Review of Involuntary Reroute
Posted: 10 Jun 2022, 01:14
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Involuntary Reroute" by Robert Laney.]
Involuntary Reroute by Robert Laney is an eye-opening book that exposes secrets the commercial airlines don’t want you to know. Airlines create the impression that first-class seats are sold at much higher prices than coach seats. However, the author provides readers with details about the travel industry gained through his many years of experience. Many of the first-class seats are sold at prices below coach seats. Airlines have a history of overvaluing empty first-class seats; however, the value of the seat is what a customer is willing to pay for it. An airline will reduce the price significantly to avoid empty seats. Once the plane leaves the airport, the value of an empty first-class seat is zero.
Throughout the book, he explained complicated concepts in a basic and straightforward manner. According to his research, less than 20 percent of the first-class seats on an airplane are filled with passengers paying full price. The author believes that the best weapon against deceptive airline fares is knowledge. He provides that knowledge to readers and exposes the illogical pricing schemes the airlines use. For example, he explains AD75, hidden city tickets, and point beyond tickets. I wasn’t familiar with these concepts before reading this book. His explanations were enlightening. He was able to explain complex issues in the travel industry in a way that readers without a background in the travel industry could understand.
When Robert Laney began his journey into the travel industry, he was a nineteen-year-old college student. I was amazed at how he was able to juggle so much at such a young age. He was able to focus on deceptive pricing and identify ways to lower arbitrary prices for his customers. He ran into some issues along the way; however, he was able to address them and move forward. He was consistently changing his business models as the times changed. What I liked most about this book is the honest way he described his experiences. He identified mistakes he made and what he would do differently today. There was nothing that I disliked about this book.
In addition to the first-class seat pricing, the author discussed some of his college experiences. For example, he was responsible for arranging the travel for a fraternity trip to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. He was always considering better options for travel, even in his personal life. Rather than flying directly to New Orleans, it was cheaper to fly at a student rate of $59.00 to Charlotte and rent a car from there. Direct flights to New Orleans during Mardi Gras were extremely expensive. The drive from Charlotte was a much better option for college students. Was he able to find an alternative to the extremely high hotel rates in New Orleans during Mardi Gras? You will need to read the book to find out.
I admired the author’s creativity in developing solutions to travel issues. He questioned everything about the pricing methodology of airlines. They are not based on cost. The idea that you could have paid thousands of dollars for a first-class seat and the person sitting next to you paid $500.00 seems unconscionable. Until I read this book, I was not aware of the pricing deception and loopholes described by Robert Laney. His opinion is that airlines have been deceiving customers for years. His opinion was easily justified by the experiences he described in this book. I will be thinking about his experiences the next time I purchase an airline ticket.
It’s important to note that many of his experiences took place in the 1990s when people used travel agencies to book airfare. However, the lessons learned through his experiences are valuable to travelers today. This is a well-edited book with very few errors. I recommend Involuntary Reroute to readers interested in learning more about airfare and how airlines price their first-class seats. It is also a fascinating book for readers interested in business and entrepreneurial studies. I was very impressed with the way the author identified business opportunities. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. It is deserving of a perfect score. This is a fascinating book that I found difficult to put down.
******
Involuntary Reroute
View: on Bookshelves
Involuntary Reroute by Robert Laney is an eye-opening book that exposes secrets the commercial airlines don’t want you to know. Airlines create the impression that first-class seats are sold at much higher prices than coach seats. However, the author provides readers with details about the travel industry gained through his many years of experience. Many of the first-class seats are sold at prices below coach seats. Airlines have a history of overvaluing empty first-class seats; however, the value of the seat is what a customer is willing to pay for it. An airline will reduce the price significantly to avoid empty seats. Once the plane leaves the airport, the value of an empty first-class seat is zero.
Throughout the book, he explained complicated concepts in a basic and straightforward manner. According to his research, less than 20 percent of the first-class seats on an airplane are filled with passengers paying full price. The author believes that the best weapon against deceptive airline fares is knowledge. He provides that knowledge to readers and exposes the illogical pricing schemes the airlines use. For example, he explains AD75, hidden city tickets, and point beyond tickets. I wasn’t familiar with these concepts before reading this book. His explanations were enlightening. He was able to explain complex issues in the travel industry in a way that readers without a background in the travel industry could understand.
When Robert Laney began his journey into the travel industry, he was a nineteen-year-old college student. I was amazed at how he was able to juggle so much at such a young age. He was able to focus on deceptive pricing and identify ways to lower arbitrary prices for his customers. He ran into some issues along the way; however, he was able to address them and move forward. He was consistently changing his business models as the times changed. What I liked most about this book is the honest way he described his experiences. He identified mistakes he made and what he would do differently today. There was nothing that I disliked about this book.
In addition to the first-class seat pricing, the author discussed some of his college experiences. For example, he was responsible for arranging the travel for a fraternity trip to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. He was always considering better options for travel, even in his personal life. Rather than flying directly to New Orleans, it was cheaper to fly at a student rate of $59.00 to Charlotte and rent a car from there. Direct flights to New Orleans during Mardi Gras were extremely expensive. The drive from Charlotte was a much better option for college students. Was he able to find an alternative to the extremely high hotel rates in New Orleans during Mardi Gras? You will need to read the book to find out.
I admired the author’s creativity in developing solutions to travel issues. He questioned everything about the pricing methodology of airlines. They are not based on cost. The idea that you could have paid thousands of dollars for a first-class seat and the person sitting next to you paid $500.00 seems unconscionable. Until I read this book, I was not aware of the pricing deception and loopholes described by Robert Laney. His opinion is that airlines have been deceiving customers for years. His opinion was easily justified by the experiences he described in this book. I will be thinking about his experiences the next time I purchase an airline ticket.
It’s important to note that many of his experiences took place in the 1990s when people used travel agencies to book airfare. However, the lessons learned through his experiences are valuable to travelers today. This is a well-edited book with very few errors. I recommend Involuntary Reroute to readers interested in learning more about airfare and how airlines price their first-class seats. It is also a fascinating book for readers interested in business and entrepreneurial studies. I was very impressed with the way the author identified business opportunities. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. It is deserving of a perfect score. This is a fascinating book that I found difficult to put down.
******
Involuntary Reroute
View: on Bookshelves