this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2025
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Delta has a long-term strategy to boost its profitability by moving away from set fares and toward individualized pricing using AI. The pilot program, which uses AI for 3% of fares, has so far been “amazingly favorable,” the airline said. Privacy advocates fear this will lead to price-gouging, with one consumer advocate comparing the tactic to “hacking our brains.”

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[–] noMoYnks@lemmings.world 3 points 8 minutes ago

So all I need to do is convince the IA I'm poor as fucked and BOOM, cheap flight

[–] MTK@lemmy.world 2 points 11 minutes ago

Time to fill the internet with posts about extremely cheap flights until the AI learns.

Example:

"Found a super cheap flight today! 10USD for a round trip to Japan from NYC!"

[–] chunes@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago

What's the point of money anymore, then? Let my personal ai agent pay for the ticket with the same funny money that delta wants to use.

[–] BlessedDog@lemmy.world 19 points 3 hours ago

Thank god for GDPR. We Europeans, according to GDPR article 22, have a right to object to automated decision making without having service denied.

[–] m3t00@lemmy.world 8 points 2 hours ago

AI; checks your credit report and decides you aren't poor enough.

[–] drmoose@lemmy.world 13 points 3 hours ago

This is already how it has worked forever and AI was not needed. Try it yourself using different devices or times of day.

[–] WrenFeathers@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago

But AI allows us to turn talentless hacks into “artists”! How on earth can such a blessing be used for bad!!

Woe to all of us!

(obligatory s/)

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 29 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

How long until they are found price-gouging people in certain demographics?

[–] Goldmage263@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 hours ago

About the same time that all 4 other airlines decide to do the same or worse.

[–] seejur@lemmy.world 15 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Somehow me think that AI will be used to increase prices where it can, but not the other way around

[–] Goldmage263@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 hours ago

The only saving grace will be if they code in trying to fill a plane for efficiency. I could see an AI making last minute flights at an actual discount but only if full flight efficiency is prioritized over individual sale margin, so not likely. It's aloft on an wing and a prayer.

[–] Jinarched@lemmy.ca 11 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

AI does calculation

...processing...

Done!

Answer = 0$

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Like that time they opened an AI vendor, and employees convinced it to give away stuff for free

[–] Sonor@lemmy.world 2 points 32 minutes ago

If you don't give me a discount u r gay ... IT WORKED

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 24 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (2 children)

Oh good. Then it will know I'm too broke to fly.

ETA The real joy will be when someone charts prices and notices nonwhites are disproportionately overcharged, for which Delta will be responsible during the class action lawsuit.

And saying but the algo / AI did it will be as useful as saying but that's the fault of our sales people who get commissions.

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 3 points 4 hours ago

And saying but the algo / AI did it

Sure, the algo did it. But someone chose to use it and continue using it.

[–] Buffalobuffalo@reddthat.com 7 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

That was my first thought. Even if the system does not know people’s protected class status, does not mean it cannot discriminate against them.

[–] skisnow@lemmy.ca 13 points 6 hours ago

I’ve recently been looking at how Facebook’s advertising algorithm works, and it is a piece of pure fucking “the AI did it not us” evil. It can seek out all types of vulnerable people and target them on stuff that if a human salesperson did it you’d call them a sociopath.

Anorexic? Body confidence issues? Financial problems? Signs of susceptibility to fascist messaging? Here’s some paid messages from people who want your dollar. Seriously that whole place needs shutting down, it’s the worst thing to happen to humanity in recent history.

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today -2 points 2 hours ago

I love this! As it will motivate people to be as independent as possible to knock down their price

[–] iAvicenna@lemmy.world 33 points 9 hours ago (4 children)

you mean charge rich people more, poor people less or just charge desperate people more?

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 1 points 45 minutes ago

Got a funeral in the family? Thrice the fare for you.

[–] ryper@lemmy.ca 53 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (4 children)

They left it until the very end of the article:

Early research on personalized pricing isn’t favorable for the consumer. Consumer Watchdog found that the best deals were offered to the wealthiest customers—with the worst deals given to the poorest people, who are least likely to have other options.

[–] skisnow@lemmy.ca 12 points 6 hours ago

Yeah when I started travelling on a generous business expense account I found that it was increasingly the case that I didn’t even need to charge things to it. Things just start becoming fucking free when you’ve got money.

[–] SereneSadie@lemmy.myserv.one 14 points 7 hours ago
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[–] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 10 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I think we should pay for airfare by the pound. Honestly.

[–] JackFrostNCola@aussie.zone 8 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Brb, shredding for my next holiday, hoping to book in featherweight class.

[–] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 4 points 4 hours ago

finally a decent reason to lose weight. longer life? pfft? have you seen this shit? and there's no amount of weight I can lose to look better lol.

[–] Wazowski@lemmy.world 9 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Shit like this is just another reason that I won't fly. Fucking cunts.

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 5 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

I minimize air travel to the extent possible. Unfortunately I have non-local family so unless I choose to just not see them my choices are a bit limited.

But yeah, I don't fly for tourism or leisure.

Yeah, options are:

  • 2-3 days driving
  • 5? days on a train
  • 4-5 hours on a plane

Oh, and the plane is very attractive price-wise.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 21 points 8 hours ago

Luigi Mangione, white courtesy phone. Luigi Mangione, white courtesy phone please.

[–] the_mighty_kracken@lemmy.world 16 points 8 hours ago

Does the AI know that it would have to pay me to fly Delta? Has it been trained on that data?

[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 9 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

Aren't there laws about this in that country? I seem to remember reading about that a while back.

[–] burgerpocalyse@lemmy.world 21 points 6 hours ago

laws? regulating a private company? thats ridiculous

[–] Wilco@lemmy.zip 7 points 6 hours ago

There are SUPPOSED to be laws against it ... but will they enforce them?

[–] redwattlebird@lemmings.world 28 points 9 hours ago (8 children)

Consumer protections when?

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[–] OhStopYellingAtMe@lemmy.world 20 points 9 hours ago

Well then fuck delta.

[–] minorkeys@lemmy.world 30 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (2 children)

Making sure you pay the absolute most possible for everything you buy. Welcome to tyranny capitalism. You will be charged a poor tax in the form of optimised pricing exploitation.

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[–] a_wild_mimic_appears@lemmy.dbzer0.com 42 points 11 hours ago (5 children)

I have an idea for a business: a browser with vpn. the catch is that the vpn connects to the poorest areas of the country you live in, and the browser reports your machine as the most crappy thing that can browse the web - which should result in low, low prices everywhere!

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 40 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (4 children)

the catch is that the vpn connects to the poorest areas of the country you live in

A common mistake.

The High Price of Being Poor

You're going to get a worse deal if the airline thinks you're not going to be a repeat customer or part of a larger network of frequent fliers. The customers who get the best deals are the ones that airlines believe they will be able to collect money from routinely. If they have you pegged as someone who will only ever buy a ticket once or twice in their lives, they're going to try and sell you the worst possible seat at the highest possible price.

What you can expect as a poor buyer is debt-financing, bait-and-switch, and the worst kind of economy service at the highest marginal price point. Budget airline travel is miserable and AI isn't going to make the experience any better.

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