Monday, September 07, 2009

Would You Shop Here?

I've been thinking of creating a website to sell airline tickets at reduced prices. We're going to call it Club Ryan. I'll sell tickets to LA for $150 round trip, tickets to Florida for $100 round trip and tickets to NYC for $50 round trip. These are amazing prices, right?

To fuel my profit margin, though, I'm going to have to adopt certain business practices. For example, I'm not going to send any tickets to people who change address, phone number or credit card information between when the purchase has been made and flight takes place. In addition, I won't advertise how many stops certain trips will make. Anyone who wants to get to LA will first have to stop in NY, then stop in DC, then stop in Orlando, then in Houston, then Las Vegas, upon which they'll have a quick flight to LA. Each stop will only have roughly 10 minutes between flight, so it won't be so bad, right? Of course, anyone who misses a flight along the way will have a prexisting condition and will have to pay through pocket to finish the trip.

Additionally, anyone who uses the service too much will reach their lifetime limit. We'll keep close watch over those who purchase tickets -- those who've been known to miss a lot of flights will almost always get their tickets. Those who buy coach tickets will only get their tickets half the time. Anyone who buys first class will probably get their tickets, but those tickets will cost a pretty premium, and they'll probably only get coach anyway.

This is a great business model that will provide a cheap flights to a lot of people. Anyone want to join my ticket club?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will people who bring 3 carry ons and a lot of baggage and arrive late to the gate pay the same amout as those who plan ahead and travel light?

drive-by said...

My doctor warned me what a disaster HMOs were going to make of our healthcare system. Happened exactly as predicted.

Now he's incredulous about Obamacare. Well, watching the Canadian healthcare system implode certainly raises a lot of questions.

Your metaphor just doesn't represent the whole truth, Ryan.

Anonymous said...

Interesting article in the Worcester Telegram sunday comparing what the costs are for a private hospital and a state run non-profit hospital. Mr. Coggins paid 63,000 for heart surgery at the private hospital, same procedure would have been 78,000 at the non-profit place. He was 67 years old so naturally he didn't actually pay anything it was billed to Medicare. They went on to compare costs for dozens of procedures and Medicare would have had to pay much more at the state run non-profit than at the private hospital. But who cares right?, the money comes from Washington. It's OK to burden the next 20 generations.

Ryan said...

Anon 5:14,

Who the heck is talking about state-run hospitals? This reform bill, or any reform bill, is not suddenly going to create tons of state-run hospitals. Your point is completely moot.

Anonymous said...

But you've said big government runs things better than private business, this would be a logical extension. Shouldn't it be cheaper at a non profit? Isn't Obamacare going to be a non-profit entitiy? It's a slippery slope, social security was supposed to only be a retirement program for those who worked, then the government started handing out the money like candy,but we all have to pay by law. But within a year I'll be a devout convert. I'm hiding my wealth now, going to retire next year so I'm in a low income bracket, "officially" move to my house in Fla (I'll keep my house here but won't have to pay state income tax on my pension) and stand around asking what the government can do for me. (and I'm in my 50's so you'll be paying for me for a long time)

Ryan said...

"But you've said big government runs things better than private business, this would be a logical extension."

As a matter of fact, no, I haven't. I'm happy to argue the merits of what I have said, but not what I haven't.

Anonymous said...

But Ryan you have, from your post "The Health Care Fight" (a few months back) - " Once Government is allowed to compete with the private sector hands down the Government wins" verbatim

Anonymous said...

Ah Ryan, you there ?

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