Fortunately I’m sitting comfortably at home and am not one of the unlucky ones traveling on Aloha, ATA, or Skybus this week, as in the past few days all of these airlines have shut down - leaving many passengers stranded midway through a trip to fend for themselves, or attempting to book themselves in the already packed seats of other airlines. Although trying to find a cab in Denver at 2am can certainly give you similar exasperation.

While none of this is important to Denver travelers, or residents of cities with multiple airline options, it certainly stinks for small to middle markets where Skybus and other shuttered carriers pulled out of, since the remaining carriers no longer need to remain competitive. Boom: A $150 dollar RT ticket is now $400 in 200miledrivetothenearestbighubville.

With that I’ll repost my article titled “Cheap is Not Always Best.” In this post from last fall I wrote about Columbus resident Don Dennis, who was rightfully angry at Skybus when they abruptly halted service to Bellingham, Washington after he had booked a ski vacation for him and his friends. I wrote that after investing his time and money booking a condo, renting a car, and buying ski tickets, perhaps it wasn’t the best of ideas to rely on an airline that sells tickets for ten dollars.

Full article here: quotes:

That’s the problem though: Cheap Fares. When purchasing airfares the public descends on low fares like Target on Black Friday. The fact is people insist on scraping up the absolute cheapest fares - then complain when the inevitable consequences arise. Cheap fares OFTEN result in bad service and a low priority level. And when people have a bad experience flying they complain, whine, and write letters about airline service - but when it comes time to purchase a ticket they’ll still acquiesce and fly whichever airline or fare is cheapest.

If you’re hiring someone to re-roof your house or drywall your basement should you take the lowest bid? Probably not. Would you pay bottom of the barrel rates for car insurance? Not a good idea. Then why pay it for transportation? Reducing the fraction: I can take the bus from my home downtown to my suburban office park for $1.50, which entails a transfer and an hour plus jaunt snaking down congested busy streets. Or I can pay $1.25 more and take the train - making my commute a quick 40 minutes trip.

Granted most of my trips or solo or with one other person, so I realize a higher (more convenient,) airfare can be cost prohibitive to larger families. Yet I think everyone should examine their options in detail before snatching up the price grabber specials. You wouldn’t buy the cheapest car or TV available. Treat airfare purchases like any other consumer product. Cheap has it’s consequences.

Like a crummy watch, can opener, Wal-Mart bike, or shoddily constructed house, low rate shitty products do not last. I don’t consider airlines any different. Just some tidbits to consider in the age of rocky airlines and the tempting rock bottom airfares that come with them…