Airline lets travellers gamble over the cost of airfare
Consumers find the most prominent consequence of higher fuel prices at the gas pump, but it’s not the only place we get stung.
Surely, as the cost of gas continues to skyrocket across North America, so too has airfare. Airlines, terrified at what unrest in the Middle East and Northern Africa has meant for the price of oil, have passed the burden onto us: according to the Air Transport Association of America, airfare jumped 13 per cent last month compared to what it cost in February, 2010.
At least one airline, though, wants to play a game. A small Las Vegas airline is asking consumers to buy a ticket that’s price may go up or down depending on the future cost of fuel.
Allegiant Air, an outfit that serves about 70 global destinations, has made headlines with its proposal of a variable-price ticket system, which essentially asks travellers if they’re willing to gamble on the future price of fuel.
According to Allegiant’s plan, passengers would be able to purchase a traditional fixed-price ticket as usual, but they’d also have an option to purchase another ticket – at a discount – that could have its cost fluctuate over time. In this case, customers would pay less up front but face risk in the future. So, if the price of fuel goes up by the travel date, they’d pay more (up to a pre-disclosed, to be determined cap); if the price of fuel goes down by the travel date, they’d get cash back.
“It’s an airline based in Vegas, so people are in a gambling mood I guess,” one travel agent source told the Associated Press.
At the heart of Allegiant’s proposal appears to be one giant red flag, which is to say – why would anyone bet against the cost of fuel going up? Generally speaking, fuel prices are probably going to increase, however marginally, as time goes on, much like any other consumer item.
But that’s a long-term outlook, and when you think about buying airfare – one, two, three months in advance, in most cases – that may be a time window that could see fuel prices go up or down on a relatively even keel. In essence, perhaps there’s a fair chance in the short-term that fuel prices could fluctuate for or against the consumer.
Would you ever gamble on the cost of airfare? Does the promise of a cheaper ticket in the future outweigh the risk that you might have to pay more when it actually comes time to fly?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: Chip | Mar 23, 2021 2:12:07 AM
The main problem with the price of gas going UP is commodities speculation !! Maybe that should read $peculation !! How much fuel (or crude oil to make fuel) used in North American airlines actually comes from Egypt or Libya ?? What are these 2 countries' percentage of the world's crude oil supply ? Not too fkin' much !!! Why are Canadian oil gas prices subject to what's happening in Libya or Egypt ? We've suffered through hurricanes in the Caribbean to last year's disastrous oil spill and prices never shot up this much. Now... because there are mini-political revolts in two piss-ant little shitbag countries with a few oil wells... crude prices are erupting like Mount Vesuvius. It's ALL a load of BS.