[mattficke]

Airlines are an interesting an example because the FAA required them to advertise all-inclusive pricing a decade ago. The extras they charge for now (checked bags, bigger seats, nonstop flights) really are optional —- I routinely pack light and pass on any upgrades. People who need to check a bag can include that in their price comparison. For hotels, it’s fine to charge extra for access to the pool or whatever as long as it’s possible to decline.

[bradleyjg]

One interesting wrinkle is sitting next to another person on your ticket. By all rights it should be optional but person after person books the no assigned seat option and then is outraged that they are not seated next to their companions.

[mattficke]

There was an interesting article on United’s new family seating policy, allows families traveling with children under 12 to sit together automatically with no added fees by default. Sounded like a decent way of identifying when sitting together actually would be optional for most people. https://viewfromthewing.com/uniteds-new-family-seating-polic...

[bradleyjg]

I’m fine with this solution, families can use a break in modern America. But if airlines had said from the beginning that bookings with a child under 12 are not eligible for basic economy, it’d hard to see what’s unfair about that.

[mattficke]

The airlines aren’t doing this out of kindness, the Department of Transportation is basically telling them they have to. Officially they’re “encouraging” the airlines to seat families together at no charge, but that’s regulator speak for “do it voluntarily or else we’ll make you”. https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer...

[qu4z-2]

My expectation for a no-assigned-seat group ticket is that we should be seated together but not anywhere particular (front/back, window/aisle, whatever).

[bradleyjg]

At 2 that means a window or aisle seat, at 3 both. For the cheapest kind of ticket I’d expect they’d want to fill middles.

[cld8483]

I've flown with South West for years where all tickets are "no assigned seat", and I've yet to see a single person who's 'outraged' by the result. I've not even overheard grumbled complaints. This doesn't seem like a real problem to me.

[lazyasciiart]

In my experience hotels are free to add daily “resort fees” that cover whatever they want, no option to decline.

[amf12]

I think the difference being, "the hidden" charges are usually not optional in other cases. Airbnb for example, hotel resort fees, ticket "pickup fees", etc.