Care to gamble on your airline ticket?

Published 12:01 am Thursday, March 10, 2011

If Allegiant Air gets its way, you might be able to purchase a ticket where the final cost would rise and fall with the price of jet fuel.

For the Las Vegas airline, it’s another way, besides higher fares and fees, to guard against rising fuel costs.

When booking a flight, passengers could choose between a traditional fixed-price ticket and a discounted, variable-price one. If the price of jet fuel falls by the departure date, customers with a variable ticket would get some cash back. If it climbs, they would pay more.

The airlines already gamble on fuel prices. If they lock in too much fuel and prices fall, they lose.

Allegiant’s plan passes that decision — and risk — on to customers.

“It’s an airline based in Vegas, so people are in a gambling mood I guess,” says Brett Snyder, president of Cranky Concierge, an air travel assistance company.

Associated Press