Ok, I had to learn more about Matt Nokes and his plane. And, I did, in the Great Big Book of Everything (Wikipedia):

TL:DR: Urban Meyer is a jerk and is the product and producer of an irredeemably corrupt system. No news here. 

Well, if it happens for 400 bucks, it clears out seats for people who value their time slightly more than someone who’s willing to take that deal. Although I will say that even for $600 bucks, I’d be tempted as long as the airline promises not to put me in the center seat on the next flight, and gives me a pass to the…

Fair enough. 

When did you think the airlines were ever a charity, or some sort of public good?

A lot of people like getting bumped. My sister in law, her husband, and her daughter got bumped off a flight from MSP to Des Moines, and the airline just whipped out a checkbook and wrote them each a check for $1500. They rented a car. Then there are all the travel hacker sites that talk about how to increase your…

AA once canceled my SEA-PHL-RDU flight, and tried to stick me into the middle seat SEA-DFW-RDU. I whined a bit and they asked “how about we put you on the SEA-RDU Alaska nonstop?” Fine with me. So, anyway, sometimes that works. And United has rebooked me more than once on Delta, which is actually a better outcome than…

This upcharge exists: it’s called “priority boarding.” And it works. 

Define “price gouging.” Your definition is “more than I personally want to pay.” That’s not how markets work. 

When you buy a ticket you’re subject to the “contract of carriage.” Not some “personal rule” made to vex you and you alone. So, from a legal perspective, you’re not going to be on equal footing,

What you mean to say is that people want to spend rock bottom for air travel, knowing that, sure, the seats are tight and JFK-LAX is a six hour flight, but still and all, it beats hell out of driving, walking, or joining a team of prairie schooners. 

This ignores the nature of the product being sold and how it’s priced. The airlines are offering a price to go from point A to point B. How you get there is pretty immaterial. Earlier this month I flew from Raleigh to Anchorage, then from Anchorage to Minneapolis. As it turned out, could have flown that route several…

Hey, maybe Seattle can get in on the act; work all the Sonics die-hards into a lather about how Seattle wouldn’t be a “world class city” without an NBA franchise. Why not settle for FIFA?

With 120k in the clock I could see $3k. Not almost $5k.  CP. 

That’s true, although it’s taken years to get to this point. The airlines used to offer far less. 

I like what you did there. 

Yes, you have to be seated in a seat to be on a plane; one can ride on a train without sitting down. But involuntary bumping of passengers still happens on airlines. It happens less than it used to (I’ve been flying for 50 years), but it still happens, is still an issue, and the only reason it’s not as bad as it once…

You’ve flown twice then? You’ve never heard of being bumped off an over booked flight? What magical alternative universe do you live in? 

Ever fly airlines? They pull this stunt too, and they’re also subsidized by the government. 

That’s weird; weed isn’t even legal in Texas.