<story><title>Airlines using reverse auctions to determine true seat pricing</title><url>http://cheeptalk.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/be-very-afraid/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>MichaelApproved</author><text>I wonder if this could be used as a part time business. You could buy several tickets on days when flights are usually overbooked months ahead of time. Good time to do this would be Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, etc.&lt;p&gt;Then show up at the airport that day and sell each ticket for a premium above what you paid for.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>BrandonSmith</author><text>Growing up, a large number of people travel from my home town twice a year (religious conference). One year I planned to make the pilgrimage, as well, and booked a flight with a friend. Sitting in our seats after boarding, over the intercom, passengers were invited to give up their seats. Such is customary, complete with compensation.&lt;p&gt;After several attempts by the airline, the cash got high enough that my companion and I practically stood up at the same time.&lt;p&gt;Each six months for several years we booked, boarded, and got cash. The worst being that we&apos;d make the flight and take the trip we&apos;d intended.&lt;p&gt;We never made it.</text></comment>
<story><title>Airlines using reverse auctions to determine true seat pricing</title><url>http://cheeptalk.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/be-very-afraid/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>MichaelApproved</author><text>I wonder if this could be used as a part time business. You could buy several tickets on days when flights are usually overbooked months ahead of time. Good time to do this would be Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, etc.&lt;p&gt;Then show up at the airport that day and sell each ticket for a premium above what you paid for.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>pangram</author><text>Oh, clever idea, but probably wouldn&apos;t work.  First off, it&apos;s labor intensive (you have to go to the airport and check in, it&apos;s not like you can speculatively buy 500 tickets), and the amount you could potentially make is bound not only by the ticket price but by the fact that you can probably only reliably make a profit during rush times (i.e., Thanksgiving, December).  Also, if you guess wrong and a popular flight did not fill up -- you have to take the flights!</text></comment>