Despite a weak economy, publishing executives are still making what many see as outrageous gambles on new manuscripts.
With double-or-nothing daring, most large media firms make outsized investments to acquire and market a small number of titles with strong hit potential, and bank on their sales to make up for middling performance in the rest of their catalogs.
Here’s what Prof. Anita Elberse – author of the “Dewey the Cat” case – had to say in the WSJ ….
In recent years, airlines nave become masters at “unbundled pricing” … offering a low base fare and then charging more for bags, heavy bags, priority boarding,window seats, bad sandwiches, soft drinks, blankets and, of course, reservation changes.
According to CNN: Baggage fees alone generate more than $3.3 billion each year, and fees for reservation changes add almost $2.5 billion.
Annoying, for sure … but also a good source of revenue.
According to watchdog group ProPublica, colleges are starting to adopt the airlines’ pricing playbook.
Specifically, ProPublica says that student fees have become a kind of “stealth, second tuition imposed on unsuspecting families.”
And though their names can border on the comical — i.e., the “student success fee” — there’s nothing funny about how they can add up.
Such fees are on the rise on many campuses.
Here are some specifics:
A couple of weeks ago – reacting to SWA charging for an overweight bag – I asked the question:
If airlines charge for overweight bags, why don’t they charge fore for overweight passengers? After all, a pound is a pound is a pound.
Specifically, I opined:
There’s a societal cost to somebody’s ample butt hanging over onto somebody else’s seat.
Here’s a novel plan: how about a base ticket price for the first 175 pounds and then $75 for each 50 pounds (or portion thereof) over the limit.
Price the human heavyweights,well, just like the overweight bags.
Then, rent the seat belt extenders for say $20.
Profit improvement for the airlines and major step forward in the war on obesity.
As President Obama likes to say: “It’s common sense.”
I took some heat for the idea but at least one airline thinks we’re onto something.
According to The Guardian, Samoa Airlines the first-mover to tilt the scales in favor of fit & trim passengers.
Here’s the skinny on the Samoa Air plan …
The Homa Files 