Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

Fuel prices had been at all-time lows in the history of the industry and the big boy airlines were able to upgrade their fleets to newer more fuel efficient aircraft by taking on massive amounts cheap debt. Cheap debt at 1-2% interest- which let's be frank- is absolutely nothing- new more fuel efficient planes + all-time lows in fueling costs = CHACHING. They've had a license to print money.

Prices would be even cheaper if there was more competition. There's barely any competition. Budget airlines offer tickets as low as $40 round-trip from NY to Miami. You can't even fill up a tank of gas for your car $40. Well you couldn't before the pandemic that is.

Yeah, but those budget airlines aren't $40 unless you're willing to effectively fly naked. 

As mentioned, if you want to pick a seat, it's more. If you want to check a bag, it's more. If you want to CARRY ON a bag, it's more. 

Hell, Allegiant charges you $5 if you want to print a boarding pass at the airport. 

And the big boys are screwing themselves by going to the same policies, especially if you're correct that they're raking in profits. One of the reasons I prefer American/United/Delta is that I don't want to be treated the way that the budget guys treat me. If they start doing the same thing the budget guys do, I might as well fly Spirit/Frontier/Allegiant. If their profits are that high, why aren't they competing on service rather than dropping prices and dropping amenities?

It's actually one of the reasons I love Southwest. Yeah, you don't get to "pick" your seat, but if you know the system you can get a boarding pass number that gets you decent options to choose your own at boarding time. And they don't nickel and dime you over every little other thing... You actually can check or carry on bags without huge penalties. 

Your one company is not a window to how the world works.

Of course not. But I also talk to a LOT of people in the same industry and when business travelers are chatting, the subject comes up. 

Every company is trying to watch things like travel / entertainment expenses / etc budgets. That doesn't mean that they all rule with an iron fist and send you steerage class everywhere you go. 

Consumers makes choices.  When I first started flying commercially, a lot of men wore coats and ties.  It was expensive, my first ticket to Pittsburg was $800 coach.  That would be $2500 or so today.  We fly cheaper and get fewer "perks", the places are mostly full, the seats are narrower with less leg room.

If you want to pay $2500 today, you can get into first class for most domestic flights easily, often it's half that.  I got first class to SF last time we went because I rate a companion ticket that is also first class.  I think it was $1200 for both, one being "free".  Sort of.

TANSTAAFL.

A LOT of stuff today is much cheaper than 30 years ago, even gasoline, when you adjust for inflation.

I'm a minimalist traveler.  I can't fathom paying X-dollars more for something that is a 4-hour flight.  It's just 4 hours or 2 hours or whatever.  Why waste a dollar more than you have to.  And I get the cheapest, tiniest rental car.  I don't understand how SUVs are rented at many hundreds of dollars per day.  It's nuts. 
Who cares what car you rent?  Your job is to not destroy it over the course of a couple of days.  That's all. 

Yup, I'm definitely the same.  Even when traveling for business I'm happy to save the company some money, it's no skin off my back.

The exceptions were, back when I was traveling 75% of the time, and I'd be in one place for 2-3 months at a time.  At that point, I usually rented a car that was more "fun" like a convertible in California, or a 4WD in Colorado.  When you're gone for 2-3 months, the company is buying a piece of your life, and I'm okay with having them pay extra for it.

A LOT of stuff today is much cheaper than 30 years ago, even gasoline, when you adjust for inflation.

Not really. Housing, education, health care, and cars are A LOT more expensive when you adjust for inflation. You know, the things people need to, live.

Average new home price in 1990, was about $122,000. Even adjusting for inflation today that comes out to $240,000. Average new home price today is about $329,000.

Most American workers haven't seen real wage growth since 1979- they've been stagnant for basically 40 years. They've had to burden themselves with boatloads of debt in order not to go backwards in lifestyle from the generation before them.

Consumer goods like tv's and computers are a lot cheaper, but that has to do with incredible advances in technology and manufacturing. Air travel is a lot cheaper, but that has to do with deregulation and competition and low fuel prices and major advances in the manufacturing of way more fuel efficient aircraft.

I'm a minimalist traveler.  I can't fathom paying X-dollars more for something that is a 4-hour flight.  It's just 4 hours or 2 hours or whatever.  Why waste a dollar more than you have to.  

When I'm traveling alone, it's easy. When you travel with a wife/girlfriend or a family, it's harder. 

I won't pay for seat selection unless I can get it cheap if I'm alone. But if you're traveling as a group, sometimes it's necessary.

And I get the cheapest, tiniest rental car.  I don't understand how SUVs are rented at many hundreds of dollars per day.  It's nuts.  

Who cares what car you rent?  Your job is to not destroy it over the course of a couple of days.  That's all.  

Same thing. If you're traveling with a group or family, you may need to rent something larger. If not, there's not much point to renting something "fancy". 

All the big pharma around here (CVS, Walgreens, Baxter, Abbott, Abvie, Baxalta, Cardinal, etc.) have cut everyone's nuts off, except executives.

How do they do it? Draconian budget limits? HR does the booking?

I've been in places that do it differently. I know when people were given options, they often chased their preferred hotel, even if there was a modest price bump, for those sweet, sweet points. My brain isn't wired that way, but some folks do love those Marriotts.