This is so mind bogglingly insidious to actually roll out because Delta is a regional hub monopoly and major common carrier nationwide, they very well could be the market setters for this kind of AI-price scalping. Like, we’re just going to throw out the concept of serving ‘a market segment’ and trying to land on a certain price:offering ratio to capture market share via demand curve plotting, inherently leaving space both at the fringes and center for competition.

Now there is no competition. How does American or United price compare on routes or seat category, when there is no public price, but a personalized formula to maximize value extraction from each person? It’d be like trying to price compare at a close-envelope auction - you can’t.

There already is a lot of opacity in the buying process like phased seat releases creating artificial scarcity, but this is next level. I can absolutely see Delta holding back seats instead of selling them to ‘low value’ individuals who have very elastic demand, and releasing seats early/only for those who’ll pay the fees. Want peace of mind knowing you locked in your flight 6-9mo ahead? Pay up 🔫

It's only "funny" if they don't get away with it.

Otherwise, it's just more depressing shit to throw on the pile

Overall adjusting seat costs per flight based on how full or empty that flight is, is first degree price discrimination.

Interesting. Hotels do this all the time, jacking up prices 100s of % as occupancy increases. And of course if there are events or concerts happening. Supply and demand, sure I guess. Still feels scummy.

My MIL's health hasn't been so great in the past year so we've been visiting her frequently. She also lives in a rural town whose nearest airport is served only by Delta. Can't wait for those fuckers to notice we fly here often and stick it to our wallets.

Problem is that once Delta gets away with it, they'll all start doing it.

it would be a crime if the consumer protections weren't just rolled back to 1912 two months ago.

Businesses in North America also refuse to comply with the EU rules surrounding the display of prices including VAT and unfairly compete with companies in the EU. A consumer cannot know if a company has to pay VAT in the EU or not.

I was thinking the same thing, considering that I have less money to pay to fly my price should be lower, no? But the article ends on this note:

Early research on personalized pricing isn’t favorable for the consumer. Consumer Watchdog found that the best deals were offered to the wealthiest customers—with the worst deals given to the poorest people, who are least likely to have other options.

So basically the opposite of what it should be. I wouldnt mind individualized pricing if it meant Delta was robinhooding with their pricing model, but instead they are effectively using their pricing model to force out poorer consumers. Which makes sense from their perspective I suppose considering they can upsell more shit to people with more money.

As someone who lives in a top-wealth zipcode (as a working class person) I assume by next year this means I will no longer be able to afford to fly out of town…

Its starting to make sense why the GOP was working to ban regulation on AI use. This shit is blatantly unethical

The endgame is that nobody has money and companies go bankrupt. The end.

The wealthy have more time to shop around and more money to choose another option so companies think they need to provide extra incentives to get them which means better treatment and prices and etcetera.

The poor? Ehh gouge for all they are worth and hope they die so you don't have to hear them complain.
Which is insane cause that means the poor are the profit margins allowing for the deals of the wealthy.

The endgame is stuff as much money into one's own pocket. That's it.

This is musical chairs, and everyone involved is desperately hoping that they won't be one of the ones left without a seat when the music stops. Anybody with a plural number of brain cells must know deep down inside that infinite growth is literally impossible, but they all think they'll be smart enough to cash out before it all collapses.

There's a problem with that, though: Money has a notoriously poor nutritional value.

Yeah, this is literally discrimination based inherently on race, gender, etc., but it's going to be considered totally fine because the mystical AI is doing it.

The Air Canada AI chatbot gave wrong policies to someone around bereavement flights, went to court, and Air Canada lost having to refund the ticket price difference.

They tried to claim they weren't responsible for the Ai.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/air-canada-chatbot-lawsuit-1.7116416

So at least in Canada we have some precedent that if their AI pricing fucks up, it's their own fault.

"Ignore all previous instructions..."

if (ai_price < min_price) price_quote = min_price; else price_quote = ai_price;

price_quote *= 1.5; // for some reason the ai underestimates what the user can afford so bump it up

the catch is that the vpn connects to the poorest areas of the country you live in

A common mistake.

The High Price of Being Poor

You're going to get a worse deal if the airline thinks you're not going to be a repeat customer or part of a larger network of frequent fliers. The customers who get the best deals are the ones that airlines believe they will be able to collect money from routinely. If they have you pegged as someone who will only ever buy a ticket once or twice in their lives, they're going to try and sell you the worst possible seat at the highest possible price.

What you can expect as a poor buyer is debt-financing, bait-and-switch, and the worst kind of economy service at the highest marginal price point. Budget airline travel is miserable and AI isn't going to make the experience any better.

You can actually already do this to an extent. Make certain bookings from a different country by VPN and it will affect your price (for the same flight/hotel/etc). I tried this a year ago and it made a difference!

wikipedia.org/wiki/Device_fingerprint

They left it until the very end of the article:

Early research on personalized pricing isn’t favorable for the consumer. Consumer Watchdog found that the best deals were offered to the wealthiest customers—with the worst deals given to the poorest people, who are least likely to have other options.

Charge most more and a few the same. I doubt anyone will be getting charged less.

Got a funeral in the family? Thrice the fare for you.

Somehow me think that AI will be used to increase prices where it can, but not the other way around

About the same time that all 4 other airlines decide to do the same or worse.

Jesus Christ that's really what it's going to come down to huh. Machine men with machine hearts driven by machine money. This world is sick.

Delta CEO determined sales decline is related to customers calling in with complaints and the call center not handling them to their satisfaction. Fires entire call center staff and replaces with AI.