It’s that time of year again in our office. People are starting to plan their summer trips to Europe. And one of the most frequent questions we get is, “Can I take that United nonstop from San Francisco to Paris?”
Except that there is no nonstop anymore on United from San Francisco to Paris. The airline canceled the flight three years ago.
The next comment is almost always, “But that plane was full every time I took it.”
True, but it wasn’t the right kind of full.
Here’s the issue with flights to places like Paris, and Italy for that matter, which are hugely popular destinations for American tourists. Tourists don’t make a route profitable. Airlines make their money on the folks up front paying business- and first-class fares, or at least the corporate travelers paying last-minute coach fares. With everyone paying super-saver fares, or using frequent flier awards, the airlines lose money, even if the plane is full.
That’s why cities like Frankfurt, which serve as hubs to most of Europe, can be very profitable even if they don’t seem like a popular destination. London is another example, where the discount fares can be some of the lowest to anywhere in Europe. But premium fares to London are high, and some travelers do pay those prices. So the flights continue, along with the bargains to fill up the back of the plane.
Hawaii flights can and have also fallen victim to the full-but-money-losing problem. While there is some business travel to Hawaii, there isn’t much. So there are almost no people on the plane paying $2,000 or so for their tickets. Whereas on a cross country flight, there will always be some last minute business travelers or corporate types who won’t take the chance of upgrading with miles.
And speaking of those upgrades: Ever noticed that when you do upgrade a flight to Hawaii that the first-class seats are pretty lousy, with less than normal legroom? It’s not your imagination. It’s a similar reason too, because there is so little business travel, the airlines feel less need to compete.
So while I will complain as much as the next person about frequent corporate travelers who fill up the overhead bins and take most of the upgrades, they are also the reason the rest of us get more nonstops — and when we do manage to upgrade — a nicer seat on the plane.
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
