The world seems pissed that Delta’s AI is trying to price gouge you.
But that seems like such a strange reaction to me.
It’s by no means novel that we as consumers are trying to use technology to save a buck on air tickets. There’s been bots, price watchers, skip lags, price predictors. No doubt some of the solution space uses AI to save us money.
So if our optimization equation for technology is around paying the least, it seems only natural that Delta’s optimization for technology is to try to get us to pay the most - it’s logical.
Were I a flyer (I’m not), I’d be pissed at this news… but then again, I would have spent years trying to get one up on Delta, so do I have any right to be outraged?
Were I a Delta shareholder (I’m not), I’d be elated - finally a great use case for AI to enhance business outcomes, especially in a particularly difficult industry.
Let’s talk arbitrage
In economics, arbitrage is exploiting price differences in different markets for the same asset. Airlines have been doing this for decades - charging different prices for the same seat based on demand, timing, and customer behavior.
What Delta’s AI is likely doing isn’t picking random prices. It’s probably tracking alternatives from different airlines, cross-referencing your loyalty to Delta, analyzing your booking patterns, and finding that sweet spot where - when there are limited options and high loyalty - it should maximize its price.
Where’s the anti-Delta bot?
But here’s what I’m really waiting for: how long until we get the anti-Delta bot?
The one that overloads your “booking session” with extraneous data and requests to throw off the AI’s profiling. Creating noise in the signal. Making you look like a price-sensitive bargain hunter right up until - like a 1-2 knockout punch - it locks in your actual ticket at the lower price.
Can’t wait to read that news article!
The arms race between consumer AI and corporate AI is just getting started. And honestly? This is exactly the kind of technological cat-and-mouse game that makes capitalism interesting.
What’s your take? Are you Team Consumer Bot or Team Corporate AI? And more importantly - who’s building the anti-Delta bot?
If your business is on either side of that fight, I’d love to compare notes.
