Why Flights Are So Cheap (And You Might Hate Yours): 5 Podcast Takeaways

On a recent episode of the Skift podcast, we debated the true cost of cheap flights, why airlines are fighting to capture price-sensitive travelers, and what they’re charging for instead. What are travelers giving up when they opt for the lowest price?

With us in the office was Brian Sumers, Skift’s airline business reporter, and joining us by Skype was editor-in-chief Jason Clampet. We also had clips from interviews Sumers and Clampet did with British Airways CEO Alex Cruz, International Airlines Group CEO Willie Walsh, and Emirates Airline President Tim Clark.

Here are five takeaways from the conversation:

For many customers, discounted airfare is irresistible.

Airlines offer many extras on top of the plane ticket itself — extra legroom, nicer seats — but because most people fly infrequently, and it’s a big expenditure, they’ll give up nearly anything to get that ticket cost down.

“People like things cheap. That's their first loyalty in almost every case,