Are we still looking for the cheapest flight?

38 years after my first flight to London, there appears to be no change in our mindset on airfares.

We can still hear people comparing airfares to a certain destination like shopping in the market. Nobody seems to bother about the quality of the airlines, in terms of safety record which should have been the top priority, but more interested in the cheapest airfare.

I can still remember how I booked my flight to UK: just looked for any airlines flying to London which offered the cheapest airfare. Known 'cheap' airlines in those days which were competing included Czechoslovakia, Biman, Aeroflot, Pakistan, and so on. Aeroflot did not have a good safety record. A few years later, when my nephew flew by Biman, I was told they had only two aeroplanes! When my wife flew back by Pakistan Airline in 1982, she had to stay one night in Pakistan because of mechanical or other problem which did not reflect a good service record.

Recently, someone was complaining about a certain airline, which judging from the times of arrival and departure do not provide enough time for proper checking and service of the planes.

We must bear in mind that we can choose the cheapest this, that or other, but when it comes to air flight, there is no room for mistakes. Airline managements make decisions on how to run their companies, but we as passengers have a choice in deciding which airline to fly with. I know it is easier said than done because when we have to travel, there is only a limited choice. But just be a bit more discerning and not just choose the cheapest.

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