Airlines are charging solo passengers higher fares than groups

Bulk Discounts vs “Penalizing” Solo Travelers

• Many see this as standard quantity discounting: buying more seats gets a lower per‑seat price, like buying in bulk at Costco.
• Others argue the framing matters: if solo prices are higher so families pay less, singles are effectively subsidizing groups.
• Several point out that previously group bookings often paid more (fare buckets moving the whole group to a higher price), so this feels like a notable shift.

Solo Travel and Lodging Costs

• Solo travelers already pay a “single tax” on hotels, cruises, and tours that price per room or per double occupancy.
• Hostels and single rooms exist but often trade off privacy and security; many commenters say these are not acceptable substitutes.
• Some note that in parts of Asia and Mexico, hotels explicitly price per person, which can also disadvantage solo guests.

Airline Economics & Price Discrimination

• Multiple comments emphasize airlines are low‑margin, high‑risk businesses, heavily reliant on dynamic pricing and extras (bags, seat fees, credit‑card deals).
• This behavior is viewed as another segmentation tactic: solo tickets, one‑ways, and last‑minute or business itineraries are less price‑sensitive, so they get charged more.
• Others stress that families are more price‑sensitive and more likely to add bags and seat assignments, so discounting them can still maximize revenue and load factors.

Fairness, Society, and Singles vs Families

• Some argue society already disadvantages singles (tax rules, housing, travel pricing), and this is one more example.
• Pushback: raising children is extremely costly; discounts for families or children are framed as social incentives rather than penalties on singles.
• Debate spills into philosophy: is favoring family formation necessary for a functioning society, or just accepted discrimination?

Opacity, Manipulation, and Regulation

• Strong frustration at opaque, constantly shifting fares and the need to “game” the system (incognito searches, date shifting, round‑trip hacks).
• Some call for stricter regulation or utility‑style treatment; others respond that deregulation made flying dramatically cheaper and choice greater.
• Several note the core harm isn’t the existence of group discounts but the non‑transparent, algorithmic way they’re applied.

Workarounds and New Ideas

• Suggestions include platforms to match solo travelers into “ad‑hoc groups” to capture discounts, though many warn about shared PNR risks and flakiness.
• A few insiders say this kind of group discounting is unsurprising and wonder only why it took airlines so long to deploy it.