There are two escalators from the ticketing floor to the security gates. The one closest to the security gates has two attendants standing there. They check your ticket. If your ticket is not first class, they send you across the terminal to take the other escalator! (They say, "Oh, I'm sorry! This escalator is only for first class passengers!")
Who paid for the terminal? Is the terminal a public place? Don't non-first-class passengers generate more revenue than first class passengers? Shouldn't they find another way to regulate the traffic to the security gate, since that is probably the real issue? Or am I naive, and the real issue is that they are attempted to institute a class system, as the woman in front of me at the gate suggested?
2007-03-28 16:37:31 · 7 answers · asked by deablanca 2 in Travel ➔ Air Travel
Ice Trojan's answer rocks. All I can say is "ditto" !
2007-03-28 21:03:07 · answer #1 · answered by Paul McDonald 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, your lowly peon butt doesn't make a profit for the airlines (especially AA)... it's the premium passengers.
All joking aside, the profits really are generated by First and Business class passengers, along with their uber-frequent flyers who are repeat buyers (and who are also allowed to use those escalators). Coach passengers just help make the flights break even.
Who paid for the terminal? Actually, AA did. (And again, most profits come from business travelers).
Sorry, there is indeed a class system... a very frequent flyer can get through security in 1 minute flat, since we know the drill already. Ever seen how long a family of 4 who travel once a year take?
Since these upper-crust of society passengers travel so much, that premium-only escalator can save us on average 15-30 minutes each time. If I fly out of LAX 30 times a year, that's up to 15 hours of my life!
But to answer you question, they aren't TRYING to institute a class system.... they already did. They reward their best flyers... this is why there are separate check-in desk, separate security lines, and ability to board the plane before everyone else. Never noticed that before?
Sorry you think it's unfair.
2007-03-29 03:38:49 · answer #2 · answered by IceTrojan 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Elaborating on Ice Trojan's great answer, airports rent out gates to airlines. The airlines are an airport's customer. These can be bought and sold between airlines. It factors heavily into airline mergers and sometimes it is the only reason an airline buys another airline, not to get the airline's business, but the gates they own at airports.
In some airports an airline may rent out entire sections or terminals. Just like any business, when there is a big customer you try to make them happy. When an airline rents out a section/terminal, the airport gives them some control over how people get from the ticket counter to the gate in their section. For AA that is LAX, DFW, ORD, BOS, RDU, etc..
In turn airline makes their best customers happy (first class, business, and frequent fliers). They use their good customer relations with the airport to make their best customers happy.
2007-03-29 10:50:00 · answer #3 · answered by nutwpinut 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, last week I flew AA from LAX, and the main escalator in the middle of the terminal is now first class and frequent flyer only. But part of the reason they did that was because they opened two new security lines in areas that used to have offices, and need to divert some of the coach passengers through those two lines...which actually makes the whole process a whole bunch quicker!
2007-03-30 23:12:50 · answer #4 · answered by wanderingheffalump 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well Think about it. Airlines rent gates in the termnaial gates. Science First class pay anywhere from 4 to 15 times more for a ticket then they get more aminties. if you are going to complain the upgrade your ticket at the counter ( not expainsive) My question is what is coach like I have never flowen that way i mean i spen about $80,000 flying a year thy want to keep me happy
2007-03-29 19:41:46 · answer #5 · answered by waorrin 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Ice Trojan's answer is very precise indeed, the most frequent travelers make ups at most about 20% of all travelers but they account for over 80% of the airline's revenue. It makes perfect sense for an airline to provide prefered treatment to those individuals.
2007-03-29 21:13:21 · answer #6 · answered by romantic_travelguy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Airlines give their best customers (first class, customers with status) access to security with shorter lines. This is typical of all the major carriers at major airports throughout the country.
2007-03-29 02:20:58 · answer #7 · answered by Dereky 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋