Cost of travel and inflation - thoughts?

[victoriaaurora]

Just wondering what others' thoughts were on the eye watering cost of flights at the moment - how are the prices in any way affordable when inflation is now at 10%?

I obviously get that flight schedules have been massively paired back due to staff shortages, etc, airlines still running at massive losses, pent up demand post-covid, etc but the usual budget just ain't stretching to anything like pre-pandemic levels.

In the face of massive inflation, how do airlines think that people can afford to pay double for flights? Assume they are just capitalising on the pent up demand and there will be some sort of semblance of normality once we get past this summer (albeit I get that they are facing massive fuel price increases too).

Or is this the new normal?

[EileenGC]

In the face of massive inflation, how do airlines think that people can afford to pay double for flights?

I don't think they're targeting those who have been affected by inflation that much.

There's still plenty of people who can afford those prices, so they will continue paying them, not lowering the demand in the process.

Others can't actually afford the increase in price but they will make cuts in other areas. I'm self-employed and go abroad several times a month for work, flights are incredibly expensive right now and 90% of my contracts don't cover travel costs. So instead of making, say £600 on a specific week, I now make £500 as the flights were a hundred more than last year, so I need to cut back that amount at home. Less eating out, less heating on in the evenings, cheaper supermarket, and so on.

It will be similar for those flying for holidays. A lot of people are still able to afford the cost. Others will make sacrifices in their day-to-day life. Many will simply not be able to get on a plane anymore. Those people are NOT what concerns the airlines right now. Planes are still full.