Should an airline ticket be priced on your income?

[Symmetry]

I feel like duke's intentions are good.

I'm guessing mrswdk has a narrow view of the China he experienced. It's not wrong but I dare him to go out to some farming area and live without plumbing and electricity, bathing in a river for a year.

When the top 3 Billionaires have more assets than the bottom 50% of Americans, we can truly say the working class lost the class warfare.

It never bothers me that there are some that have way more than most. What's the point of jealously? I actually find it fun and interesting to see stories and pictures of things like The DuPont mansion.

Sure I'd like infinite funds to buy everything I see but if I am honest, I have more than I need.

I have seen a young lady in real life get turned down, trying to get something to eat in a Burger King with a toddler in a stroller.

What I gathered was there was some program where she was on a list and they could get a certain amount of food credits. Seems she already had hers for the week. I was on vacation over eating every day and I didn't like seeing her and a young child go hungry, we bought her some lunch. I doubt It changed much, I can't fix everything and in the big picture she is probably still broke years after.

I don't believe she should get free airfare but she certainly deserved a cheeseburger.

The unfairness bothered you, but only so far as to buy some fast food? It's not as if you did anything wrong, but you do seem to have missed a bigger picture,

[mrswdk]

Your experiences there were positive and that's valid but I suspect there is poverty in China.

Maybe that's complicated or even wrong.

I think there are still a few million in China that live in absolute poverty. I just wasn't sure how that's relevant to the rest of this thread.

[2dimes]

Did you see any poor people there? You seem to keep writing things suggesting everything is perfect. And fair enough if that's what you experienced.

Not all my ideas about China are from Forrest Gump or people that love Ronald Reagan but... I have talked to several people who have visited or lived there, a few with less wonderful anecdotes than yours. It is possible they all lied to me.

Maybe because I said I'd like to go visit, they could tell I'd love it too much there and settle in to the free housing, eat too much General Tso's chicken for free, then burden the free health care system.

Back to this thread sort of..
For me the idea of people getting free airplane rides because they can't afford to pay the price of admission is not only wrong, eventually it makes the fear of running out of money come true. "Someone needs to at minimum pay for the planes and fuel." Since flying is fun you might find someone willing to be the pilot for free.

If a rich guy had to pay for everyone to go flying it might be no big deal if we are only talking about "everyone" in his neighborhood. Especially since there might not even be anyone poor there.

If he has to pay for everyone in China that's broke he will not be able to afford that.

If I only had 6 months to live I would move to Edmonton.
It would seem so much longer that way.

I hear you. I like https://thelingnan.com and the mall but last time we went, some of the parking areas were pretty sketchy. The weather must be just terrific there lately too. They would not have had the break from the cold we had on Monday.

[mrswdk]

Did you see any poor people there? You seem to keep writing things suggesting everything is perfect. And fair enough if that's what you experienced.

Not all my ideas about China are from Forrest Gump or people that love Ronald Reagan but... I have talked to several people who have visited or lived there, a few with less wonderful anecdotes than yours. It is possible they all lied to me.

Maybe because I said I'd like to go visit, they could tell I'd love it too much there and settle in to the free housing, eat too much General Tso's chicken for free, then burden the free health care system.

ofc I saw poor people. In a big city like Beijing anywhere between 30-50% of the population are migrant workers from poorer rural provinces, and they're the ones you see selling food on the streets, running market stalls, waiting tables etc. Near my house there was an alley where kebab sellers turned up at night to run street stalls. I used to drink with some of the guys who worked there from time to time. They were cool, but I wouldn't want to trade places with them. It sounded like they worked long hours on all seven days of the week for not very much money, as do most of those other migrants.

Free housing, food and healthcare? I think we're back to the 1970s poster again. What you're describing sounds like the Mao-era factory compounds. China has social security but people still pay a portion of their schooling, healthcare etc. costs directly. Food and housing in China are the same as in any other country, if you want them you'll need the money to pay for them. imo social security in China was pretty generous for old retired people but other than that seemed pretty weak.

I don't think China's perfect at all. I just think there are a lot of people in this part of the world who malign it unfairly based on zero whatsoever experience of the place and I want to stick up for it.

[2dimes]

I'm with you, when I'm not running one of these trollercoasters. People can hardly ever write anything positive. It's out of control. It's ok if it's funny but it's annoying to watch some eleven year old nail a cover song on YouTube and someone shows up to comment. "That sucked, they should have used a G seventh diminished not a G fifth suspended chord."

[KoolBak]

This whole time I assumed that buying based on ability meant the least affluent would get the cheapest fare THAT WAS STILL ECONOMICALLY VIABLE for the airline. I.E., janitor Joe gets a $400 ticket to Hawaii. Dimey pays $700. Fuckstick lawyer pays $1500. I just bought 4 tickets for may; got them for $500 and change and that HURT. Fly for free? f*ck that. Hitchhike asshole.

[2dimes]

Why are you buying tickets for James May but making me pay $200 more than it cost you. I hope you are supporting Alaskan and not some crap carrier.

[KoolBak]

It WAS Alaskan. Cheapest AND the only direct flight.

[2dimes]

Also the staff is nice and there is enough leg room that my wife fits in the planes and so far my calves don't swell up. Air Canada should be forced to give me free rides in premier until they go broke.

I wish you could still buy those life time passes. I'd get a better job to save up for one of those with a decent carrier.