:It has always been this way

[ShanghaiBill]

This is why I get most of my hotel rooms with American Express concierge service.

I use AirBNB. I have never been bumped. When I rent a sofa bed in spare bedroom for $18, it is all mine.

Re: No shit Sherlock?

[samjam]

I watched such a drama unfold before me. It turned out that those seated were in the wrong theatre.

Re:It has always been this way

[mrbester]

There was that one time about 2000 years ago. Fortunately there was a stable available so others didn't have to deal with a mewling, puking newborn in the foyer while they were trying to sleep on the chairs.