Is this a Non-Issue? Airline issues discount only to GBLT passengers
December 1, 2007 · By Shane Edwards
Worldnet Daily was tipped off by an anonymous employee at Alaska Airlines about a special promotion on selected routes. It was a 10% discount that could only be accessed by self-identifying yourself as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered.
Worldnet Daily made the story out to amount to a 10% “surcharge” on all straight passengers on those routes, which could be a perception of the action. They point out that it is bizarre that an airline would penalize the bulk of their clients like this.
I don’t know if this isn’t a case of making something out of nothing. Companies give out special promotions all the time for different market segments don’t they? Sometimes they offer family discounts, don’t they? At the same time, I know some airlines give bereavement discounts but they aren’t advertised. There are lots of special circumstance discounts that occur from time to time – why shouldn’t they be allowed to offer a GBLT discount?
I guess it depends on how you see homosexuality. If you see it as something static, like race or gender, then this discount is deeply and profoundly wrong. It is racist if seen in those terms – deliberate systemic bias favouring one people-group over another.
However, if you see it just as a choice or circumstance, then really it doesn’t matter. Anyone has just as much right to the discount – all you have to do is be willing to self-identify as a gay person. You see it in movies and TV all the time – girls claiming they went through a bisexual (often termed “experimental”) phase, on their way to adulthood.
Funny that. A situation used to increase public acceptance of homosexuality, actually based on the idea that their lifestyle is a choice, but when the rubber hits the road, it’s all about how they were “born that way”… but I digress.
Anyways, my point is I think that is what this question comes down to. If the GBLT community is a community of practice or choice, then this is a complete non-issue. It’s a free country – anyone can associate how they choose.
But if the GBLT community is a distinct class of people, whose rights are protected from discrimination just like people groups based on race and gender which cannot be chosen, then this is completely wrong.
What’s to stop anyone from booking their flights on the “special page”?
Do you care to share the actual link that proves this claim? Seems to me that there is nowhere on the website that actually shows the “gay” discount.
Nobody reads links anymore. That’s the point of the internets you know. You link to a document that explains more fully. I am here to comment. I don’t claim to have done the legwork myself. Frick, do you think that’s what bloggers do all day? Sit around making up baseless slander?
Wait a minute. Some do. Ok, around HERE we don’t make up baseless slander.
I read the link, and the links from the link, and still couldn’t find any proof that it was indeed true. So, then, what I think, is that instead of making something baseless up, you just repeated it, because you were too busy (or lazy) to check.
I was about to comment to explain that I believe the the airline should have the right to discriminate any way they want. I was also about to comment on the silly “a community of practice or choice” digression too. However, the only basis of the whole opening post is unfortunately a baseless fabricated rant. Neither of them deserve the dignity of being taken seriously.
By the way, an airline catering to the homosexual community is smart business decision.
“By the way, an airline catering to the homosexual community is smart business decision.”
Wouldn’t it be smarter business to give a 10% discount to “the heterosexual community”? If the 10% figure is true (it isn’t) , then wouldn’t catering to 90% of people be smarter than catering to 10% of people? No, because that would be an OUTRAGE, right Charles?
The airline most likely stopped offering the discount to the “heterosexual” community due to bathroom stall congestion at the airport.
Aaron Unruh,
Stop demonstrating your fine business acumen and vast customer service experience.
Do you have any idea what makes heterosexuals different from homosexuals???
Here is a clue: heterosexuals tend to have a lot more children.
Here is an other clue: traveling children tend to be unruly, unpredictable and those families cancel appointments.
Here is one more clue: homosexuals tend to have a lot more disposable income.
You do the math.
—-
However, forget everything I wrote and let us deal with the glaringly obvious.
What are you suggesting????? Are you suggesting that the businessmen — the actual people who must make the payroll — do not know their own business better than anyone else???
Whatever.
You can tell the airline industry how to run their own business all you want and complain about their marketing strategy: you have nothing to lose.
“Here is a clue: heterosexuals tend to have a lot more children.
Here is an other clue: traveling children tend to be unruly, unpredictable and those families cancel appointments.”
OH!, it all makes so much sense now!
Good. Any time I can knock you out of your regulatory mind-set and over towards a laissez-faire mind-set, just let me know.
“heterosexuals tend to have a lot more children”
well I’ll be damned, learn something new everyday, thanks Charles.
I think it would be awesome if Aaron Unruh bought a “homosexual airline ticket” to get the discriminatory discount, put on his wife’s sunday best, and flew to New York, just to make a very important point. That would show them! Oh yeah, what is his point exactly?
I only wonder if Aaron would be willing to sell his masculinity by pretending to be gay to save himself $15-$20 (because that is seriously the amount of money we are talking about per ticket).
Thinking about that just brightened my day. Thanks Aaron.