How the Internet Screwed Up Air Travel – Business Insider

How did you book your flights for your summer vacation? If you’re like most people, you bought them online — either straight from the airline’s website or through a service such as Expedia, Kayak, or Google Flights. Comparing airline prices, fees, and schedules on your own has become standard procedure. But there was a time — for those of you who are as old as I am — when the only way to book a flight was to talk to a travel agent. 

When online ticket purchasing first took off in the late 1990s, it seemed revolutionary. No more middlemen! You could peruse all the options yourself! You could even monitor how the prices changed over time! Internet-based booking also forced airlines to intensify their efforts to offer more competitive fares. Since prices were now visible, customers could make their decisions based on price instead of on what the travel agent thought was the best flight.

While allowing people to make their own choices is in many ways a significant improvement, the ease and transparency of online ticket buying has come with a serious downside. The emphasis airlines put on low ticket prices has made them less competitive in every other aspect of air travel. Instead of trying to provide a high-quality experience, airlines have started to skimp on passenger comfort. They’ve squeezed seats closer together to fit more passengers on a single flight, often resulting in cramped and uncomfortable conditions. They’ve also deprioritized on-time performance, resulting in more delays. And they’ve introduced a complex system of additional fees, often hidden, for services that used to be included in the ticket price. So if you’re frustrated about tiny seats, frequent delays, and exorbitant additional fees, you may have the internet to blame.

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