MONETISING Panic
According to the skeptic in me, airlines that charge seats selection fees are merely creating financial anxiety.
The last thing you want to worry about is your desk because air travel now causes a lot of stress for many. What if I get the last string and lose my relationship? What if I’m sandwiched between two sassy people who decided to skip perfume now? What if I get sat next to a total man who wants to talk to me in little groups after being separated from my home?
In that sense, you’re not paying because there’s anything particularly desirable about a standard seat, you’re paying because you fear what happens if you do n’t.
The whole ordering process seems to be based on this unease, and it’s a typical loss-aversion bias. At various times, you’re pressed to put a chair so your group you get seated together, almost as if the airline is whispering in your ear,” But what if”?
And in the ending, those “what ifs” are enough for some to take the bait and earn. Possibly they ended up getting the same chair for free anyhow? Perhaps. In fact, it’s a game of meat, with the airline and the traveler seeing who comes first.