Bad news for solo travelers – American Airlines charges passengers flying alone up to 70% more

Are you thinking of going on a solo trip? This type of travel has been trendy for a couple of years. However, there have been some solo travelers who have noticed a rate increase up to 70% more on air travel for them. Yes, just for them…
This could be a problem because people who want to experience solo trips may think twice about it twice. That’s why airlines like American Airlines should consider a change in their price policy.
Do you think fair solo travelers are the only ones who are paying more for travelling with an airline? Let’s find out why this is happening and what you should do if you want to go on a solo trip.
Solo travelers outrage
There are many reasons for travelling, you can either go on a family trip or even a business one, but the most popular way to travel nowadays is going solo. This has been the favorite way to travel for many people in the past few years, but maybe this will be less common from now on…
Some airlines in the United States are increasing their rates for solo travelers, they are paying up to 70% more than people travelling in groups for the same flight.
Who noticed this rate increase?
There is a popular travel blog called Thrifty Traveler, which many travelers trust to look for information about tickets or flights. So, this blog’s workers started a research on flight rates and they found there was a huge gap depending on how you travel.
Having in mind they were looking for tickets for the same flight, they saw the price was cheaper when they were adding passengers to the flight.
So, the final price of a flight from Chicago at the O’Hare airport to Peoria, Illinois, was $269 for solo travelers and $181 per person for a group of 4 people. If you see these prices, you think twice about going solo…
Airlines using this strategy
It is true this huge price difference is not for every flight route, but it is for most of them. United Airlines and American Airlines are some of the companies who are using this rate increase.
After this issue came out, United Airlines stated they would stop doing this whereas American Airlines has not yet expressed their position.
Tips for solo travelers
Before buying a flight ticket, you should first check some things to see if you are getting charged more for going solo.
First of all, you should make a comparison by adding more tickets even though you only need one. Maybe you will see it is cheaper that way. Sometimes, you can cancel the ticket you won’t use, if the airline allows you to.
Another important tip is flexibility. You’d better not have a fixed date or time for travelling because some might be cheaper than others. So, you should be very open-minded with this aspect.
What can we do about this unfair situation?
Well, the final decision is on the big companies, but it is true we can make noise and pressure them to have a fair price rate for all travelers and also baggage policy, which have been very controversial recently.
We should be informed and pay attention to any change in airlines. We need to think before buying because we can be victims of unfair or misleading price strategies.
It is ridiculous that you solo travelers have to pay more. Think about those people who must travel alone because of a business situation or a family issue. They have no other choice and they shouldn’t pay more for going on the same plane as people who have bought the same tickets but in groups.
link