Scott Summer vs. Brad Delong, and Other News
Scott Sumner responds to Brad Delong: Yes, government did cause the Great Depression.
Why do airlines charge $25 for checking bags, but not for bringing huge bags on the plane?
Scott Sumner responds to Brad Delong: Yes, government did cause the Great Depression.
Why do airlines charge $25 for checking bags, but not for bringing huge bags on the plane?
I’ve always had the same question… why not charge extra for what people already want to do and not charge for what people don’t want to do — if what people don’t want to do actually facilitates quicker boarding.
Boarding is one of the activities that slows down air travel and reduces the daily carrying capacity of each airplane. It makes perfect sense to charge for carry-on luggage because it reduces airplane turn around and to offer free checked baggage because it’s more efficient (but less convenient) for air travelers.
From the article…
Why Sen. Schumer would involve himself in whether airlines charge for carry-on luggage is beyond me.
The Wall Street Journal article was written by Dan Ariely. Professor Ariely compared the stated income and height of men on the dating website, OK Cupid. He concluded that men fudged the truth slightly. He found the income (and height) curve tracked closely in shape to the general population. But men claimed to be something like two inches taller, on average, and about 30 percent richer than they actually were (that, or OK Cupid attracted men who were taller or richer than the average, but that’s unlikely).
I agree with Scott.
Big government is precisely what made the Depression so bad and prolonged.