Delta Air Lines is rolling out what feels like ‘enshitification’ of international Business Class with a new basic fare option that strips away premium check-in and lounge access, slashes the luggage allowance, reduces the amount of miles you’ll earn, and prevents you from selecting a seat until check-in.
The term “enshitification” has become a popular way of describing products or services that gradually lose value as companies introduce extra fees, restrictions, or lower-tier options while encouraging customers to pay more for the experience they previously received.
Ever since it became apparent that customers were incredibly sensitive to price, airlines started unbundling everything in a ticket.
Yes, but in a shrinkflation way, whereby you get less prodict for your money and then they try to upsell you. To be fair, though, they were led by actual reduced fares by low cost airlines and they did it as a way to compete, by not raising their prices in line with inflation and costs.
You can still get the original bundle, Delta never took that away. You’re just now being asked to choose if lounge access, picking your seat, checked luggage, and other items not related to the actual seat are worth it.
My guess is that premium basic will be popular enough that it will continue.
But in terms of shrinkflation, the original bundle may still be there but it’s going up in price, then what will happen is the unbundled amount creeps up to the price the original was at.