Dear Airlines: Motivate me with altruism or material reward or I probably won’t gate-check my bag. Sincerely, Praxeologist.
May 4th, 2011
Waiting for my flight from Houston to Phoenix to start boarding at the gate yesterday my ears perked up when the gate agents of Continental Airlines asked over the intercom for volunteers to gate-check some of their carry-on bags to make sure everyone had adequate space in the overhead bins. Normally when an airline asks for volunteers and you aren’t in a hurry you should jump at the opportunity because it usually connotes worthwhile perks like extra miles, free flight(s), hotel room(s), etc. I sensed my potential ability to profit from inconveniencing myself further and so meandered over to the desk to inquire about my possibilities.
By gate-checking my bag I was demonstrating a marked interest in a time preference longer than my peers. I was willing to wait for my bag at baggage claim and was seeking compensation for this flexibility. When I went to speak to the gate agent and asked her what I would receive in exchange for freeing up space she looked at me incredulously and not a little offended and said, “compensate you? You should be paying us as you’d normally have to pay to check your bag!”
I didn’t only carry my bag on because it costs $25 to check it but also because waiting at baggage claim causes me disutility. Spending time at an airport is like hanging out at a hospital; you need a pretty damn good reason to do it.
I was a marginal consumer of the carry-on bin space. I’m entitled to the good by virtue of possessing a ticket and would not willingly trade it for a worse option. Given a coupon for a free drink or two or an in-flight meal my time preference could have been elongated and shifted toward waiting at baggage claim. I am, after all, a fairly flexible person and am not looking to catch a connecting flight in Phoenix and didn’t have to hustle to a pressing appointment.
Recently I ‘altruistically’ traded seats on a long haul flight from Frankfurt to Atlanta so a mother and son could sit together. I’m sympathetic to the egoistic interpretation that because I could see the fruits of my generosity and internalize thanks from the beneficiaries I received a different sort of remuneration which made the trade worthwhile on my end.
If the airline needed carry-on bin space and I could see my actions directly making an impact on someone whose need of the space was greater, I would have felt pleasure, and probably would’ve gate-checked my bag as requested.
As it was, Continental offered me neither financial reward nor a substantial opportunity to derive ‘altruistic’ pleasure for my flexible time preferences and thus I did not in the end offer my generous gate-checking services. Incentives matter, airlines. People play with cost/benefit analyses. Throw me a sensible bone next time.
Sincerely yours,
Ross Kenyon
Apparent Praxeologist
