I AM bemused by the fact a minister is stepping in to stop the apparent price war between our two airlines. The rationale of the minister is that this internecine fight is bad for the industry. They might cause serious damage to themselves. Personally I think there is nothing wrong with a little bloody nose or so. In fact it is a boon to the travelling public that the two airlines are squaring up to each other. Ah, at last competition, the impetus that drives product and service providers to pull up their socks and get off the “you take it or leave it” attitude. So I say, “Hey, Minister, let them fight for a while”.

I recall there was a time when air travel was the monopoly of one corporation. Then we had no choice, it literally was “it’s our way or NO WAY”. We just had to pay through our noses whatever exorbitant price the airline asked. Air travel then was the confine of the rich or those who, because of sheer necessity and desperation, had to take to the air. Then came the budget airline, like a super hero swooping from the sky, it proclaimed “Now everyone can fly”. We took to it with gusto but it also meant that society was then divided into two classes: those who can afford the “five-star” (to coin the advertisement blurb of one airline) travel and those don’t mind scrambling for seats. In the beginning some of us could not take the stigma of being a second class traveller. One day I bumped into an aspiring politician (with his family in tow) on a budget airline flight. He sheepishly explained that he could not get any seat on the regular airline and had to make do with the poorer cousin. I was thinking of saying, “no explanation needed” but noticed that he was embarrassed enough as         it were. So I switched subject.

Once the novelty of more affordable travel has worn off we began to take a more discerning look at the situation. It seemed to me that we were back to square one, the monopoly predicament. The budget airline came in to tap into the sector of the market which up till then had not been looked at — people who could not afford to pay the hefty price which traditional airlines were charging. However, being the only player in that patch of the field the budget airline could virtually do what it likes to the passengers, as long as it could deliver the service of transport from point A to point B, and without too much strain on the pockets. At times we felt as if we were treated like cattle being herded up and down the planes.

It struck home to me one day when the ground personnel totally abdicated her responsibility to enforce the respect for the queue. There we were, over one hundred strong, old, young, big, small, converging on a single entry point. Fortunately we had a bunch of jovial passengers. “Great!” they shouted gleefully, “this is the caribou style of lining up.” “Caribou?” said I. “Yes, caribou, that’s how they rush to the gate of the paddock when it is opened.” There was much pushing and shoving, but we all managed to get on intact, though slightly disheveled. Oh, the kind of indignities people are prepared to suffer for a bargain.

Talking about indignity, I recall a few years ago when a big furniture store was having its grand opening and it put out advertisements which screamed “Bargain, Free” or something to that effect. Come the opening day there were so many people clamouring to get into the store that there was an actual riot. Order was restored only after the Riot Squad and Police Dog Unit (yes, riot police and dogs) were called in. It seems that the words, “Free” “Bargain’ “Zero” trigger some animal instinct in some people and they begin to behave like animals.

It is said that for a business to thrive it must have a “key competitive edge”. The budget airline is quite unabashed that their competitive edge is “price”. Such is their confidence that it could just smugly say, “Well it is caribou way or no way”. For those of us who could not afford the so — called “5 star” airline we just have to swallow it, and with a smile

To be fair, I must say that the budget airline concerned has improved its service since my “caribou” encounter. Perhaps it knew that its competitor was waiting in the wing          (pun intended) and one day would take a leaf out of its book and woo the poor, or should I say, the less affluent, with low cost.            So back to our current story: the move by the traditional airline onto the pitch of the budget airline by offering the so called “zero fare”. In using such terms as “zero” “bargain”, “free” these companies are relying on our natural inclination to greed. They are reaching directly to our hearts which they hope will negate our brains. As I noted earlier in the incident at the grand opening of the furniture store, the promise of getting something for free   or almost free was enough   to drive people into a frenzy.

In their promotional literature the words, “Free”, “Zero”, “Bargain” are printed very big. So at five feet away, all we see are just these words. Everything else is relegated to the small print. As we all find out later, the small prints are where the important details are hiding. Like soldiers in camouflage jungle fatigue, they blend into the background and become virtually invisible.

Recently I saw the promotion for a credit card. There was a very prominent picture of a handsome carry-on luggage with the word “FREE” in big print nearby. “Wow!” I thought, “this is too good to be true. A free branded luggage”. Well, it was — too good to be     true, for in smaller prints was the qualification for    the “free” gift: one has to apply for a credit card    from a certain bank, and     to spend RM25,000 within six months of approval! And there were more, for in very fine print it spelled out that if the customer were to fail in the spending condition a charge of RM650 will be levied.  So much for the “free” gift!

So there is really no such thing as a free lunch. The “zero” fare does not mean “zero to pay”. For lurking somewhere on the page of the advertisement, printed in insignificant size are the significant details like fuel surcharge, airport tax and administration fee. So what appear to be good bargains are in fact invitations by     the airlines to help them    pay for their operation     cost, in particular, the fuel cost.

The move by the traditional airline into the territory of the budget airline ruffled quite a few feathers and elicited the accusation of “being a copy cat”, as if offering bargains, or more accurately the semblance of bargains, is copyrighted. This was followed by a counter of “sub zero” fare. So I appeal again to the minister concerned, “leave them alone, let them fight it out.” I am curious to know what can be better than “sub zero” fare.The writer can be contacted at desee@pc.jaring.my