Yeah, it's a really confusing piece. He holds up Southwest in that one example as a shining star that proves all of his theories, when in reality, it only proves that airlines can get by without change fees and bag fees. But Southwest is as "bad" as anyone when it comes to jacking up prices when a flight is near sold out, and, in my experience, are more likely to have stopovers than other airlines.
As someone who actually flies, the existing system works amazingly well, and delivers a service at a surprisingly low cost. Undersold aircraft and regulated fares are great for business travelers who are price-insensitive, but virtually every "fix" he cites will cost people money.
Personally, I just wish some airline would test "the market" for a premium level of services (few more inches of elbow room is "premium", apparently) that doesn't cost 5x the money for 10% more space.
As someone who actually flies, the existing system works amazingly well, and delivers a service at a surprisingly low cost. Undersold aircraft and regulated fares are great for business travelers who are price-insensitive, but virtually every "fix" he cites will cost people money.
Personally, I just wish some airline would test "the market" for a premium level of services (few more inches of elbow room is "premium", apparently) that doesn't cost 5x the money for 10% more space.