Algorithmic price hikes in times of emergency
“Airline customers looking to get out of the path of Hurricane have been met with dramatic fare spikes for air travel tickets… Airlines have countered that they have not changed the algorithms that determine their pricing, and that the surges are a simple matter of supply and demand with scores of people trying to book last minute flight out of the storm’s path.“ - Guardian
“As Florida stocks up on supplies for another monster storm, those looking for bottled water on Amazon have been frustrated to find monster price tags to match. Prices for water on the site reached as high as $100 for a single 24-pack of bottles or $63 for a single 100-ounce jug as of Tuesday morning, according to screenshots from people in the area. While most of the more outrageous listings seemed to come from third-party sellers, at least a few were also set by the company’s own price algorithm.” - Mashable
This is just cruel
capitalism is evil
