I have two siblings in Manhattan who were deeply affected by Hurricane Sandy, so I can definitely relate to this story. I wish you and your family a speedy return to normalcy.
With that, I would be ready to picket outside of US Airways after reading this story… if airlines turned a profit. The truth is that they don’t make money at all. They just try to stay out of bankruptcy.
Planes would fly half empty if every ticket price was equal to the airline’s actual cost to fly someone from point A to point B. The goal is to fill every seat. They sell a cheap ticket to the leisure traveler (e.g., someone visiting family in Atlanta) and then subsidize it by charging triple to the business traveler sitting next to you whose company is paying for the ticket. The idea is that the airline will stay out of bankruptcy and more people have an opportunity to fly. How do you identify a business traveler? Most notably here, businessmen/women and other travelers in this criteria will book at the last minute. Instead of putting a fence around these people, fares will increase as the departure date approaches.
The downside is a situation like yours. You’re still a leisure traveler… and a very screwed over one! However, the entire system would break if they made special exceptions. So I agree that your situation is completely unfair and that you’ve been let down by the system. But I cannot come up with a better theory for aviation economics. And above all, you should be treated with respect after everything you’ve gone through over the past week. And the supervisor's insensitivity doesn't go away. That is outrageous. I hope you still got to enjoy the weekend with your family, and safe travels in the future.
|