An airline often charges higher fares for one-way tickets than round-trip tickets, and for direct flight tickets to its hub than for flight connections from its hub to another destination. So some travelers buy round-trip tickets and only go one way, and some end their travel at the hub instead of taking the connection (a"hidden city"itinerary), to save money. The airlines call this breach of contract: They have punished travel agencies for tickets that aren't properly used, they sometimes demand higher fares from travelers caught, and they have seized some travelers'frequent-flier miles, saying they were fraudulently obtained.
1. Not using the full travel of a ticket breaks airline rules but not the law, so it's not illegal, unless travelers lie about what they are doing. But is it ethical and socially responsible behavior of travelers?
2. Is it ethical and socially responsible for airlines to charge more for less travel?
3. Is it ethical and socially responsible to punish people who break the ticket rules?
4. Is reinforcement theory effective (does it motivate you and others) in today's global economy?
5. Is reinforcement theory ethical and socially responsible, or is it manipulative?