Airlines heavily use dark patterns to earn more than 17 trillion yen annually

It is now possible to search and book the cheapest airline tickets on websites, and the price competition for airline tickets is becoming more and more intense. So instead of lowering ticket prices, airlines are charging customers more for paid options such as seat selection and checked baggage. However, the airline industry has been criticized for employing various tactics on online ticket sales websites to sell paid options to customers.

Airlines will make a record $118 billion in extra fees this year
https://www.fastcompany.com/90981005/airlines-fees-118-billion-dark-patterns

According to research results published in October 2023, sales of ancillary services across the airline industry reached a record high of $117.9 billion (approximately 17.4 trillion yen), compared to 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic. It was shown that there was an increase of 7.7% compared to the previous year.

However, the airline industry tends to use dark patterns extensively in the ticket sales form for purchasing airline tickets online, in order to allow customers to purchase paid options as well as airline tickets.

In 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation revealed that it received 113 complaints from consumers about 'misleading and inaccurate advertising on airline websites, social media, email, and text messages.' Regulations on ' enhancing the transparency of airline ancillary service charges ' are scheduled to be announced in March 2024.

Cognitive psychologist Harry Brinull, who proposed the concept of dark patterns, introduces the techniques airlines actually use when selling airline tickets online.

・Misdirection
Misdirection is the placement of eye-catching design elements that draw attention away from something else. For example, information about more expensive airline tickets is displayed in bold and prominent places, while information about cheaper airline tickets is displayed in small, hard-to-read text that blends into the background of the website. is.

・Nagging
“Nagging” is when a pop-up or email prompts a consumer to reconsider a decision they have already made. For example, on the Delta Air Lines website, when you select an economy class ticket, a pop-up window displays the economy class restrictions and alerts you to accept them or reselect your ticket. Also, on Southwest Airlines , if you turn off the rental car reservation option when purchasing a flight ticket, you will receive an email asking, ``Have you already reserved your rental car?''

・Foster urgency
Another option is to display a message when you are selecting a ticket on the website, warning you that there are not many seats available for your desired fare. For example, easyJet 's website has a feature that says 'This ticket was booked 54 minutes ago' and displays the last time someone bought it. It adds stress to the situation. In addition, this method can be stressful not only for people who are pressed for time, but also for people who take time to process information displayed in front of them, such as people who use English as a second language. Brinull points out that it gives .

・Preventing price comparisons
Websites such as Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines do not show how fares and fees differ depending on the ticket, making it impossible to compare details of services and options. Furthermore, although they claim that ``it's cheaper to process your baggage online than to process it at the airport,'' they don't seem to specify the specific difference in fees.

・Additional purchase
Airlines offer not only flight tickets, but also hotels, rental cars, travel insurance, and more, but online sales do not disclose enough information to evaluate their services. In particular, travel insurance contracts are extremely complex, so it is a problem that the details cannot be checked immediately. Elad Schaffer, CEO of Faye Travel Insurance, which specializes in travel insurance, said: ``Insurance purchased through airlines typically has significant limits on coverage, which policyholders only find out about when things go wrong.'' ” commented.

For example, United Airlines offers travel insurance by calling ``Cover your travels with a travel insurance plan from Travel Guard.'' However, although it is called travel insurance, it only covers the cost of airline tickets and does not cover hotels or rental cars. Flight-related issues such as lost baggage are also not covered.

'Ticket prices have continued to decline, and revenue from paid options has helped airlines stabilize their finances,' said Jay Sorensen, president of IdeaWorks , a consultancy for airlines and travel companies. , highlighting the importance of paid option sales for today's airlines. On the other hand, 'online ticket sales are a great transaction, but airlines are completely failing when it comes to creating some kind of surprise about travel. As airlines focus on selling paid options, , the magic of air travel is being lost.”